Grokking the Engineering Management and Leadership Interviews Course Syllabus

Overview: This comprehensive course is designed to help engineers prepare for engineering management (EM) and leadership interviews at top-tier tech companies. Structured around real-world scenarios and industry expectations, the course covers all key pillars of EM interviews including people management, project execution, organization building, and behavioral competencies. With approximately 8 hours of hands-on content, learners will build practical frameworks, develop compelling narratives using the STAR method, and create a personal story bank to confidently articulate leadership experiences. The course is text-based and self-paced, ideal for senior engineers targeting EM1 or EM2 roles.

Module 1: Interview Process & Leadership Levels

Estimated time: 1 hour

• Overview of EM interview stages: recruiter screen to onsite rounds
• Understanding phone interviews and loop structures
• Differences between EM1 and EM2 role expectations
• Analyzing sample interview flows
• Drafting role-specific questions for leadership interviews

Module 2: People Management

Estimated time: 3 hours

• Conducting effective one-on-ones (1:1s)
• Managing performance reviews and feedback cycles
• Resolving team conflict and fostering inclusion
• Strategies for retaining top talent
• Handling low and high performers in distributed teams

Module 3: Project Management

Estimated time: 1 hour

• Planning and executing technical roadmaps
• Setting clear team mission and goals
• Running effective retrospectives with actionable outcomes

Module 4: Organization Building

Estimated time: 1 hour

• Strategies for team growth and scaling
• Hiring processes and interview design
• Planning reorganizations and structural changes
• Designing effective onboarding programs

Module 5: Collaboration Management

Estimated time: 1 hour

• Cross-team collaboration frameworks
• Partnering with leadership-level stakeholders
• Demonstrating cross-functional coordination with data and results

Module 6: Behavioral Interviews

Estimated time: 1 hour

• Core behavioral traits: communication, conflict resolution, empathy
• Learning mindset and handling failure
• Practicing STAR-based responses for behavioral questions
• Articulating growth through past challenges

Prerequisites

• Experience as a senior software engineer or technical lead
• Familiarity with basic management concepts
• Interest in transitioning into an engineering management role

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Understand the full EM interview process and expectations at MAANG companies
• Structure compelling, evidence-based responses using the STAR framework
• Create a personalized story bank of leadership experiences
• Demonstrate proficiency in people, project, and organizational leadership
• Articulate cross-functional collaboration and behavioral competencies effectively