After 10 hours of research preparation, five interviews, a small sample project and a battery of tests, you have just been turned down for the job of your dreams. What next? Send a thank you to everyone involved in your interview process, preferably within a 24- to 48-hour period. While some companies may not always be as diligent in getting back to you, you are still a professional and need to show you are thankful for the opportunity to interview.

By e-mail, a written note or a typed letter, you can separate yourself from the other candidates who have not done the same. You never know if the candidate who was offered the position will accept. You may be their next choice.

Not good at saying thank you? Try "The Thank-You Book: Hundreds of Clever, Meaningful, and Purposeful Ways to Say Thank You" by Robyn Freedman Spizman (Longstreet Press, $12.95).