Coaching for your next role, and for leading well once you're in it.
Two different engagements, built on the same twenty years in tech. One gets you the role. The other helps you lead once you have it.
Career Coaching
For engineers and leaders who want their next role to actually fit. Job search strategy, interview prep, and negotiation, built on the same system I use with 280+ clients at Candl Consulting.
See how it worksLeadership Coaching
For managers, directors, and VPs who want to lead with clarity, not just authority. Built on what I've learned scaling teams from a handful of engineers to more than ninety.
See how it worksLand a role that actually fits
This is the same program I run through Candl Consulting, my coaching practice for senior tech professionals and executives. If you're tired of getting ghosted, second guessing yourself, or not knowing what recruiters are actually looking for, this is built to fix that.
280+
clients coached
$15M+
in client offers
92%
land an offer within 90 days
30%
average salary increase
How the program works
Clarity
Get specific about the role and the company that actually fits, not just whatever comes up next. We break down the job descriptions and profiles that match.
Credibility
Build a profile that shows measurable impact, not just responsibilities. This is where your resume and LinkedIn start doing the work for you.
Connection
Build real relationships with peers, recruiters, and hiring managers. A large share of roles never get posted publicly, and this is how you reach them.
Conversion
Practice interviews until they stop being scary. Master telling your story with impact, then negotiate and choose the offer that actually fits your life.
Where clients have landed
“Raphael optimized my LinkedIn and resume for visibility. His framework for communicating across different interview personas is highly effective.”
Sushma S.
Director of Engineering
“The phased progression helps you understand job search systems clearly. Raphael's expertise and honest feedback built my confidence.”
Vincent C.
Principal Software Engineer
Lead with clarity, not just authority
I've spent ten-plus years in engineering leadership roles, from tech lead to VP, and wroteThe Engineering Leadership Playbook on what I learned. This coaching is for engineers moving into management, or leaders who want to get better at the parts of the job nobody trained them for.
20
years in tech
10+
years in leadership roles
100+
person org built and scaled
1
book on the subject
What we work on together
Emotional intelligence
Read your team accurately and respond to what is actually happening, not what the org chart says should be happening.
Coaching and mentoring
Structured ways to grow the people on your team deliberately, instead of leaving development to whoever asks for it loudest.
Conflict and feedback
Build psychological safety into how feedback works, so hard conversations happen before small problems become big ones.
Performance with compassion
Assess talent and manage performance in a way that holds people accountable without treating them like a number.
AI strategy and adoption
Where AI actually makes your team faster, where it doesn't, and how to bring your engineers along without losing the judgment that makes them good in the first place.
Common questions
Is this career coaching or leadership coaching?
Both, and they're different engagements. Career coaching is for landing your next role. Leadership coaching is for once you're already leading, or moving into it, and want to do it well. Tell me which one you need on the call and we'll go from there.
How fast will I see results?
For career coaching, most clients see replies and interviews within two to three weeks, and offers land around the 90 day mark depending on where you're starting from. Leadership coaching is slower by nature. You're changing habits, not applying to jobs.
Should I wait for a better market before starting?
No. Waiting only weakens your position, whether that's a job search or a leadership transition. The approach adapts to the market, not the other way around.
What happens on the first call?
We talk about where you are, where you want to be, and whether I'm actually the right person to help you get there. No pitch, no pressure. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you.
Let's figure it out on a call
No pitch, no pressure. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you.