Page 77 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

THE RULES OF THE GAME

of important points that are being made and questions or comments
you don’t want to forget when it’s your turn to talk.

ASK PERMISSION

Asking permission is a simple thing, but it makes a big difference.
First, it’s respectful. Second, it draws attention to the behavior,
so that the interviewer is not surprised. Surprises are rarely in the
candidate’s favor. Here are some suggested wordings for getting
permission:

Do you mind if I take notes? I want to keep the details of this discussion
very clear in my mind because the more I learn about this opportunity,
the more confident I am that I can make an important contribution.

Notice how the applicant embeds a selling message in the request.
Also ask permission before you look at your notes when you ask

your questions:

While we were talking, I jotted down a few points I wanted to ask about.
May I have a minute to consult my notes?

Or:

Thanks for the detailed description of the opportunity and the com-
pany. I know you answered most of my questions in the course of our
conversation. Before I came here, I jotted down a few questions I didn’t
want to forget. May I consult my notes?

USE A NOTEBOOK

In Chapter 1, I suggested ordering questions by writing them on index
cards. That’s a useful practice as you determine which questions to
ask and in which order to ask them. But after you have established
the questions and their order, transfer the list to a handsome leather-
bound notebook. Whipping out a set of index cards sends the wrong
message. Plus there’s always the risk of the index cards slipping out
of your hand and flying all over the place.

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