Interview Preparation Templates & Checklists

STORY TITLE: [e.g., Migrated Legacy Payments Service to Microservices] TARGET LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE / VALUE: [e.g., Deliver Results / Ownership] 1. SITUATION (15% of time ~ 20-30s): - What company/project was this? - What was the core problem or bottleneck? - What was at stake if this was not resolved? [Your notes here...] 2. TASK (10% of time ~ 15s): - What was your specific, personal responsibility (not just the team)? - What was the deadline or constraint? [Your notes here...] 3. ACTION (60% of time ~ 60-90s): - Step 1: How did you diagnose or architect the plan? - Step 2: What pushback or technical hurdle arose, and how did you resolve it? - Step 3: What specific tools, frameworks, or leadership choices did you make? [Your notes here...] 4. RESULT (15% of time ~ 20-30s): - Metric 1: Quantified outcome [e.g., cut latency by 38%] - Metric 2: Business or financial impact [e.g., saved $120k/yr AWS costs] - Long-term learning or team takeaway: [Your notes here...]

[ ] 24 HOURS BEFORE: - Review the job description and highlight 4 core required skills - Prepare 2 metric-backed STAR stories for each required skill - Research your interviewer on LinkedIn (past companies, tenure, recent posts) - Review company recent news, product launches, or quarterly earnings [ ] 2 HOURS BEFORE: - Restart your computer to clear memory leaks and background processes - Verify webcam eye-line angle (camera positioned at forehead level) - Test microphone gain and background noise cancellation - Close all high-CPU tabs (Slack, heavy IDEs, video streaming) [ ] 15 MINUTES BEFORE: - Launch ClapAssist and verify audio loopback device - Open your glass of water and notebook for written jotting - Prepare 3 strategic reverse-interview questions for the interviewer - Silence your smartphone and turn off notification banners on desktop

Subject: Re: Offer - [Role Name] - [Your Full Name] Hi [Recruiter Name], Thank you so much for extending the offer for the [Role Name] position at [Company Name]. I enjoyed meeting [Interviewer/Team Names] and am very excited about the opportunity to contribute to [specific project or goal discussed]. I have reviewed the offer details carefully. Based on my [X years] of specialized experience in [Core Skill/Domain] and current market data for this level in [City/Remote], I was anticipating a base salary in the range of [Target Base Range, e.g. $145,000–$155,000 or ₹28–32 LPA]. If we can align on [Target Number] for the base salary [or: adjust the signing bonus to $X], I am ready to sign the agreement and decline all other ongoing processes immediately. Thank you again for your partnership throughout this process. I look forward to your thoughts! Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Phone Number]

Subject: Thank you - [Role Name] Interview - [Your Full Name] Hi [Interviewer Name], Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today regarding the [Role Title] opportunity at [Company Name]. I especially appreciated our discussion around [mention 1 specific technical or product problem, e.g. how your team approaches database sharding as user volume scales]. It reinforced my enthusiasm for the role and confirmed that my background in [your domain, e.g. distributed systems / retention analytics] would allow me to make an immediate impact on your upcoming roadmap. Please feel free to reach out if any additional information is needed from my side. I look forward to hearing about the next steps. Best regards, [Your Name] [LinkedIn Profile URL]