Four things people ask for the night before and the day after: the checklist, a STAR worksheet, a thank-you note and a counter-offer note. Short, plain, with [brackets] where your words go.
Tick these off in order. The last block is for video calls; skip it if the interview is in person.
THE NIGHT BEFORE [ ] Read the job post again. Mark the 3 or 4 things it asks for most. [ ] Pick one story for each of those things (use the STAR worksheet below). [ ] Say your "tell me about yourself" answer out loud once, under a minute. [ ] Look up the interviewer on LinkedIn: role, how long at the company, anything you have in common. [ ] Read the company's latest news or product update, one item is enough. [ ] Write down 3 questions to ask them. [ ] Know your numbers: current pay, expected pay, notice period. Say them without pausing. [ ] Put the call link, the interviewer's name and the role title in one note. [ ] Clothes out, charger found, alarm set. ONE HOUR BEFORE [ ] Restart the computer. Close everything you do not need. [ ] Check the camera: at eye level, face lit from the front, nothing messy behind you. [ ] Check the microphone with a test call or a voice memo. [ ] Phone on silent, notifications off on the computer. [ ] Water, a pen and paper, your resume printed or open on a second screen. TEN MINUTES BEFORE (VIDEO CALLS) [ ] Open the meeting link and sit in the waiting room, do not join late. [ ] If you use ClapAssist, open it and run the mic and audio check now, not during the call. [ ] Breathe. Smile once before you unmute; it changes your voice.
One sheet per story. Fill four or five: a hard problem, a disagreement, a deadline, a mistake, something you led. Keep the situation short and spend most of the answer on what you did.
STORY: [one line, e.g. moved the billing job off the old server] GOOD FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT: [ownership / conflict / deadline / failure / leading] SITUATION (two or three sentences, about a fifth of the answer) Where were you, what was the problem, why did it matter? [ ] TASK (one or two sentences) What were YOU responsible for, not the team? What was the deadline or limit? [ ] ACTION (most of the answer, in steps) 1. First I [ ] 2. Then I [ ] 3. When [the problem or pushback] came up, I [ ] Say "I", not "we". Name the choice you made and what you chose it over. RESULT (two or three sentences) What changed, with a number if you have one: [time saved / money / errors / users] What you learned or would do differently: [ ] SAY IT OUT LOUD ONCE. Under two minutes. Cut anything the interviewer does not need.
Want the four parts checked as you type? The STAR answer builder does that.
Send it the same day, or the next morning at the latest. Five lines. The middle line is the whole point: name one thing you talked about, so they remember which candidate you were.
Subject: Thank you, [role] interview Hi [first name], Thanks for your time today. I enjoyed the part about [one specific thing you discussed, e.g. how the team handles on-call, or the migration you mentioned]. It made me more sure I want the role. If it helps, I can share [something you offered or they asked for, e.g. the write-up of the project I described] — just say. Looking forward to hearing about next steps. [Your name] [Phone number]
If you have nothing to offer in the second paragraph, delete that line. Do not invent one.
Send this after the offer arrives in writing, not on the call. Ask for one number, give one reason, and say what you will do if they agree. Do not list three demands. Check the in-hand first with the salary calculator.
Subject: Re: Offer for [role] Hi [recruiter's first name], Thank you for the offer. I am glad about the role and the team, and I want to make this work. One thing I would like to discuss: the fixed CTCbase salary. Based on [your one reason: another offer / the band for this level in the market / the scope we discussed], I was expecting closer to [₹X LPA$X]. Is there room to move to that? If we can get there, I am ready to sign this week and will stop the other conversations I have going. Thanks again, and happy to talk on a call if that is easier. [Your name] [Phone number]
Only write "another offer" if you have one in writing. Recruiters ask. If the reason is the market band, be ready to say where the band came from.