Taking notes during an interview

Nurses General Nursing

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I am about to go on my first in person interview and was wondering if it is appropriate to take notes during an interview? I have a list of questions to ask and wanted to got down some responses but I`m not sure of this etiquette.

Specializes in Critical Care.
I always take notes at interviews.

Out of curiosity, what are the sorts of things that you feel need to be written down?

Specializes in ICU.
Out of curiosity, what are the sorts of things that you feel need to be written down?

I almost never bring a note pad, but I almost always ask lots of questions about what types of conferences/educational activities are held in the hospital, do we get enough notice to schedule off for them, if they have a budget to send staff to conferences outside of the hospital, how the application process works for that, etc. There have been times I wished I had something to write with.

Specializes in PICU.

As a PP stated, I am not sure why you would want to take notes. It would seem a bit odd, if you are curious about specifics, as soon as the interview is done, then jot the information down, but in most cases, there really isn't anything said in an interview that would require you to take notes. If you are having difficulties remembering questions, have different questions. You want the interview to flow smoothly, the questions should just come naturally. Practice with someone so it doesn't seem forced.

Good Luck!

I always take notes.

I always bring a list of questions and jot down the answers. No one's ever said anything negative about it and I've always gotten a job offer.

Sometimes I'm interviewing at several places and want to keep the details straight.

Note-taking doesn't mean short-term memory problems. That was an arrogant statement.

To paraphrase Henry Jones, Sr, "I wrote it down so I don't HAVE to remember!"

I think taking notes is inappropriate. An interview is time to connect with the HR representative. Note taking would be a distraction.

Agree with Muno, it could appear you have a problem with concentration. Sure, you have questions.. but you don't need to refer to a list to remember them. Jot down some notes afterward if you need to.

I think taking notes is inappropriate. An interview is time to connect with the HR representative. Note taking would be a distraction.

Agree with Muno, it could appear you have a problem with concentration. Sure, you have questions.. but you don't need to refer to a list to remember them. Jot down some notes afterward if you need to.

Totally disagree. It also gives me a reason to move, so I don't go all ADHD and be-bop and fidget because I'm nervous. There's nothing like being unable to sit still to embarrass the crap out of you and ruin an interview.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

We did a group interview for a NP who jotted down notes during the interview. The "whole package" was already very well put together. She was dressed nicely, had a well written resume on hand, and gave thoughtful and intelligent answers. The note-taking definitely *enhanced* this.

I have been in interviews with folks who were unprofessionally dressed and seemed flustered/rattled by the whole interview process. They weren't taking notes but if they were, I would be concerned about memory deficits and the action would definitely enhance how unprepared they seemed.

Specializes in Telemetry.

For my one and only interview with a nurse manager, I had a small notebook with a few questions written down that I wanted to be sure to ask.

Manager expressed her approval of the notebook and I got the job.

I interview pretty well but still battle a few butterflies and, like a patient seeing a healthcare provider, I want to be sure my questions are answered. I helps to be able to glance down and make sure my queries have all been covered.

A very quick jotting down of a response or two shouldn't be a big deal.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Public Health.

And please make sure your email is not Sexykitten something or other.....True story happened last week.:no:

Specializes in geriatrics, dementia and like, insurance.

As someone who has interviewed for both nursing positions and office based positions with corporate companies, HR and/or the interviewer do not look down on people who bring prepared questions and ask to take brief notes. The understanding is that YOU are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. There is also the expectation that you are interviewing at more than one place. Practice your questions ahead of time so you can use your list as a reference but speak primarily from memory and maintain good eye contact. Look up reviews about the facility/agency/provider to get some third party insight when writing your questions.

For those who said it reflects poor memory, I'd have a hard time trusting a nurse who didn't take notes during shift change report. Sure, you can refer to the chart but with so many things to manage, it helps to have a quick reference for important things to get done or focus on during your shift. Same kind of thinking here. You want to remember the important stuff.

I wish you the best of luck. Interviewing can be intimidating and overwhelming. I hope you land a terrific job that fits YOU.

And please make sure your email is not Sexykitten something or other.....True story happened last week.:no:

Let me guess... she got the job?

Specializes in Critical Care.
I always take notes.

I always bring a list of questions and jot down the answers. No one's ever said anything negative about it and I've always gotten a job offer.

Sometimes I'm interviewing at several places and want to keep the details straight.

Note-taking doesn't mean short-term memory problems. That was an arrogant statement.

To paraphrase Henry Jones, Sr, "I wrote it down so I don't HAVE to remember!"

Note taking is by definition for the purpose of augmenting memory, why else are you suggesting someone would be taking notes?

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