Notes to an interview

SPM1959

An ex-colleague has advised me to start bringing notes to interviews. Notes that cover my preparation for the interview etc.

She said she has done it regularly - she is in quite a senior position now - and refers to them during the interview.

I'm not sure about doing this in the next interview I have (which is coming up shortly).

Any thoughts?

Panda_Turtle

SPM1959 wrote: »

An ex-colleague has advised me to start bringing notes to interviews. Notes that cover my preparation for the interview etc.

She said she has done it regularly - she is in quite a senior position now - and refers to them during the interview.

I'm not sure about doing this in the next interview I have (which is coming up shortly).

Any thoughts?

In the book "Winning At Interview: A New Way To Succeed"(I found it interesting), he goes to great lengths to say how an interview is simply a business meeting, and that you would bring relevant information to any other business meeting - so yes, bring notes, notepad etc..

Now I think this author is from the UK, maybe the culture is different. Some employers may think that it is cheeky for you to have notes, and to be making notes yourself, they want you to be quaking in your boots!

Tom Dunne

Personally, if I was interviewing and the interviewee answered some questions with "Hang on, I've it written down here somewhere", I would not view it too favourably.

Also it would open the interviewee to accusations of being unable to think on their feet (figuratively speaking, of course).

I really don't think it is a good idea.

seventeen sheep

I've never heard of it being done in Ireland, and wouldn't do it myself.

If two candidates do a great interview - one with notes, one without - I think most interviewers would choose the candidate who didn't need notes, assuming all other factors were equal.

Kinet1c

I always bring a copy of my CV with me.

Stheno

I agree with those who say it's a bad idea

Triangla

I also always bring copy of my CV to any interview I've ever been to in the last 15 years.

I might just glance at it briefly once or twice if the interviewer asks something unclear. You wouldn't want to be picking it up and flicking through it.

Nothing wrong with that at all.

seventeen sheep

Triangla wrote: »

I also always bring copy of my CV to any interview I've ever been to in the last 15 years.

I might just glance at it briefly once or twice if the interviewer asks something unclear. You wouldn't want to be picking it up and flicking through it.

Nothing wrong with that at all.

God if I was going for interviews, I'd know my CV inside out.

Whatever about having other notes, I would be SO unimpressed if I was interviewing someone and they had brought their own CV to have in front of them.

Surely you know where you worked and when, and what your role was? And you should be using the interview to expand on your CV ... I can't imagine why you'd need the CV there to refer to.

dudara

I have conducted interviews where the interviewee bought notes. A big sheaf of them in fact. It was a little odd.

I think a few carefully penned salient points would be fine. Interviews are a two way street and the interviewee often has a few questions to ask too.

Tarzana2

Kinet1c wrote: »

I always bring a copy of my CV with me.

I used to do this but I stopped because I found it distracted the interviewers. They'll have a copy of the CV themselves and you shouldn't need it as you should your CV off.

Gi joe!

seventeen sheep wrote: »

God if I was going for interviews, I'd know my CV inside out.

Whatever about having other notes, I would be SO unimpressed if I was interviewing someone and they had brought their own CV to have in front of them.

Surely you know where you worked and when, and what your role was? And you should be using the interview to expand on your CV ... I can't imagine why you'd need the CV there to refer to.

I've always brought in a copy of my CV to interviews. I'd like to think it illustrates to the interviewer that I'm prepared and organised, although it wouldn't be ideal if you had to look down at it every time you're asked a question.

I can agree though that knowing your CV inside out is the main think to keep in mind, whether you bring a copy or not.

hfallada

I brought a copy of a CV to a job interview and the manager was seriously impressed. She said she interviewed dozens and I was the only one that brought a CV. It saved her having to go through a pile of CVs and look for mine. It just looks like you are prepared.

Stheno

hfallada wrote: »

I brought a copy of a CV to a job interview and the manager was seriously impressed. She said she interviewed dozens and I was the only one that brought a CV. It saved her having to go through a pile of CVs and look for mine. It just looks like you are prepared.

See to me that smacks of a disorganised interviewers

shanered

For me it would be a personal decision. If you feel you would present yourself better with the notes, go for it, if you dont need them, dont bother bring them as it would make you look unsure.

jive

Bring a professional looking folder (e.g. a leather a4 holder not one of the folders with giant metal rings) with your cv and cover letter plus some questions you intend to ask written down on a pad.

If they need a copy of your cv, you have it. Same for cover letter. If when it gets to the questions at the end and you're drawing blanks then you can refer to it if needs be.

I always bring a folder in with me but have never even opened it as interviewers have always had my cv with them. What it does do is make you look like you prepared and have materials with you. It's also handy for jotting down questions you were asked during the interview which is good for the future.

I do keep interview prep notes in the folder and read then when waiting to be called for interview so it is actually handy to have especially if you're travelling hours for an interview and want to brush up on material prior to heading into the interview to freshen your mind a bit.

Jim2007

Panda_Turtle wrote: »

Now I think this author is from the UK, maybe the culture is different. Some employers may think that it is cheeky for you to have notes, and to be making notes yourself, they want you to be quaking in your boots!

I'm in IT and I've been doing that for years! Now a days I bring a MacBook, but in the old days I used to bring notes and samples of my work. I usually demo stuff I've written or even write some code to show how something could be done - I've a large library of code built up over the years to draw on...

The result is that if I get to the interview stage, I almost always get the job. I expect it is because they get to see what I'm capable of and if we get into some coding they get a feel for what I can do and what it would be like to have me on board.

pauliebdub

I bring a notepad, a copy of the job spec and my cv to the interview. I'll usually have scribblings on the job spec and certain items highlighted that I want to mention at the interview.

Reading from loads of notes, shuffling pages etc at the interview looks like a bad idea though.

biko

Its fine. I do hiring and don't mind at all.
If anything it shows you have prepared and didn't just show up.

The Cool

I wouldn't have a load of notes with me, but perhaps just the one note card with bullet points to remind myself of things that I want to mention or ask about.
As for CVs, cover letter etc, I think it's good to have a copy with you in case they don't have one to hand, it looks resourceful. But if you're constantly looking down on your materials rather than just having a conversation I think it looks like you can't think on your feet without preparation.