Behavior During Interview Forum

[Nekrowizard]

I got some restaurant tips during an interview that I wrote down. Probably seemed autistic, tbh.

[J9ofDiamonds]

I once walked into an interview and threw my jacket on the chair for no reason. Not sure why I didt hat.

Lol me too. The partner looked at me weird and goes "warm in here?" No cb

[FSK]

I took notes during some callback interviews and things turned out just fine for me. If I met with an alum of my school and s/he started to recommend courses to take or restaurants to eat at, I would break open the padfolio. I think it shows genuine interest in what s/he is saying.

I'm sorry for picking on you anon, but you're an example of why a "no taking notes" rule is needed. If I suggest that you take admin law, and then you write down "take admin law" on your notepad, you're going to seem pretty damn weird.

By the way folks, you can royally screw up an interview and still get an offer. Just because "things turned out just fine" for you at OCI doesn't necessarily mean that your quirks are worth emulating.

I'm nominating you for best actual advice poaster.

As to the topic, I've never taken notes. My padfolio exists to look at covertly between interviews or to hide emergency resumes.

[Anonymous User]

The word "padfolio" was said enough times to cause me to post this story.

I asked if I could get some water between interviews and the recruiting lady took me to the kitchenette where there was another attorney getting a drink. Start talking with him and he walks with us as we go to the next interview room. Just as we're at the hiring partner's door he tells me, "I knew you were an applicant because the padfolio, no one actually uses those." The hiring partner, who is now a part of the conversation, has his own padfolio on his desk. I say, "I don't know, seems like all the cool guys have one." Offer.

[abogadesq]

When they give me an opportunity I [pretend to] take notes. I don't know if it was helpful or not; it was just instinct.

[Anonymous User]

For some reason I initially thought it was OK to refer to my notes for asking specific questions during my first cb. It was awkward. By the end of my first real callback I picked up on that fact, after having awkwardly said something like "I like to walk into every situation prepared" before scanning my lengthy page of questions for each interviewer. It was unfortunate, because that was my top choice firm and it was a pre-OCI callback, and everything else went pretty. No offer.

After that, I never looked at notes again and I found the questionnaire portion of the interview became much more conversational and far less stilted. Wound up with lots of callbacks and a handful of offers, so all's well that ends well, but still. Notes are the devil.

[hdunlop]

I feel like there might be middle ground between one page and nothing. A couple words to glance at say

[PennBull]

I feel like there might be middle ground between one page and nothing. A couple words to glance at say

There isn't

[FSK]

Interviews are just conversations. You need to be able to converse with someone for half an hour, especially when there are a ton of questions you can have stock to get them talking for minutes on end.

[hdunlop]

Eh it's been fine for me. Ooh you did x weird but interesting thing that I'm glancing at to get the client name right, say. Feels very different than Ooh so you're an x year, how's that. But the poster above who said I'm doing ok in spite of that may be right.

[ak13]

took one note during the interview: where to live when i moved to the area (and this was pre-offer). offered, moved there, turns out it is douche-central. don't take notes during an interview, it only leads to bad things.

[lavarman84]

I don't really understand the need to read notes during a CB. Just go with the flow of the conversation. You don't have to hit any important points or ask what you think are amazing questions. Just ask questions based on what you've been talking about and based on what the interviewer seems interested in.

During a screener, I can understand it (although I never did it). But not a CB. JMO.

[nerd1]

Just behave normally. Would you take notes when your friend is talking to you? Taking notes or reading notes sounds creepy as hell. So many aspies on this forum generally. Spending too much time here sounds creepy too.

[Anonymous User]

Just behave normally. Would you take notes when your friend is talking to you? Taking notes or reading notes sounds creepy as hell. So many aspies on this forum generally. Spending too much time here sounds creepy too.

I took the advice of a career counsellor at my school to take notes during an interview. Got rejected from every single firm at EIP.

Ditched the notebook for post-EIP screeners and callbacks. No rejections yet.

Not saying there's a direct correlation, but maybe there's a necessary assumption or sufficient assumption that could be made here.

[hdunlop]

Just behave normally. Would you take notes when your friend is talking to you? Taking notes or reading notes sounds creepy as hell. So many aspies on this forum generally. Spending too much time here sounds creepy too.

If they were giving me recommendations, yes, obviously. Or if I had something I'd been meaning to ask them based on an oddly specific detail. I think if you're the type of person worried about it, just don't, because it's going to be weird. But I did it here and there and was fine.

[Anonymous User]

The word "padfolio" was said enough times to cause me to post this story.

I asked if I could get some water between interviews and the recruiting lady took me to the kitchenette where there was another attorney getting a drink. Start talking with him and he walks with us as we go to the next interview room. Just as we're at the hiring partner's door he tells me, "I knew you were an applicant because the padfolio, no one actually uses those." The hiring partner, who is now a part of the conversation, has his own padfolio on his desk. I say, "I don't know, seems like all the cool guys have one." Offer.

10/10

[nerd1]

Just behave normally. Would you take notes when your friend is talking to you? Taking notes or reading notes sounds creepy as hell. So many aspies on this forum generally. Spending too much time here sounds creepy too.

If they were giving me recommendations, yes, obviously. Or if I had something I'd been meaning to ask them based on an oddly specific detail. I think if you're the type of person worried about it, just don't, because it's going to be weird. But I did it here and there and was fine.

No.
If you have a specific, detailed question, just memorize it before your interview! Simple. Why would you make yourself appear like a person who can't even memorize one line? You should appear as professional and natural as you can.
If the interviewer is recommending you something, definitely do not take notes! Put yourself in the interviewer's position. I would consider the candidate an aspie if he or she begins taking notes when I am recommending him what upper year courses to take. For restaurant or any other things, the interviewer will write them for you if he or she wants to.

[hdunlop]

Upper year courses, sure. Because everyone knows that's a useless question to ask and the answers are just whatever. OTOH if you're like oh I'm thinking about doing a Note on X topic that's related to something the interviewer does, and the interviewer is like do you know about parthern X at firm Y who also works on this, it's useful if you can jot down two words to remind yourself. If you'd think someone's an aspie for that, you're a dick. If it were me, I'd think someone wasn't taking me seriously if they didn't write it down, honestly. (As an aside, this could have something to do with being an old -- it's always shocking to me summers have to be told to take notepads to people's offices for assignment meetings).

As for memorizing things you're probably right, what I would do is I'd start talking based on what I remembered and glance at my note to make sure I wasn't screwing it up. I'm sure you're right it would be better if I just memorized it all but that's tough. I'm especially curious about the folks saying oh, look on the walk between offices. Aren't you still talking and asking questions and shit while you walk? If not, I'm not so sure about how smooth and conversational these visits really are.

[nerd1]

As for memorizing things you're probably right, what I would do is I'd start talking based on what I remembered and glance at my note to make sure I wasn't screwing it up. I'm sure you're right it would be better if I just memorized it all but that's tough. I'm especially curious about the folks saying oh, look on the walk between offices. Aren't you still talking and asking questions and shit while you walk? If not, I'm not so sure about how smooth and conversational these visits really are.

You misunderstood. You look at your notes while you are moving to your next interview, during your OCI (not at your callbacks).
Do not try to make sure you aren't screwing up. It's better to not say what you planned to say than to look at your notes during an interview. Again, professionalism. You may glance at your notes if you happened to have secretly scribbled them on your interviewer's forehead the night before your interview.
I hope you have more interviews to come. If so, do many practice interviews with your OCS advisor.

[nerd1]

Upper year courses, sure. Because everyone knows that's a useless question to ask and the answers are just whatever. OTOH if you're like oh I'm thinking about doing a Note on X topic that's related to something the interviewer does, and the interviewer is like do you know about parthern X at firm Y who also works on this, it's useful if you can jot down two words to remind yourself. If you'd think someone's an aspie for that, you're a dick. If it were me, I'd think someone wasn't taking me seriously if they didn't write it down, honestly. (As an aside, this could have something to do with being an old -- it's always shocking to me summers have to be told to take notepads to people's offices for assignment meetings).

An interview is not a meeting. You are not receiving an assignment or a set of instructions from your interviewer. It's just meant to be a good conversation, which could be about anything. Remember, law firms want to recruit people who are smart (including good memory) and who appear to be smart.

[hdunlop]

Clearly if you have to check your notes at OCI interviews you're a moran. Is that what this whole thread is about? I just assumed it was callbacks. If you can't remember one thing for 20 minutes you're in trouble. But what's your one weird trick for remembering seven complex questions during a callback? Dumber questions?

At any rate, I'm done interviewing, fortunately, and am quite pleased with my outcomes. But thanks (by which I mean loooool) for your concern.

[nerd1]

Clearly if you have to check your notes at OCI interviews you're a moran. Is that what this whole thread is about? I just assumed it was callbacks. If you can't remember one thing for 20 minutes you're in trouble. But what's your one weird trick for remembering seven complex questions during a callback? Dumber questions?

I actually don't memorize any phrase. I just try remember specific information and come up with questions about such information during my interviews. But even if you have to memorize seven complex questions, you should memorize them the day before. It's not hard.

And you could have done better. Whether you are pleased with your outcome or not is irrelevant. Everybody can improve, including myself obviously. I don't know how well you did, but you could have done better.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

Just have a normal conversation with the other person you fucking aspies.

[Ohiobumpkin]

Takes notes only if the interviewer literally tells you to take notes.

[hdunlop]

I don't know how well you did, but you could have done better.

ljl smh literally untrue imho fwiw hth tyia