These are sheets to print and write on. Each one is a blank form for a job in the lessons: the arithmetic of a package, the recruiter call, the story bank, the weekly hours, the notice period, the exit. Where a sheet has a "Replace:" line, that line tells you what to cross out and write in. Where a sheet has an invented example, it is marked INVENTED and is there only to show the sum, never as a number to copy. Every sum is worked in the lesson named in the sheet's heading; this pack holds the empty versions.
Not advice. General information, and every example is invented.
These sheets are general tools for a book. They are not tax, legal or career advice. Tax, provident fund and notice rules are as read on 31 October 2026 from the sources listed at the end of this pack, and several rules (surcharge on the new regime, tax on a buyout, tax on a repaid bonus, the deferral window for start-up options) are the author's reading and contested. Check anything that moves money against the notified rule, your own appointment letter and, for tax, a chartered accountant.
- T1 CTC to in-hand. T2 Offer comparison. T3 What an extra rupee of fixed pay nets. T4 Recruiter-call card.
- T5 Notice, buyout and early release. T6 Referral message and tracker. T7 Story bank and competency grid. T8 Prep diagnostic and weekly hours.
- T9 The AI-use answer and the AI-assisted-round checklist. T10 Follow-up notes. T11 Reapply tracker. T12 Resignation and handover. T13 Exit and background-check list. T14 The 30-60-90 plan.
T1. CTC to in-hand worksheet (lesson 0)
Two-sided sheet: print T1 front and back. The front is the worksheet; the back holds the old-regime check, the slabs and a worked example. Replace: every figure with the number from your own offer letter, a line at a time, top to bottom. Work in rupees a year; divide by 12 at the end. Do the new-regime sum first, then the old-regime check below it if you pay rent or invest.
Table: Line, Where it comes from, Rupees a year (12 rows)
| Line | Where it comes from | Rupees a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1. CTC | Offer letter, total | |
| 2. Employer PF | 12% of basic (plus DA); at the ₹25,000-a-month wage ceiling this is ₹36,000 a year. Check: PF line / 0.12 = the basic being used | |
| 3. Gratuity provision | Offer annexure; later pay is basic x 15 / 26 x years | |
| 4. Gross pay | Line 1 minus 2 minus 3 | |
| 5. Own PF | Same rule as line 2 | |
| 6. Professional tax | State table; ask payroll | |
| 7. Taxable income, new regime | Line 4 minus ₹75,000 standard deduction | |
| 8. Taxable income, old regime | Line 4 minus ₹50,000, minus HRA exemption, minus own PF (cap ₹1.5 lakh), minus other deductions | |
| 9. Tax before cess | Slab sheet below; zero if line 7 is ₹12 lakh or less (marginal relief just above) | |
| 10. Cess | 4% of line 9; surcharge only above ₹50 lakh | |
| 11. In hand a year | Line 4 minus 5 minus 6 minus (9 + 10) | |
| 12. In hand a month | Line 11 / 12 |
Old-regime check, if you pay rent (T1, back)
Table: Line, Rupees a year (8 rows)
| Line | Rupees a year |
|---|---|
| HRA received | |
| Rent paid minus 10% of basic salary | |
| 50% of basic (8 metros) or 40% (elsewhere) | |
| HRA exempt: the least of the three | |
| Own PF deduction (cap ₹1.5 lakh) | |
| Taxable income, old regime (line 8 of the front) | |
| Tax plus cess, old regime | |
| In hand a year, old regime |
New-regime slabs (taxable income, a year)
Table: Band, Rate, Tax in this band (7 rows)
| Band | Rate | Tax in this band |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ₹4 lakh | Nil | |
| ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh | 5% | |
| ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh | 10% | |
| ₹12 lakh to ₹16 lakh | 15% | |
| ₹16 lakh to ₹20 lakh | 20% | |
| ₹20 lakh to ₹24 lakh | 25% | |
| Above ₹24 lakh | 30% |
Rebate: tax up to ₹60,000 is cancelled when taxable income is ₹12 lakh or less. Just above, the tax is capped at the income above ₹12 lakh, which runs out near ₹12,70,588. Old-regime slabs: nil to ₹2.5 lakh, 5% to ₹5 lakh, 20% to ₹10 lakh, 30% above; rebate ₹12,500 at ₹5 lakh or less. HRA is exempt only in the old regime, at the least of three: HRA received; rent paid minus 10% of salary; 50% of salary in the eight listed metros (Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru) or 40% elsewhere.
INVENTED 1 min
Asha, CTC ₹28,00,000, paying rent of ₹50,000 a month in Bengaluru (the lesson 0 case): gross ₹26,11,754 plus employer PF ₹1,34,400 plus gratuity provision ₹53,846 makes the CTC. New-regime tax with cess ₹3,54,667 (old regime ₹4,01,498), so about ₹1.77 lakh a month in hand. Your sheet should reproduce this kind of check before you trust it.
Next stop: T2. Offer comparison sheet (lesson 12), 1 min
T2. Offer comparison sheet (lesson 12)
Replace: the headings "Offer A" and "Offer B" with the two companies, and leave a column blank if you hold one offer and want a baseline from your current job. Rupees a year, before tax unless the line says net. A one-time item counts in year one and is zero in year two.
Table: Line, Current job, Offer A, Offer B (11 rows)
| Line | Current job | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed pay (cash) | |||
| Variable at target, then at the paid-out share the company states | |||
| Joining bonus, and months of clawback | |||
| Stock: grant value, vest schedule, cliff, listed or not | |||
| Employer PF and gratuity (in CTC, not cash) | |||
| Insurance, allowances, other perks you would pay for anyway | |||
| Year-1 cash (fixed + paid variable + joining bonus + stock that vests inside year one) | |||
| Year-2 cash (no one-time items) | |||
| Haircut for stock you cannot sell: your own percentage | |||
| Level, title and scope in writing | |||
| Notice, buyout, office days, location |
Stock tax note
RSUs: at vest, market value at vest minus what you paid (nothing, for an RSU) is a perquisite taxed as salary. Sale later: gain = sale price minus the value at vest. A four-year schedule with a one-year cliff is common, as vendor material describes it; your plan letter decides. Ask the company in writing whether your grant uses the start-up deferral, and until when; confirm with a CA.
INVENTED 1 min
100 RSUs vest at US$50 when US$1 = ₹85: perquisite ₹4,25,000, tax at 31.2% about ₹1,32,600. An RSU grant worth ₹5,00,000 that all vests in one year, assuming the whole perquisite falls in the 30% band plus cess, is taxed ₹1,56,000.
Next stop: T3. What an extra rupee of fixed pay nets (lesson 12), 2 min
T3. What an extra rupee of fixed pay nets (lesson 12)
Replace: the base figure with the taxable salary on your own offer (new regime, after the standard deduction). Rows marked INVENTED show the shape. They assume an invented base of ₹23,06,500 taxable (lesson 12): the first ₹93,500 of any ask is taxed at 25% and the rest at 30%, plus 4% cess. Your base will differ.
Table: Ask, Extra gross, Tax on it, Net a year, Net a month (7 rows)
| Ask | Extra gross | Tax on it | Net a year | Net a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed +₹1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 26,338 | 73,662 | 6,138 |
| Fixed +₹2,00,000 | 2,00,000 | 57,538 | 1,42,462 | 11,872 |
| Fixed +₹4,00,000 | 4,00,000 | 1,19,938 | 2,80,062 | 23,338 |
| Joining bonus ₹3,00,000 | 3,00,000 | 88,738 | 2,11,262 | one-time |
| Your ask 1 | ||||
| Your ask 2 | ||||
| Your ask 3 |
Gross needed to net a number: divide the net you want by 0.688 when the whole amount falls in the 30% band. Invented check: to net ₹2,40,000 from a joining bonus the gross is about ₹3,41,770, because some of the bonus falls in the 25% band. Before you say any figure aloud, say its net to yourself and decide whether you would accept it.
Lines to say, with your numbers
- One package: "Your fixed is [ ] and I am at [ ] elsewhere; I would sign at [ ] fixed."
- Level: "The interview was run at level [ ]; the offer is level [ ]. What would it take to match?"
- Deadline: "I want to decide well. Could I have until [date], with the written offer first?"
- Competing offer: "[Company] offers [ ] fixed. I prefer your team and would join at [ ]."
- Counter-offer from your employer: it changes the number, not the reason you left. Write the reason here before you hear it: [ ]
The lines are scripts invented for practice. Tax on a repaid bonus, and on a buyout your new employer pays, is contested: ask a chartered accountant before relying on a net figure.
Next stop: T4. Recruiter-call card (lesson 4), 1 min
T4. Recruiter-call card (lesson 4)
Replace: each blank with your answer before the call, in the order the recruiter will ask. Write the number once; read it off the card; never improvise a CTC.
Table: Question, in order, My answer in one line, Fact to confirm (9 rows)
| Question, in order | My answer in one line | Fact to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Background | ||
| 2. Current CTC, split: fixed / variable at target / employer PF / gratuity / insurance / stock / one-time | ||
| 3. Expected, as a fixed number and a range | ||
| 4. Notice period, and what part I can serve or buy out | ||
| 5. Relocation and office days | ||
| 6. Other processes and offers, with their stage | ||
| 7. Why change (one honest sentence) | ||
| 8. Level I am being considered at | ||
| 9. Process and timeline: rounds, dates, who decides |
INVENTED 1 min
Priya, CTC ₹18 lakh: fixed 15.13, variable at target 1.80, employer PF 0.72, gratuity 0.29, insurance 0.06. If the variable pays 80%, that is 1.44 and not 1.80. Expecting 27 to 29 against her fixed 15.13 asks for roughly +78% to +92% on fixed.
Documents to have in reach: appointment letter, last three payslips, Form 16, EPF passbook. Portals: fill the field with what is true; if a field cannot hold the truth, write it in the free text instead of rounding. For a background check, ask which checks, who runs them and how long the data is kept.
Gap or layoff, in three lines
Code, 6 lines
1. What happened, in a fact: ________________________________________________________________ 2. What I did in the gap: ________________________________________________________________ 3. What I am looking for now: ________________________________________________________________
Next stop: T5. Notice, buyout and early release (lessons 4 and 12), 1 min
T5. Notice, buyout and early release (lessons 4 and 12)
Replace: the dates and the fixed pay with yours. Read your appointment letter for the notice clause; the numbers below show the arithmetic only.
Table: Item, Your figure, Rule or source (10 rows)
| Item | Your figure | Rule or source |
|---|---|---|
| Resignation date | ||
| Notice period in days (letter) | Appointment letter | |
| Days I will serve | Manager approval in writing | |
| Days to buy out | ||
| Fixed pay a year | ||
| Buyout = fixed pay / 365 x days bought out | The author's illustration, not a rule; your letter decides | |
| If reimbursed by the new employer, net of tax at my band | Tax treatment contested: ask a CA | |
| Last day | ||
| Wages due after resigning | Within 2 working days of resignation, as one commentary reads the Code on Wages; ask HR | |
| Gratuity, if 5 years or more | Within 30 days (Code on Social Security) |
INVENTED 1 min
Arjun resigns on 2 Nov 2026 with 90 days of notice, serves 30 and buys out 60: last day 2 Dec 2026. At fixed pay ₹18.00 lakh the buyout is 18.00 / 365 x 60 = ₹2.96 lakh. If the new employer reimburses it and it is taxed at 31.2% (30% plus 4% cess), about ₹2.04 lakh survives.
Early-release request in one line: "I request release on [date], with [ ] days bought out; my handover plan is attached." A one-time sum a new employer pays against a buyout, or a joining bonus you may have to repay, is a negotiating item in lesson 12; this sheet only counts days.
Next stop: T6. Referral message, 60-second ask and tracker (lesson 3), 1 min
T6. Referral message, 60-second ask and tracker (lesson 3)
Replace: each bracket with a fact about this person and this role. A referral message that could go to anyone will be read as spam.
Code, 5 lines
Hi [name], I saw [team / role] at [company]. I am a [role] with [N] years at [company], where I [one result with a number]. I am applying for [role id]. Could you refer me, or tell me who should? My resume is attached. Happy to send two lines you can forward. Thanks, [your name]
The 60-second ask, spoken
Code, 4 lines
Who I am: ______________________________________________ What I did: ____________________________________________ The role I want: ________________________________________ The one thing I ask: ____________________________________
Table: Name, Company, Role asked for, Date sent, Reply / next step (8 rows)
| Name | Company | Role asked for | Date sent | Reply / next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Next stop: T7. Story bank and competency grid (lesson 9), 1 min
T7. Story bank and competency grid (lesson 9)
Replace: one row per story. Each story should run about 160 seconds, of which about 75 are what you did. Seven competencies: scope, ownership, conflict and disagreement, ambiguity, growth, collaboration and leadership, judgement.
Table: Story (headline), What was at stake, What I did (I, not we), Option I rejected and its cost, Number, What I changed afterwards (8 rows)
| Story (headline) | What was at stake | What I did (I, not we) | Option I rejected and its cost | Number | What I changed afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Competency grid
Write the story number (1 to 8) that best answers each. A competency with one story is a risk; with none is a gap.
Table: Competency, Main story, Back-up story (7 rows)
| Competency | Main story | Back-up story |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | ||
| Ownership | ||
| Conflict and disagreement | ||
| Ambiguity | ||
| Growth | ||
| Collaboration and leadership | ||
| Judgement |
Check each story against six criteria
Table: Criterion, Story: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (6 rows)
| Criterion | Story: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline and stakes in one sentence | ||||||||
| "I" for the main action | ||||||||
| Option rejected and its cost named | ||||||||
| A number that moves | ||||||||
| Reflection I acted on | ||||||||
| Survives two probing follow-ups |
Next stop: T8. Prep diagnostic and weekly hours (lesson 5), 1 min
T8. Prep diagnostic and weekly hours (lesson 5)
Replace: the hours with your own budget: 6, 8 or 10 a week. At 8 hours the weekly split is full round 1.5, DSA 2.5, design 2.0, stories 1.0, outreach 1.0, and the weakest two get half the budget (4 of 8 hours) for four weeks. Hour figures are the author's assumption; the checkpoints move them.
Week-one diagnostic (do a full round, recorded)
Table: Round, Rubric score, What the recording showed, Longest pause: which step (4 rows)
| Round | Rubric score | What the recording showed | Longest pause: which step |
|---|---|---|---|
Checkpoints
Table: End of week, If I see this, I do this, My answer (and hours moved), Box (6 rows)
| End of week | If I see this, I do this | My answer (and hours moved) | Box |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | No reply from my first twenty approaches and no recruiter call? Fix the resume, widen the list. | ||
| 5 | Calls, but no screens? Re-record the pitch; ask recruiters what they hear. | ||
| 5 | Rerun did not improve my lowest rubric score? Change the method for that round, not just the hours. | ||
| 7 | Screens, but most lost on the same kind of question? Move hours to that topic for two weeks. | ||
| 9 | Loops, but no offers? Compare debrief notes; repeat the weak round as a recorded full round. | ||
| 10 | Still no offer? Extend by four weeks, not twelve; reset the list and the budget. |
Next stop: T9. The AI-use answer and the AI-assisted round (AI lesson), 1 min
T9. The AI-use answer and the AI-assisted round (AI lesson)
Replace: the brackets with one real task from your own work. If a round does not say AI is allowed, assume it is not, and ask in writing before the day.
"How do you use AI at work?" in six parts
Table: Part, My sentence (6 rows)
| Part | My sentence |
|---|---|
| 1. One real task | |
| 2. What went to the tool, and why | |
| 3. How I checked the output | |
| 4. A time it was wrong | |
| 5. What I own, not the tool | |
| 6. What I do without it |
Checklist for an AI-assisted coding round
Table: In the round I will, Did I?, Box (6 rows)
| In the round I will | Did I? | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Read the failing test and the files before the first prompt | ||
| Name a constraint in each prompt and include the code | ||
| Run the tests after every accepted change | ||
| Reject or rewrite one suggestion and say why | ||
| Add one edge-case test | ||
| Be able to explain every line I keep |
Prep protocol: retrieve first from a blank page, use the model as examiner and not as source, retrieve again a day or more later, verify its claims, and keep one no-AI session a week. If an AI interviewer records you, ask about retention and review; consent obligations under the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 phase in from May 2027 (sources give different days; we could not settle which).
Next stop: T10. Follow-up notes (lesson 11), 1 min
T10. Follow-up notes (lesson 11)
Replace: each blank. Send note A within a day of the loop; the others follow the move you have chosen.
Table: Move, When to use it, My note (three lines) (5 rows)
| Move | When to use it | My note (three lines) |
|---|---|---|
| A. Thank you | Within 24 hours of the loop. Name one thing discussed. | |
| B. Status ask | No reply after the stated timeline. | |
| C. Add a deadline | You hold another offer with a date. | |
| D. Ask for feedback | After a rejection; one line. | |
| E. Stay in touch | After a decline; two lines, no ask. |
Stage durations in India, from a vendor page updated 5 Oct 2026 and read 31 Oct 2026: screening 7 to 14 days; rounds 7 to 21; offer 3 to 7; notice 30 to 90. That is 17 to 42 days before notice and 47 to 132 with it; these are sums of one vendor's ranges, not a measured time to hire. A reply is not late until its own stated date has passed.
Reply to a rejection
Table: Do I, Done, Box (5 rows)
| Do I | Done | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Thank them within a day | ||
| Ask one question about the gap | ||
| Keep the door open in one line | ||
| Not argue the decision | ||
| Write the date I may reapply |
Next stop: T11. Reapply tracker (lesson 11), 1 min
T11. Reapply tracker (lesson 11)
Replace: one row per company. Reapply when something specific has changed, not when a number of months has passed.
Table: Company, Date of last loop, What they said, What I changed, Earliest reapply date, Sent (12 rows)
| Company | Date of last loop | What they said | What I changed | Earliest reapply date | Sent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reapply note
Code, 3 lines
Hi [name], I interviewed for [role] on [date]. Since then I [one concrete change with evidence]. Is there an open role where that fits? Resume attached.
Next stop: T12. Resignation, handover and early release (lesson 12 and T5), 1 min
T12. Resignation, handover and early release (lesson 12 and T5)
Replace: the brackets. Resign in person or on a call first, then send the email the same day.
Code, 7 lines
Subject: Resignation: [your name], [employee id] Dear [manager], I am resigning from [role]. My last working day is [date], per my notice of [N] days. I will hand over [list] by [date]. Thank you for [one specific thing]. Please confirm the last day and the release of [documents]. [your name]
Handover plan
Table: Item, Who takes it, Document / location, Done by (7 rows)
| Item | Who takes it | Document / location | Done by |
|---|---|---|---|
Next stop: T13. Exit and background-check list, 1 min
T13. Exit and background-check list
Replace: nothing; tick each box by hand when it is done. Ask the new employer which checks they run, who runs them and how long they keep the data.
Table: Item, Done, Box (10 rows)
| Item | Done | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Resignation accepted in writing, last day stated | ||
| Early-release terms in writing, if any | ||
| Laptop, badge and access returned; receipt kept | ||
| Experience and relieving letters requested | ||
| Final payslip, Form 16 and PF transfer details requested | ||
| Gratuity and leave encashment dates noted | ||
| Personal data removed from the work laptop | ||
| Documents for the check ready: ID, address proof, degree, previous letters | ||
| Referees warned: [names] | ||
| Written offer matches what was agreed |
Next stop: T14. The 30-60-90 plan (first 90 days), 1 min
T14. The 30-60-90 plan (first 90 days)
The lesson on the first 90 days has its own lesson; the template stays here so you can fill it in on the day you join.
Replace: the brackets with your own team, manager and role. Show the plan to your manager in week one and change it with them. The first 90 days are a plan to learn and deliver, not a promise of results.
Table: Window, Learn, Deliver, Ask my manager (3 rows)
| Window | Learn | Deliver | Ask my manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | |||
| Days 31 to 60 | |||
| Days 61 to 90 |
Weekly one-to-one questions
- What does good look like in my role at 30, 60 and 90 days?
- What would make you say I should have asked sooner?
- Who else should I meet, and why them?
Sources
4 sources
- Lessons 0 to 12 of this guide, each of which lists the primary sources for its own figures; the tax figures follow lesson 0 and the negotiation figures follow lesson 12.
- Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and Ministry of Labour and Employment, notification S.O. 5109(E) raising the wage ceiling to ₹25,000 a month from 17 Sep 2026, as summarised in lesson 0, read 31 Oct 2026.
- Income-tax Act, 2025, as summarised in lesson 0 (new-regime slabs, rebate, standard deduction, HRA rule), read 31 Oct 2026. Old-regime slabs and the surcharge are read as the Finance Bill proposed and may change.
- Wisemonk, hiring stage durations in India, page updated 5 Oct 2026, read 31 Oct 2026 (a vendor page; sums of its ranges, not a measured time to hire; durations vary by company).