To bring notes into a second-stage job interview?

[ThatRoseFish]

I have a final second-stage, in-person interview coming up for a relatively senior role in the charity sector.

The organisation has described the interview as conversational but structured, with questions covering several key areas.

I’ve prepared thoroughly and have some brief cue cards covering key examples, achievements and points I’d like to make.

Would you consider it acceptable to bring these into the interview and occasionally glance at them if needed, or would that come across as overly rehearsed or unprepared?

I’m not talking about reading out scripted answers, just having a few prompts available.

Interested to hear from people who’ve interviewed candidates at a similar stage as well as those who’ve used notes themselves.

Don't do it. you should be well prepared in your head for whatever you want to put across, the ability to think on your feet is important, especially if as you says it's a relatively senior role. I'd see it as you not been very comfortable or confident you can do the job.

Of course not it’s not acceptable. Who wants to recruit someone when they can’t think on their feet confidently?

Keep your notes at home

No don’t do it. Turn it into a chat and you will be fine

YABU. If you can’t remember then you don’t deserve the job.

I similar MN thread recently said it was perfectly fine to take notes and the norm now! I don't know, but never used to take any myself when I was being interviewed.

I used to interview and 1 man had printed out answers to common questions. He was stumped when we asked a different one. He even said 'I didn't print out the answer to that one' 😕

I don't want anyone looking at bites when I interview. That would be a no no for me

Mother owns a recruitment consultancy, ignore the unreasonables

For 2nd interviews and senior roles it's perfectly acceptable, they're prompts not scripts.

For a second stage interview, notes aren't a good idea. Especially if its structured as more of a chat than an interview.
Notes of questions you want to ask is ok though.

I have done this wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. I think it shows you’re prepared. And also, you may want to take your own notes

Only acceptable is by phone and you have them on a second screen but even then better to not look at them.

I think it's best done to bring two copies of your CV - one which could be given to the interviewer and one which you've annotated a bit.

I think it would look odd but I would definitely make the notes beforehand and look at them the night before, and any spare time waiting for the interview as well so that your examples etc are fresh in your mind.

I think it's a real mistake for a senior role to give the impression that you might struggle to get through a conversational interview which will presumably focus on your own experience and on the sector.

I take notes into interviews and have secured new roles and promotions by doing this. It shows you’re taking things seriously and have properly prepared. In my experience, I don’t even need them once they’re on the table but it’s reassuring to just have them there. Unless the interviewers are going to remember absolutely everything you’ve said without taking notes then I don’t see why you having your own notes should be an issue.

I think it would look unprofessional to take in notes. It makes it look like you can't remember examples of things you are supposed to have done. Write them out and learn them instead. Glance at them just before you go in.

What? I would definitely bring notes. I had reams and reams of notes for my last (successful) interview and apart from making sure I said everything I wanted to say, it showed I had prepared and really cared.

I'm interviewing candidates at the moment and I'm not sure I could even recall who brought notes and who didn't, except the one guy who read everything from an AI-generated script (ugh).

I interview in the Civil Service, I have no issue with people bringing notes in.

An Interview is not a memory test, and treating is as such will not always get you the right person.

As I say, you won’t lose points by bringing notes in, but, you won’t get points if you forget to say something.

Interviews are not a memory test. If you have specific things you want to bring up or questions you want to ask, by all means have notes. It shows you are prepared and taking it seriously

I have taken notes in before but only relating to very employer-specific facts which one wouldn't ordinarily have to hand or be reasonably expected to memorise, but that also shows you've done your research. So, depending on the employer and the role it might be a few figures about the finances or facts about its corporate structure. I've found they often really like it if you've taken to time to jot down their mission, vision and values too, especially if you need to quote anything verbatim.

Examples of answers to common interview questions - eg how you demonstrated excellent customer service last time you were walking your dog - looks and smells bad.

Not for that level of job. First job, or junior manager yes. That level no. It looks like you can't hold information in your head, that you can't deal with pressure, are unable to think on your feet and are inflexible and need a script to stick to

I’m not part of interview panels anymore, but when I was I didn’t think anything less of a candidate who brought notes, neither did any of the other members of the panel.
The ones who brought notes were (perhaps unsurprisingly) more confident, they didn’t waffle or use lots of filler words, and they managed to show their personalities. Also showed they were prepared and organised. Interviews aren’t a memory test.

I work for a charity in legal department. It’s absolutely standard practice to do this nowadays.

Of course take the notes, clearly you don't want to leaf through ten pages of paper, but a few bullets in a notepad is if course completely normal. If anything a bit odd to come empty handed.

As a senior charity bod I might raise my eyebrows but if you are better because of it you are likely to wipe that out. I think that’s particularly helpful to include your questions for them on.