“ASKING IS THE BEGINNING OF RECEIVING. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T GO TO THE OCEAN WITH A TEASPOON. AT LEAST TAKE A BUCKET SO THE KIDS WON’T LAUGH AT YOU.”
—JIM ROHN1
Typically your interviewer will ask if you have any questions at the end of the interview. If you have done a good job of asking questions during the interview, and likewise your questions have been answered satisfactorily, you will not have any questions. Whether you have or you have not asked questions during the interview, this is your cue to take action. You want to demonstrate to the interviewer that you have grasped the important issues, bolster the interviewer’s enthusiasm for you, and finally confirm you are the right choice.
Start by repeating or rephrasing the major themes that are important in the job as perceived by the interviewer(s). Next, reassure him or her that you have the right stuff by showing how your abilities and experience are a good match. Finally, ask for the job by confirming you are the ideal candidate. Make sure to describe yourself in a way that is appropriate for your level of seniority. (Visit www.transitiontohired.com/resources to get more information on this subject and how to fine-tune your wrap-up.)
Yes, persistence in follow-up with a handwritten thank-you card sent by mail to each party involved in the interview goes a long way to closing the deal, especially if you are an early contender in the interview sweepstakes. Because interview competitions for professional positions tend go on for more than a month and sometimes longer, my opinion, based on years of experience, is that those who maneuver to be one of the last candidates to be interviewed have a better chance to be remembered, as well as leaving the last great impression, when the vetting process and decision time comes. Very rarely are the first interviewees ever offered the job in a long competition process. I theorize that the reason why is because the interviewers do not remember the candidates as well and must rely on their notes to make a decision. This lack of recall is an additional positive reason for interviewers to add video interviewing and recording to their interviewing protocol, allowing for later review of candidate interviews. The most recent interviewees—those interviewed closest to the interview competition end date—are remembered and are therefore made more offers than their first-interviewed competitors. If you are one of the first, make sure to keep your name as well as your picture in the running by sending updates and follow-ups by e-mail with your LinkedIn button and with a picture, as well as being persistent following up with calls and letters of interest. This is critical if you approached the employer as an applicant by “clicking and sending” rather than being recruited based on your strong ProfessionaliBrand. Ideally, through your great ProfessionaliBrand, you will be a frontrunner right from the get-go—that is, by being considered a candidate rather than an applicant. The bottom line is this: If you heed all the advice in the book you are bound to be a frontrunner regardless of the order in which you are interviewed.
There are many salary tools online such as Salary.com and professional association tools that will provide you with great information on total compensation for the level, location, and type of position you are considering. Consider all facets in the offer, including vacation, health benefits, potential of stock appreciation, sign-on and performance bonuses, childcare, paid lunch and snacks, fitness center, paid education, and flex time when considering your total package. Determine your minimum acceptable level and negotiate from there. Be a smart negotiator. Determine your “must-haves” and your “nice-to-haves,” and negotiate away your nice-to-haves to keep your must-haves. For example, your must-have is three weeks’ vacation, versus your nice-to-have 
2,000 more in salary and four weeks’ vacation. So start your negotiation with the nice-to-have 2,000 more in salary and four weeks’ vacation, and be prepared to give it away in order to get the three weeks’ vacation—the must-have. The end result is you agree to give away 2,000 and four weeks’ vacation if you can get three weeks’ vacation, they feel like they won, and you know you won. And—who knows?— you may just get your nice-to-have also.
There are two important parties involved in a resignation besides yourself: your current employer and your new employer. No one likes to be threatened or, on the other hand, jerked around. Be clear about your intention. If you accept a job make sure to start at the new employer. If you are unsure, do not accept the job, and talk first to your current employer candidly. If it is about getting a raise or a promotion then ask for a raise without mentioning you are shopping around. Do not mention your job offer; no one likes to have a gun held to his head. If you are seeking a counter-offer do not play that game, as it tends to end badly. Speak candidly, and if your employer offers you a raise or promotion, then accept and turn down the new offer. If your employer does not meet your expectations, resign and start your new job. If you accepted the new job, do not accept a counter-offer, and do not bring up anything about your new offer. Simply say, “Thanks. It has been a great opportunity,” keep walking, and make the best of your new employer. It is a small world, and the new employer, if shafted, will have a long memory. Also remember things have a tendency to leak out today and spread quickly, and you will be branded as a person who does not keep his agreements. Professional reputation is everything today in the social sphere, so protect it! (You can find more information on how to follow up after an interview and how to resign from a position, including how to write a resignation letter, available at www.transitiontohired.com/resources.)