EM Interview Prep: Mock Loop + Feedback

with Jonathan Burns

Gearing up for an EM interview loop? Let's do a realistic mock run: system design at EM scope plus the behavioral and leadership rounds, and I'll give you straight, honest … Read more

1 hour Book a time instantly

Continue to booking – $129

Jonathan Burns

Engineering Manager, Customer Identity at Gusto

$129 one session

Continue to booking

Scheduling conflict? No-show? Cancel session & get your money back instantly.

Only 4 spots left

About this session

Gearing up for an EM interview loop? Let's do a realistic mock run: system design at EM scope plus the behavioral and leadership rounds, and I'll give you straight, honest feedback, the same kind I'd give a real candidate. I run hiring loops as an EM at Gusto and came up through staff-level engineering, so I know what actually moves the needle with hiring managers. You'll leave with a clear plan for whatever prep time you've got left. Bonus: every booking includes my EM Interview Prep Pack, the full written guide with the question bank, scoring rubric, and prep plans.

Your mentor

Hi, I'm Jon! 👋 I'm an Engineering Manager for Customer Identity at Gusto, a former Staff Software Engineer, and an ex-Amazon engineer. I grew from a small company's engineering team into Amazon and then Gusto, and I enjoy helping other engineers build their skills and navigate their next career step.

My background spans backend engineering, distributed systems, platform architecture, reliability, and identity. At Gusto, I've led customer identity work across authentication, SSO, MFA, account recovery, and account security. Previously, I built identity and login infrastructure at Amazon.

I've mentored engineers at different career stages and conducted technical interviews at Amazon and Gusto. I bring hands-on engineering experience and the perspective of someone who has progressed through senior and staff engineering into management.

Here's how I can help:

🚀 Career growth and technical leadership
Build a practical plan for your next role, grow toward senior or staff engineering, lead projects across teams, communicate technical decisions, and explore the transition into engineering management.

📚 Interview preparation
Practice coding, system design, and behavioral interviews with direct, actionable feedback. For Amazon interviews, I can help you develop clear examples around the Leadership Principles and explain your contributions.

🛠️ Backend engineering and system design
Strengthen your fundamentals, review code and architecture, and reason through scalability, reliability, migrations, and operational tradeoffs. My experience includes Java, Ruby on Rails, APIs, AWS, Docker, and Kubernetes.

🔐 Identity and authentication
Understand OAuth, OIDC, SAML, SSO, MFA, and account recovery, and learn how to design authentication systems that balance security, reliability, and user experience.

🌱 Sustainable growth
Being a strong engineer takes more than technical knowledge. We can work on communication, prioritization, and the habits that help you grow while maintaining perspective and balance.

My approach is collaborative and tailored to your goals. Whether you're building a stronger foundation, preparing for interviews, or taking on broader technical leadership, we'll identify the gaps that matter and turn them into concrete next steps.

Tell me where you are today and what you'd like to achieve, and let's build a plan together. 🤝

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is a session?

A session is a focused one-on-one call with your mentor. Use it to get feedback, work through a specific problem, review your work, or get unstuck. You reserve up to 1 hour of their time.

How do I pick a time?

After checkout you pick a slot from Jonathan's live availability, and it's confirmed on the spot.

How does the session take place?

Sessions happen over video call. Your mentor shares the meeting link ahead of time, so all you need is a quiet spot and a stable connection.

Can I reschedule?

Yes, up to 24 hours before the session. Message your mentor and find a new time that works for both of you.

What if my mentor doesn't show up?

You're protected. If a mentor is a no-show, it takes one click to cancel and get your money back, no questions asked.

How do refunds work?

You pay securely by card at checkout. If the session can't go ahead, you can cancel and get your money back instantly from your dashboard.

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