Page 78 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

DO YOU MIND IF I TAKE NOTES?

One of the reasons for having a notebook in the interview is that
you will think of questions to ask the interviewer. Perhaps the inter-
viewer is talking about a new product that the company is about to
launch. You remember in your previous job how one of the product
launches hit an unexpected snag and how you helped unravel the
problem. You don’t want to interrupt the interviewer, so you make a
quick note to talk about the incident later in the interview.

Remember, first impressions are critical. If you’re going to take
notes, don’t use a pencil or loose scraps of paper or the back of your
parking ticket. Use a fine pen and a clean, professional notebook,
preferably bound in leather. The pen you select makes a statement
about you. Make sure it reflects the professional you. A fountain pen
is good if you know how to use it. A little silver (not gold) one might
be fine. And for pity’s sake, make sure it works. Nothing will defeat
your purpose more than you fumbling with a pen that runs out of
ink. Asking the job interviewer for a pen is something you definitely
want to avoid. And as long as we’re on writing utensils, now’s not
the time to pull a chewed pencil out from behind your ear. If you’re
applying to be an art director, you can maybe get away with using a
colored marker, but otherwise the interviewer will wonder if you can
be trusted with sharp objects.

How about taking notes on a notebook computer? While candi-
dates applying for very data-intensive positions may be able to get
away with it, I don’t recommend it. Typing while someone talks is
considered rude in a way that taking notes is not. Keyboarding often
makes a distracting noise. Moreover, a notebook computer creates
a physical barrier between the candidate and the interviewer. Can-
didates are better served by minimizing such barriers rather than
creating them.

Finally, a note about using audiotape recorders: Don’t. A tape
recorder will make interviewers nervous and cautious, the last thing
you want them to be. With everyone so sensitive to litigation, don’t
give the interviewer any excuse to wonder how you might use the
tape against him or her. Tape recorders set up a vibe that either you
don’t trust your memory or you don’t trust the interviewer. It’s bad
news either way.

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