Guest post by Peggy McKee of Career Confidential

Always email a thank you after every job interview

Never underestimate how important thank you letters are to the impression you make on the company in your job interview process.

I continue to be surprised by how many job seekers skip this step. But believe me, hiring managers notice if you don’t send one. Not sending a thank you note makes you look like you don’t care about getting that job.

It’s not just a manners thing…although they matter a lot. In a contest between two equally qualified people, the one with the nice manners seems like a much more pleasant person to work with for the next few years.

Thank you letters serve several purposes for you besides politeness:

• They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.

• They are one more chance to sell yourself as the best, most qualified person for the job.

• They show your ability to take in information (the interview) and provide feedback or new ideas about whatever problem or issue the company faces (why they need you). For example: “I thought about your concerns about how to handle xyz delivery issues, when I was a product manager at ABC corporation, we used………”

And always make sure your thank you note is sent as a thank you email. Handwritten thank-yous are nice, but e-mails are fast. Hiring decisions can be made quickly, and you don’t want to miss your chance to influence it.

Click to get a FREE audio on how to follow up after the interview.