HR screening: cheat sheet before the call

Task: to help HR understand how you fit the role, check the conditions yourself and agree on the next stage. Do not rattle off all the points at any cost.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

I checked the date, time, time zone and link. Set a reminder.
I opened a vacancy and a resume, which I sent here.
I identified three main requirements and found a real example from my experience for each.
Prepared a short story of 60-90 seconds and an extension to 3-5 minutes if HR wants details.
I prepared two or three stories: a result, a mistake, a difficult work situation. I remember my contribution and the outcome.
I know the desired salary and the lower limit. I specified the currency, month/year, gross/net, fixed/bonus.
I know my limitations: country, format, relocation, design, release date.
I checked the microphone, headphones, camera, internet and the required VPN in the call application.
I made sure that I looked normal, my face was visible, and the background was not distracting.
I turned off notifications, closed unnecessary tabs, and warned my family. Water is at hand.

START OF THE INTERVIEW

I said hello, introduced myself, and checked that I could be heard. Briefly supported small talk.
I understood the conversation plan and how much time we have.
I heard about the company and the role: what the tasks are, the stack, the team, the expectations. I wrote down what to focus on.
If there is a fundamental discrepancy between the conditions, I clarified it immediately; I don’t wait until the end of the process.

YOUR PITCH

Name → specialization → how many years of relevant experience.
Named the main stack without listing everything he had ever opened.
Explained the latest company's product in one or two sentences.
Named your role, team context and area of responsibility.
I explained what I did personally: task → my action → benefit.
He gave a real example, similar to the tasks of the vacancy.
Gave a clear scale, if it is important: load, data, users, services. Only facts permissible for disclosure.
If I give numbers, I understand what was measured. I don’t pass off a test load as a product load, and a team result as an individual one.
Mention the penultimate job only if it adds an important aspect to the experience. I am not retelling the entire biography.
I follow the questions and reactions of the interlocutor; I’m not trying to hold out the monologue until the required time.
He gave the floor: “Which of this is worth revealing in more detail?”

Support for the story:

I am [name], [specialization], doing this for [term]. The main stack is [relevant stack]. Currently working on [product], responsible for [site/solutions]. From a recent one: [problem], I [specific action], as a result [benefit]. This is close to your objectives with [job detail]. I can tell you more about [relevant topic].

HR AND STAR QUESTIONS

I listened to the question. If I don’t understand, I clarify; I don’t answer at random.
First he answered to the point, then he gave the necessary example and stopped.
Explained the reason for the search without throwing mud at the previous team. I named what I wanted in the next place.
Explained interest in this vacancy through its specific tasks or conditions.
If you have no experience: honestly defined the boundary, named related experience and a way to figure it out. I don’t end with a monosyllabic “no,” but I also don’t pass off unfamiliar technology as my experience.

STAR: situation → task → my actions → result. More time on the action and the outcome, less on the background. There is no need to say the letters out loud or insert a story into each answer.

Training example, not ready legend for assignment:

Before launching a new client, our report regularly timed out. I was assigned to deal with the request. I reproduced the problem on test data, looked at the execution plan, changed the query and checked the result with QA on the same scripts. On retest, the timeouts disappeared and we released a fix before the client connected. After that, we added this script to the performance test.

Submit only your real story. If there are measurements, add the “before/after” values and measurement conditions. If not, don’t draw percentages, explain the observed result.

MONEY

I found out the budget for the role. If you meet the requirements, you set your expectations closer to the upper limit, without an automatic discount for yourself.
If there is no fork: “What is the budget for this position?” If the amount needs to be named first, I call the prepared guideline, and not a random number.
I don’t tie the future offer to the old salary: “I suggest focusing on the tasks of this role. My expectations are [amount and units].”
On “expensive” he clarified the available plug and whether there is a real possibility of discussion. I don’t think that any company has a hidden +10–15%.
If the budget is below my minimum, I either politely completed the process or consciously explained under what conditions I was willing to consider a lower amount.
I checked the contents of the package. A one-time bonus does not equal a permanent increase; return conditions and obligations are also important.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Choose two or three important questions that have not yet been answered:

Why did the vacancy open: team growth or replacement?
What tasks will you have in the first months? How will they understand that I’m coping?
Who do I work with and what am I personally responsible for?
What is most important about a candidate for this role?
I clarified the conditions that influence my decision. Technical details unknown to HR were left for discussion with the team.

END AND AFTER THE CALL

If the role is interesting, he briefly said why - without theatrical delight.
I clarified the next stage, format, duration and preparation.
I learned when to expect feedback and who to write to if the deadline has passed.
He thanked him for the conversation and said goodbye.
I wrote down the conditions, contacts, the next step, the deadline and the questions on which I stumbled.
Corrected the story for the next call. For training, I record myself; I coordinate the recording and transmission of the actual call in advance with the participants.

Final check: After my story, it’s clear what kind of work can be trusted to me and how did I confirm this?