Interview Notes

Effective note-taking during and after interviews is crucial for making informed decisions and improving your interview performance. CareerTrackr provides multiple places to capture interview insights.

Where to Store Interview Notes

1. Activity Notes (Primary Location)

The activity record for each interview should be your main repository:

Pre-interview prep notes
During-interview observations
Post-interview reflections
Action items and follow-ups

2. Opportunity Notes

High-level insights about the role:

Overall impressions
Red flags or concerns
Excitement level
Fit assessment

3. Contact Notes

Impressions about each interviewer:

Communication style
Personality fit
Technical depth
Decision-making influence

4. Communications Log

For follow-up actions:

Thank you notes sent
Additional questions asked
Feedback received

Note-Taking Strategy

Before the Interview

In the Activity notes, prepare:

Pre-Interview Prep:
- Key points to emphasize: [List]
- Questions to ask: [List]
- Stories to tell: [STAR examples]
- Research findings: [Company/role insights]

During the Interview

Quick shorthand notes:

Questions Asked:
- Q: [Their question]
  A: [Key points of your answer]
  
Their Emphasis:
- Important: [What they stressed]
- Concerns: [Any hesitations]
- Excited about: [What energized them]

Team/Culture:
- Team size: [Number]
- Working style: [Notes]
- Tech stack: [If applicable]
- Challenges: [Current issues]

Next Steps:
- Timeline: [Decision date]
- Process: [Remaining steps]
- Who decides: [Decision makers]

After the Interview

Immediately expand your notes:

Overall Impressions:
- Energy: [High/Medium/Low]
- Fit: [Strong/Good/Weak]
- Interest: [1-10 scale]

What Went Well:
- [Specific examples]

Areas for Improvement:
- [What to do differently]

Key Takeaways:
- [Most important learnings]

Red Flags:
- [Any concerns]

Follow-up Required:
- [ ] Send thank you to [Names]
- [ ] Research [Topic they mentioned]
- [ ] Prepare [Additional materials]

Interview Note Templates

Phone Screen Template

Date/Time: [DateTime]
Interviewer: [Name, Title]
Duration: [Actual vs Scheduled]

Topics Covered:
- Background review
- Role overview
- Salary expectations: $[Range]
- Timeline: [Their process]

Key Questions:
1. [Question] → [Your answer summary]
2. [Question] → [Your answer summary]

Their Questions/Concerns:
- [What they asked about]

Next Steps:
- [What happens next]
- [When to expect update]

Notes for Next Round:
- Emphasize: [What resonated]
- Prepare: [What to study]

Technical Interview Template

Date/Time: [DateTime]
Interviewers: [Names, Titles]

Technical Topics:
- Languages discussed: [List]
- Frameworks: [List]
- Problems solved: [Brief descriptions]
- System design: [Topics]

Coding Challenges:
1. Problem: [Description]
   Approach: [Your solution]
   Feedback: [Their comments]

Technical Depth:
- Their expertise: [Areas]
- Team's focus: [Technologies]
- Upcoming projects: [What they shared]

Performance:
- Strengths shown: [List]
- Struggled with: [Honest assessment]
- Follow-up study: [Topics to review]

Behavioral Interview Template

Date/Time: [DateTime]
Interviewer: [Name, Title]

Company Values Discussed:
- [Value 1]: How I demonstrated
- [Value 2]: How I demonstrated

STAR Stories Used:
1. Situation: [Brief context]
   Result: [Outcome]
   Their reaction: [Response]

Cultural Fit Topics:
- Work style preferences
- Team dynamics
- Communication approach
- Conflict resolution

Concerns Raised:
- [Any hesitations they expressed]
- [How you addressed them]

Cultural Insights:
- Team structure: [Details]
- Management style: [Observations]
- Growth opportunities: [What they shared]

Panel Interview Template

Date/Time: [DateTime]
Panel Members:
1. [Name] - [Title] - [Focus area]
2. [Name] - [Title] - [Focus area]
3. [Name] - [Title] - [Focus area]

Dynamics Observed:
- Lead interviewer: [Who drove conversation]
- Decision maker: [Who seemed senior]
- Skeptic: [Who asked hard questions]
- Advocate: [Who seemed positive]

Topics by Person:
[Name 1]: [Their focus areas]
[Name 2]: [Their focus areas]
[Name 3]: [Their focus areas]

Group Dynamics:
- Team cohesion: [Observations]
- Communication style: [Notes]
- Potential fit: [Assessment]

Best Practices for Interview Notes

1. Time Sensitivity

Take brief notes during (if possible)
Expand immediately after (within 1 hour)
Review before thank you note
Reference in future interviews

2. Objectivity

Record what was actually said
Note your emotions separately
Include positive and negative
Avoid revising history later

3. Actionability

Always include next steps
Create follow-up activities
Note what to improve
Track patterns across interviews

4. Privacy

Use initials if needed
Keep salary discussions vague in shared spaces
Be professional in tone
Remember these are private notes

Using Notes for Decision Making

Comparing Opportunities

Create a comparison document:

Role A vs Role B vs Role C

Team:
A: [Team impressions]
B: [Team impressions]
C: [Team impressions]

Growth:
A: [Opportunities mentioned]
B: [Opportunities mentioned]
C: [Opportunities mentioned]

Concerns:
A: [Red flags]
B: [Red flags]
C: [Red flags]

Gut Feeling:
A: [1-10 + why]
B: [1-10 + why]
C: [1-10 + why]

Tracking Patterns

Look across all interview notes for:

Common questions you struggle with
Types of roles that excite you
Company cultures that fit
Interview formats you excel in

Continuous Improvement

After each interview:

What questions stumped you?
Which stories worked well?
What research was helpful?
What would you do differently?

Advanced Note Strategies

The 3-Column Method

During interview prep:

Question	My Answer	Why It Matters
[Common Q]	[Prepared A]	[Their perspective]

The Timeline Method

For complex interview processes:

Week 1: Phone screen - [Notes]
Week 2: Technical - [Notes]
Week 3: Team interview - [Notes]
Week 4: Final round - [Notes]
Decision: [Outcome + reasons]

The Scorecard Method

Rate each interview dimension:

Technical Skills: 8/10 - [Why]
Cultural Fit: 9/10 - [Why]
Growth Potential: 7/10 - [Why]
Team Quality: 9/10 - [Why]
Compensation: 6/10 - [Why]
Overall: 7.8/10

Common Pitfalls

Avoid:

❌ Waiting too long to write notes
❌ Being too brief to be useful later
❌ Focusing only on negatives
❌ Not noting your own performance
❌ Forgetting to track next steps

Instead:

✅ Write immediately while fresh
✅ Include specific details and quotes
✅ Balance positive and negative observations
✅ Honestly assess your performance
✅ Always document action items

Post-Interview Notes