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By Mockly English · Last updated:
How a São Paulo Engineering Manager Prepped After a Failed Google Design Round
Portuguese was fluent. Google’s system design round in English was not.
At a glance
| Role | Engineering manager / software engineer |
|---|---|
| Region | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Starting Point | Google system design round unsuccessful; vocab the main gap |
| Target | Roles abroad; full interview process in English |
| Outcome | Full-loop practice; Airbnb second round in notes |
Timeline
EM in Brazil
Focus
Google design (did not pass)
Outcome
Airbnb round next
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“I can run a team in Portuguese. In English I do not have the words when the design question gets hard.”
Starting Point
São Paulo, EM and SWE background, working in Brazil only so far. After Google, an Airbnb second round appeared on the calendar. Coaching had to cover design language and the rest of a loop, not a pep talk about the failed round.
The Problem
He managed engineers in Brazil and wanted a job abroad. Google’s system design round had already gone badly. Vocabulary and expressions failed when the problem got specific. He did not want a single patch. He wanted the whole process in English — the same bar as in Portuguese. Tennis and running were the rest of the week. The interview was the English problem.
Before and After
Before coaching
- Failed Google system design on language, not only on architecture
- Vocabulary and expressions were the stated biggest gap
- Wanted abroad roles while still working only in Brazil
- No full-process English reps yet
After coaching
- Spoken design scaffold with fallback phrases
- Mocks for more than one round type
- Airbnb-style follow-up practice in English
- Corrections on the same answer, not a new lecture
What We Practised
Sessions started from the failure mode: design in English when vocabulary ran out. Then they widened to a full loop so the next company would not be another single-round surprise.
- System design in English after the Google miss
- Vocabulary and expressions for EM-level trade-offs
- Whole-process mocks, not one question type
- Second-round practice as other companies appeared
Useful references along the way: What to expect in English interviews, Own your weakness.
The Turning Point
The useful mock was a design he had already failed once, redone with a rule: when a word disappeared, use a simpler accurate sentence instead of stopping. He finished the board. That is not eloquence. It is what Google-style rounds actually grade when English is the second language.
The Result
He did not get a Google offer in the notes. He got a second chance at the skill that failed: system design English, plus the rest of a loop — including an Airbnb second round. Honesty about the miss is part of the story.
What He Would Do Differently
- Practise design English before the first FAANG-style round
- Build fallback phrases for when the precise term will not come
- Train the whole process, not only the round you fear
- Treat a failed round as a recording of the gap, not as a verdict on the career
Why This Matters for Brazilian EMs Targeting Roles Abroad
Google-style design rounds are long spoken performances. Strong EMs in Portuguese still fail them on vocabulary. Recovery is more mocks in English, not more years of management in Brazil.
Preparing for a similar path? Read How an Israeli Account Manager Prepped for Google in English.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I failed a Google system design round. Can interview English still help?
Yes. The next company will ask a similar spoken design. Fix the language of the round you failed, then widen to the full loop.
What if I run out of words mid-design?
Use a simpler accurate sentence and keep the structure. Silence costs more than a plain word.
Should engineering managers in Brazil practise in English before they move?
If the target job is abroad, yes. The loop will not be in Portuguese.
Is one failed Big Tech round the end of the process?
No. It is a map of what to mock next.
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