1. On your résumé, include your GPA if it's 3.5 - or higher.

Thumbs down. You should include cum laude or summa cum laude though-they indicate a high GPA without the silly 3.785, Callis advised.

Thumbs up, for recent grads, Kursmark said. "A high GPA is evidence of your intelligence and your ability to achieve, and might give you an edge over other new graduates whose grades are either not shared or not as high."

Thumbs down, for seasoned professionals, Kursmark added. "After several professional jobs, your work experience becomes your strongest qualification, and what you did in college becomes much less relevant."

Thumbs up. Bennett noted that including your stellar GPA is one more way to quickly convey evidence of skills you can bring to bear anywhere.

2. Never, ever talk about money until you have the job offer in hand.

Thumbs up. Do not discuss money until you have the offer, Callis maintained. When they decide to offer, it's because they want you-employers will pay for what they want. She asserted that talking about money before the offer can often knock you out of the running, for two reasons: 1) You don't understand timing, and 2) You may scare them off with expectations.

Thumbs up. Kursmark said there is no advantage from discussing compensation before the employer has made the decision to hire you; early in the process, it can only serve to screen you out.

Thumbs down. Bennett said that employers request salary requirements for several important reasons: they don't have time to interview candidates they cannot afford to hire; they don't want to waste the time of candidates they cannot afford to hire; and they want to see if the candidate can follow directions.

He added that you should never include a statement of salary requirements unless an employer first requests one.

3. Don't talk about promotion opportunities until after you are hired.

Thumbs up. Callis said you should get inside the mind of the hiring manager, who thinks this: "While I do want someone who is ambitious, I don't want you to take this job just for the promotion opportunities."

Thumbs up - in general, Kursmark said. Focus on the value and benefit you offer as related to the needs of the organization and the position. As long as you don't appear self-serving or interested only in yourself, it's perfectly OK to ask about the company's track record of promoting from within.

Thumbs down. If it is important to you, it is perfectly acceptable to ask if there is room to grow over time in an organization, Bennett said.

Interviews are a two-way process. "If you seek opportunity for advancement over time and an organization can't offer it, it's good to know up-front," he said.

4. Small talk can be toxic. Avoid it AT all costs.

Thumbs down. Small talk, Callis told ADVANCE, is crucial to the interview. But stick to safe topics, like weather and sports.

Thumbs down. Small talk, Kursmark said, is a great way for you to build rapport with your interviewer and shows that you are adept in social situations.

Thumbs down. Bennett noted that some hiring managers will start an interview with a moment of small talk to help put the candidate at ease.

5. Send a thank-you note to each person you met during the interview.

Thumbs up. Everyone knows they should send a thank-you note, but only a small percentage actually do. It's good to get your name in front of those with hiring power again, Callis said.

Thumbs up. It's good etiquette, Kursmark explained. "It will reinforce the positive image you created in the interview; and it will set you apart from the vast majority of candidates who do not take the time to write a thank-you note." She said rather than writing a simple "thanks for your time" letter, you should take this opportunity to continue selling yourself and your value to the employer.

Thumbs up. Way up! "Help prove that civility is not dead," Bennett said. "Many a close call between two similarly skilled finalists has been decided by receiving from one of them an error-free, brief, clear, focused and genuine thank-you note."

Matthew T. Patton is an editor at ADVANCE.