With the universality of laptops, tablets, iPads and the like at our disposal, it would seem that recording information should be much easier. And, in a certain way, this is true – we can record more information than ever before.
But this is a problem as well because you still have to organize and make sense of the mass of information you have collected. It is a situation that many in the business world confront. And so it may not be so surprising to learn that 80 percent of all employees want to learn how to better take notes.
The place to start, ironically, is not with the electronics, but with a good old-fashioned pen and paper. Studies have shown that taking notes by hand helps you to better record and retain information. Research on students taking notes on laptops has shown that they perform worse on conceptual questions than students who take notes by hand.
That is because the students using the laptops simply type in the information exactly as it is given by a lecturer, whereas those taking notes by hand are forced to process the information and put it into their own words.
Notetaking During Meetings
Surveys have revealed that a majority of employees and supervisors often forget the purpose of a meeting even before it has ended. Employees also forget ideas that have been proposed at meetings and even tasks that they have been assigned.
Taking notes by hand would help to take care of all of these problems. But to do it effectively, you need to develop some type of system. You may want to use symbols or some other type of visual cues to help you. Many people develop their own shorthand as well.
Notetaking to Improve Performance
Taking notes during work can help as well. According one study, for example, a majority of entrepreneurs jot down ideas they come up with by hand, as well as brainstorming on paper to come up with solutions to business problems.
Notetaking During an Interview
Taking notes by hand can also be helpful during a job interview. Naturally, you want to focus on answering questions, but you can still take the time to quickly jot down names and positions, the primary responsibilities of the job, and the skills and qualities needed to succeed in the job.
After you leave the interview, then you can take the time to fill out your notes more thoroughly.
Here is another thing to take note of – Opti Staffing can help you find the job you are looking for. We will work with you every step of the way to match you with the right job. Give Opti a call today.