You held out for more than the company wanted to pay. Now get ready to suffer the consequences.

Among the "me" generation, it's fashionable to try to get all you can. This seems especially true when candidates negotiate new pay packages. Even when prospects say compensation isn't their first priority when evaluating job offers - ranking it below challenge, opportunity, chemistry, and other factors - pay always seems to rise to the top during the final discussions.

To a large degree, the success of your interview will depend on your ability to discover needs and empathize with the interviewer. You can do this by asking questions that verify your understanding of what the interviewer has just said, without editorializing or expressing an opinion. By establishing empathy in this manner, you'll be in a better position to freely exchange ideas, and demonstrate your suitability for the job. In addition to empathy, there are four other intangible fundamentals to a successful interview.

In today's competitive employment market, your resume has to stand out in order to get the attention of the decision maker and create a strong impression. And later on, when you meet the prospective employer face to face, a strong resume will act as a valuable tool during the interviewing process.

The best way to prepare a super resume is not to change the facts, but make them more presentable. This can be accomplished in two ways:

1. By strengthening the content of your resume; and
2. By enhancing its appearance.

Ten key considerations

To get the most mileage out of your resume, you'll want to emphasize certain aspects of your background. By doing so, you'll present your qualifications in the most favorable light, and help give the employer a better understanding of your potential value to his or her organization.

You can build a stronger case for your candidacy, by highlighting the following areas of interest: