In last week’s article, This is why you spend so much time looking for missing things, I mentioned an interesting study that shows why taking down notes by pen and paper is far superior for memory retention than using laptops. The premise is that, the act of writing down information helps people remember the information better.

People assume that note taking comes naturally and that we all write down the important stuff when we take down notes. But not all notes are created equal. Ever had a moment in an exam where you try to shuffle through your memory for an answer but then give up and say “this wasn’t in my notes!” Those moment come up a lot of times. It doesn’t matter if you’re in junior high, uni, grad school, or even at work – “this wasn’t in my notes” moments come up often and to embarrassing results.

No one teaches note taking when you’re suppose to learn the skill. When you start school, no one expects you to take notes. They hand out books for that. When you move up to college or grad school, teachers assume you already have the skill of note taking down pat. No one expects you to copy what’s written on the board or to transcribe the lecture word for word. They hand out syllabi for that. When you’re already working, bosses and colleagues assume that the sales presentation is available in digital form somewhere, so no one is expected to take notes. They hand out presentation deck for that.

So what use is note taking anyway?
Easy. Notes help you retain information more quickly. Let’s go back to that sales presentation example. If you were in that meeting and you know that the information is readily available as a slide deck, how much of it do you really retain. If we both were completely honest, I’d say none! Ever wonder why? Because you weren’t paying attention the first time.

Note taking forces you to pay attention and sift through the noise to capture only the important things – things that are relevant to you. This is a skill that come in handy and could set you apart from the rest, career wise. If you are able to wade through the clutter and retain important information, you’d be an asset to your team and a very valuable resource for your boss.

What makes it good?
There’s no need to write down everything. You should focus on two things, capturing what is new to you and what is relevant. Pay more attention to things like dates, names, main points, and definitions. It would be best if you can summarize meetings or write down your own questions. This will allow for maximum info retention. Practise this every time you’re in a meeting. Write down your own summary or your own questions. It will exercise your memory and you’ll come across as someone who is interested and invested.

Note taking seems simple but is actually a great career skill to have. What other seemingly mundane skills do you think are good career skills to have? Share them with us! Stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. The Help