Like most of you, my parents and grandparents harped on me to write thank you notes whenever I received a gift.

And when someone gives you a job interview, they're giving you a gift – a gift of their time. As such, it's a good idea to send a thank you note within the first 24 hours.

That's not to say a thank you email. Because I just deleted one without opening it. Now I'm selecting 15 and deleting them without opening. Was yours one of them? Who's to say?!?

I advise my clients to go to a local dollar store or the discount bin of a card store and buy a small supply of blank thank you notes.

There are several reasons for this:

Size. Thank you cards have a distinct size and shape. That's good. Since it doesn't look like normal business correspondence, it will draw employers' attention. And they'll likely open it first. Why? Because it's not a bill or, worse yet (in their case), another resume.

Get past gatekeeper. There's usually someone in the office who opens the incoming mail. Once opened, the mail is inspected and routed. When a card comes in, it looks like it's of a personal nature and, as such, isn't usually inspected – it's usually just routed the to the person who it's addressed to.

Handwritten is personal. A handwritten thank you is far more personal and shows that you took more time to make it personal. While that may seem like a quaint notion, this sort of thing is noticed.

Remember – the hallmark of professionalism is manners. Sending a thank you note may not guarantee success, but not sending one could eliminate you from contention.