Should You Write Down the Questions You Want to Ask at an Interview?

It's always useful to jot down notes and questions that you want to ask at a job interview, as it helps you to remember them more readily. Write them repeatedly if necessary to help them really stick in your mind.

Keep the questions on one or two index cards that you can pull out discreetly during the interview if you need to use them for reference. Avoid typing them into your phone, however; studies suggest that writing something by hand helps you retain the information better, and it can be poor manners to pull out your device while in the middle of a conversation.

If you plan on taking notes during the interview, use a small notebook that won't be distracting and write your questions there. If you are bringing a portfolio with resumes inside, this is an ideal place for both note-taking and a list of your questions. Make sure that most of your attention is focused on your interviewer instead of the notebook, though. This is why practicing and memorizing your questions ahead of time is a good option. Just use the written page or index card as a reference.

Write the questions down in the most logical order that you would ask them. This saves you the time of scanning through your list to find the right question to ask. If your questions can be broken up by category, such as salary, work responsibilities and company outlook, keep those categories together. Read the questions out loud to yourself in advance to help you remember them and to make yourself more comfortable so you are less likely to flub your words when reading the questions during the actual interview.

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