After a job interview is over, many job seekers think the ball is in the prospective employer's court. After all, you've made your case to be hired and put your best foot forward. What more is there to do except to wait for a decision?

Actually, something as simple as writing a thank you letter can go a long way towards tipping the scales in your favor. Here are just a few of the reasons why you might want to take a minute or two out of your job hunt to write one:

You're not always going to be there to fill in any blanks and to clarify and explain certain details to someone who checks it out. It is up to you to have an up-to-date and accurate profile that doesn't simply spit back the same information that is in your resume; it must shade in the details without providing any contradictory information.

• It says a lot about you. By not sending a thank you letter, you can give the impression that you lack initiative and follow-through, and if the employer is debating between you and another equally qualified candidate who did send a thank you, guess who will get the job?

• It helps you stand out. Recruiters interview a lot of candidates for each open position at a company, and while they may fully intend to give due consideration to each applicant, they are only human. Their memories may get fuzzy after a long day of interviews. By recapping some of the points you made in the interview in your thank you letter, you get another chance to remind them of your strengths.

-- The thank you letter gives you another chance to remind them of your strengths. –

• It gives you a second chance. Who hasn't left a job interview and thought of a better answer to a question that was posed to them? While you can't actually go back and do the interview again, you can use your thank you letter as a way to make sure the people you’re trying to impress still hear your “better” answer.

• It could force a reply. Sure, they said they'd let you know in a few days. But if they haven't gotten back to you, it could mean they're not interested or it could mean they're just dragging their feet. If it's the latter, getting correspondence (an email is fine) from you might remind them that they still have a decision to make, and you might well be the beneficiary of a second interview as a result.