Can you use notes during a video interview?

What interviewers actually notice

Interviewers on video calls can see your eyes move. If you glance sharply to the side every time a question lands, they will notice. What they are less likely to notice is a slow, brief glance downward toward a notepad placed just below your webcam, or text displayed directly behind your camera on a second monitor.

The concern is not the notes themselves. It is the appearance of being unprepared or of reading verbatim answers. A candidate who pauses, glances down once, and then speaks confidently reads as organised. A candidate whose eyes dart constantly reads as nervous or evasive.

What to put in your notes

Keep notes short. Full sentences tempt you to read them aloud, which sounds flat. Use bullet points of three to five words that trigger a memory rather than supply a script.

Organise your notes into three sections: company facts, your stories, and your questions.

• Company facts: the product or service in one line, a recent news item, the team size if you found it, the interviewer's name and title
• Your stories: two or three STAR-format bullets per likely question (Situation, Task, Action, Result in shorthand, e.g. 'Q4 churn project, cut 18% in 6 weeks')
• Your questions: four to six questions for them, ranked so you ask the best ones if time runs short
• Numbers: any metrics from your own work that you might blank on under pressure, such as team sizes, budget figures, or percentage improvements
• Hard stops: one or two things you must not forget to mention, such as a certification or a relevant project

How to position physical notes

A single sheet of paper or a small notepad works better than multiple pages. Place it flat on your desk, directly below your webcam. This keeps your eye movement subtle because you are looking down rather than sideways.

Use a large font, at least 18 to 20 points if printed, or write in block capitals if handwritten. You need to read a line in under a second without squinting. Highlight the most important triggers in a different colour so your eye lands on them instantly.

Avoid holding the paper. Rustling is picked up by microphones, and movement draws the eye. Tape it to the desk or lean it against the base of your monitor if that keeps it steadier.

How to use a second monitor or on-screen prompts

A second monitor placed directly behind your laptop screen is the cleanest setup. Your eyes stay near the camera while you read, so the movement is almost invisible to the interviewer. Display your notes in a large, high-contrast font with plenty of white space.

If you only have one screen, open a notes window and position it in the corner closest to your webcam. On most laptops the webcam is top-centre, so a narrow notes panel on the left or right edge of the screen keeps your gaze close to the camera line.

Avoid switching between windows during the call. Have everything open and arranged before the interview starts. Visible window-switching looks disorganised and can accidentally share something you did not intend to show.

1. Open your video call, your notes document, and any reference tabs before the interview starts
2. Arrange windows so notes sit as close to the webcam as possible
3. Set your notes font to at least 20 points and remove everything except bullet triggers
4. Do a dry run: record yourself on a test call and watch where your eyes go
5. Close all other tabs and notifications so nothing interrupts the layout mid-call

On-screen interview assistants

A newer option is software that listens to the interviewer's questions in real time and surfaces suggested answers only you can see. Break-In Bad includes an invisible on-screen interview assistant that works this way. It listens to what the interviewer says and shows prompts on your screen that are not visible to the other person, even if you are sharing your screen.

This is useful for behavioural questions where the exact wording of the question changes the best answer, or for technical questions where you want a quick memory jog without breaking the flow of conversation. It is not a replacement for preparation, but it functions like a very well-organised set of notes that updates itself based on what is actually being asked.

Practising so the notes stay in the background

Notes only help if you have already rehearsed the material. If you are reading your notes for the first time during the interview, the pause will be too long and the answer will sound unfamiliar coming out of your mouth.

Run at least two mock interviews before the real one. In the first, use your notes freely. In the second, try to answer without looking at them and only glance down to confirm a number or a name. By the real interview, the notes should be a safety net, not a primary source.

Record your mock sessions and watch them back. Look specifically at how often your eyes leave the camera and for how long. Most people are surprised by how little movement is actually visible when notes are positioned well.

• Mock interview one: notes open, use them freely, identify gaps in your preparation
• Mock interview two: answer from memory, glance at notes only for specifics
• Watch the recording: count eye movements away from camera and time how long each lasts
• Adjust note position or font size based on what you see
• Real interview: notes are backup, not script