Don't underestimate the power of a thank you letter. Also called a follow-up letter, it may be the deciding factor in your favor, especially when there are other candidates with your qualifications applying for the same job. Immediately after a round of interviews, always send a thank you letter to each of your interviewers by fax, mail or email.

Email is the quickest way to get thank you letters in front of interviewers, and is perfectly acceptable these days. But avoid using cutesy Net stuff, like emoticons (e.g., happy faces), shorthand and acronyms (e.g., u for you and TIA for thanks in advance). Regardless of how you send your thank you letters after interviews, follow professional business letter standards. Near the end of your interviews, ask each interviewer for his or her contact information and correct name spelling or just ask for a business card.

Most interviewers expect you to write thank you letters. It's also an effective interviewing strategy. For example, writing thank you letters

1. Shows that you are courteous, knowledgeable and professional
2. Demonstrates your written communication skills
3.Helps to make you stand out in the minds of the interviewers
4. Elevates you above competing candidates who didn't bother to write thank you letters
5. Gives you an opportunity to reinforce your good points
6. Allows you to include something important you forgot to mention during your interview
7. Confirms your understanding of topics discussed and helps to avoid misunderstandings.