These days a follow up email preferably the next day or same day is the best approach.  Although some people prefer to send hand written thank you notes, which also work, the best approach to remember is there is no bad way to say thank you and to follow up with a courtesy note.  Use this also as an opportunity to express your interest in the position, your skills and of course to the recruiter for taking their valuable time to meet you. Don’t go overboard and restate your entire resume in your follow up email or note.  Keep it to a few lines and remember to be thankful and appreciative. Sending flowers and chocolates to the recruiter on the other hand may be a bit over the top.

Yes, taking a job, sometimes any job particularly if you have not worked in a while is good not only for your paycheck but for your mental health as you search for the job you really want.  There is no shame in accepting work for honest pay.  You are in transition and you need to remind yourself of that and not feel bad if the job you have now or are considering isn’t willing to pay you what you are worth.  There will be a job out there that will and you need to use all of your resources available including interim work to realize your goals. Taking a low paying job in the meantime may bruise your ego but it won’t kill your pride or your wallet.

Yes, but only if you feel you need to know where you are in consideration for the position you’ve interviewed for.  Asking anyone for constructive feedback is a good thing.  Knowing when to ask what could be a prospective employer is another matter.  Finding out well you interview is something you can do with a trusted friend, colleague or advisor by holding a “mock interview” and role-play the interview meeting process.  Then be open to the feedback you receive and make the necessary changes to help you in your next job interview.

Making sure you are able to confirm you received a negative reference from someone is ½ the battle.  Many times you may get caught up in the anxiety of the interview process you could be paranoid about the people you trusted to provide positive feedback on your behalf.   Asking for and providing feedback during the reference checking process is one way to follow up on the list of people who may have provided a reference or, perhaps from someone who was contacted that was not on your list.  You can only control the process so much.  If the reference was from someone outside your list you can do as much damage control as possible but you may not find out who it was or what was said.  Focusing on your qualifications and the people who can put in a good word for you are the best remedy to counteract any negative perception an interviewer may have received from an outside resource.  Check your lists and make sure you have the right people who can speak up on your behalf.

Listing professional references first are the most inclusions you can make in helping you land a job.  If you are a recent college graduate, then it’s wise to include professors, counselors, volunteer leaders and internship programs that you might have worked for as part of your reference list.  It’s never a good idea to include co-workers or people you would consider personal friends.  Employers want to hear from people who have either supervised you, who you have managed, and who you may have serviced as a client whether internal or external.  Having a varied list of people at different levels in the organization and from different companies will also help you. Make sure you always let your references know that you are including them as well.  Many people make the mistake of including people who are not available, not interested or do not wish to be included as a reference for whatever reason that may have nothing to do with you.