Page 78 - John Kador - 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview-McGraw-Hill (2002)

DO YOU MIND IF I TAKE NOTES

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,” says CareerSite.com’s
Grabczynski. “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 profes-
sional you. A fountain pen is good if you know how you use it. A little
silver one might be fine, but not gold. 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 some-
thing you definitely want to avoid. And as long as we’re on writing uten-
sils, 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.

BODY LANGUAGE
Make sure your body language remains open. That means keeping the
pad on the table instead of on your lap. Learn how to take notes while
still maintaining occasional eye contact. “Don’t let your note taking
close you off from the interviewer,” Mays says. “If you can’t take notes
without interfering with open body language, don’t take notes.”
At the same time, keep your note taking discreet. You don’t want to
give the impression that you’re a detective and your note taking might be
used against the interviewer. You know you have crossed the line when
the interviewer asks if you’re going to read him his Miranda rights be-
fore questioning.
Learn to take notes without losing eye contact. Interviewers will
be insulted if all they have to talk to is the top of your head. Taking
notes while keeping your head up is a skill that must be practiced.
Here’s one way to practice this important skill: Turn on the TV to one
of the Sunday interview programs. As you take notes on the inter-
viewer’s questions, practice keeping your eyes on the screen, glanc-

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