Page 76 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

DO YOU MIND IF I TAKE NOTES?

The situation, Thrower concedes, is different for people applying
for technical positions, such as systems analysts, or financial types,
such as controllers or budget officers. He expects people applying
for these positions to be very detail-oriented—thus it is appropri-
ate and encouraging to see technicians taking notes during the job
interview.

THE ARGUMENT FOR TAKING NOTES

Most job coaches and recruiters favor note taking. They believe the
very real upsides outweigh the potential downsides. The fact is, most
interviewers take notes themselves.

“I’m hugely OK with note takers as long as it doesn’t delay our
process,” says Janice Brookshier, recruiting consultant at Seattle-
jobs.org. “After all, I’m going to be taking notes.” A job interview
is not a social occasion. It is a business meeting. And in American
business culture, taking notes in support of a business meeting is
considered not only appropriate but often a sign of professionalism.

Far from a sign of disorganization or weakness, taking notes is a
mark of a well-organized professional. The cultures of companies
such as IBM, Cisco Systems, and Computer Associates International
actually encourage note taking at all meetings. Employees are issued
notebooks, and they are expected to use them as part of a culture
that insists that people stay accountable for the goals and objectives
they take on.

Other recruiters encourage note taking because it encourages
candidates to listen rather than talk. “I coach candidates to apply
the 80-20 rule in job interviews,” one recruiter says. “You should be
listening 80 percent of the time and talking only 20 percent of the
time. If taking notes helps, I’m all for it.”

These recruiters believe that taking notes actually keeps the atten-
tion on the speaker by minimizing interruptions as the applicant
makes a list of insights and responses that can be referred to when
it’s the listener’s turn to speak. Note taking does not have to be dis-
tracting. The point of notes is not to take down a conversation ver-
batim, which would be intrusive. The purpose is to remind yourself

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