TikToker shares life hack for secretly checking your notes during a job interview

A TikToker is earning all kinds of praise after sharing her “crazy” job interview tip.

The trick comes courtesy of a college student named Lillian Zhang (@lillianzhang_). Her simple hack, which is a major help for anyone who takes extensive notes before an interview, involves little more than downloading a simple note-taking program.

“I wish I knew about this earlier,” Zhang captioned her post.

Anyone who has virtually interviewed for a job is aware of the issue Zhang’s hack helps with. When speaking to a recruiter or hiring manager of Zoom, Google Hangouts or some other video app, it’s difficult to reference your notes without making it clear you’re breaking your focus.

Zhang’s solution? Download Transparent Note, a desktop app that allows users to adjust the transparency of a document. That way, you can put your see-through notes in front of your video call screen.

The hack is just the latest technology-focused trick for college students and early-career workers. Recently, users have also shared tips for “pre-scheduling” text messages and for keeping track of Airpods.

When it came to Zhang’s hack, many TikTokers were impressed. Several thanked her for sharing the easy trick.

“Omg so needed for my interview this week,” one user wrote.

“This is so cool,” another agreed.

“Absolute game-changer,” another wrote.

Others warned against relying too heavily on notes during an interview. As several commenters pointed out, hiring managers can tell why your eyes are wandering or scanning through a paragraph.

“I’m a recruiter and trust me, we know when someone is reading off something — on or off-screen,
one user warned. “So just be yourself. You can refer but don’t read.”

Several users seemed to agree that the hack only works if you’re simply referencing the notes from time to time, rather than reading a “script” of planned responses. Additionally, some noted that the same trick works if you put the two tabs — one with your notes and one with the interview call — side by side.

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