I've sent very few thank you notes when I've looked for a job and those thank you notes have been in later years, not for the jobs immediately coming out of college. Coming out of college I felt that it's a win-win situation, you are looking for an employee, I am looking for an employer, it's a match made in heaven, right? So why should I be the one to send you a thank you note?

I still do hold this belief, but I send a thank you note anyway. I only send thank you notes to the interviews that *really* had an impact on me. After some interviews I come out feeling "well those people were as dry as a bone". If on the other hand I come out of an interview energized and psyched about the job, I send a note NOT to explicitly thank them for the interview, but to relay the fact that I am glad to have met them, that they did indeed energize me with their great outlook/attitude/progressiveness/etc and I take the opportunity to mention a few things from the interview that really stood out.

A job candidate should absolutely send a thank-you note after an interview,even if you decide you're not interested in the job. A thank-you note shows class and interest. Whenever it came down to two candidates, my colleagues and I would discuss who sent a thank-you note and who did not. While a thank-you note is not a guarantee of getting a job, it could give you a slight advantage with no downside.

I don't consider it "essential", if they really want you, they'll call you, seriously! BUT it's still a good idea. I have personally landed myself a job with a thank you note. In this particular case I didn't know enough about the particular technology they were using. I read up on it that night and sent a thank you note the next day, "casually" mentioning how I'd researched it and made some insightful comments, demonstrating that I could pick it up quickly. I got a somewhat cautious response (since I was clearly not being considered) but curious about whether I could do more. A few back and forths later and I got the job.

I personally think that TY notes are essential. The importance of a simple note is underated, and I think is a missed opportunity for many candidates to stand out from the rest of the applicants.

My father, a successful businessman, who usually does not do the hiring, or interviewing, but meets with potential candidates all the time, says that teh thank you note, or lack there of is the make or break deal. He says you can tell a lot about a person, and the time that they take to just send a two sentace thank you. It is not about what is said, but that the person actually cares about the self branding they are making for themself.

Some people say that it will not make a difference, but if it is the one factor that might give you the lead in the so called "rat race", then why not?

Absolutely, send a thank you. The company didn't have to invite you in for an interview. I was offered my current job because I was the only one who sent a thank you note.

...and those who do REALLY stand out!

Ditto to everyone who says TY notes matter. Especially Daniel, the first the mention the hand-written thank you note. My inbox at work is constantly bombarded by "i need this" or "can you get me that" or "have you done this," many of which are easily ignorable or flagged for later response. What still hold true this day is snail mail. No matter how busy I am with my e-mail, or phone calls or whatnot an inbox of paper mail I think is just something that people can't let build up. I know I personally can't resist opening up mail. Often times even after a bad working relationship on a project or a bad conference call I feel that the power of the hand-written thank you note can almost wipe the slate clean. I know it has for me when I receive them.

People want to feel loved, noticed, and cared about!

As an employer, I can tell you that Thank You notes will definitely give you an advantage over the other candidates. I recently had 3 excellent candidates for a management position. They were all equally qualified and it was pretty much going to be a coin toss as to who received the job offer. Only one of the 3, sent a thank you note - and that is who got the job.