By Jerry Langdon
Gannett News Service.

Online job searches have become mainstream, impacting how resumes are prepared and facilitating the communication between job seekers and recruiters or employers, according to Management Recruiters International (MRI) , the world's largest search and recruitment organization.

With this change, however, many job seekers have lost touch with the tried-and-true rules of good business etiquette, such as sending a thank-you note following a job interview, said recruiters at BrilliantPeople.com, the company's online recruiting and career Web site.

"People have learned how to 'Webify' themselves to make their resumes more Web-friendly for recruiters and potential employers, but the job search process does not end there," said Allen Salikof, president and CEO at MRI.

"Perhaps the widespread labor shortage has also fostered the misunderstanding among job seekers today that they have to do less to get the job they want," he said. "This could not be further from the truth.

"Traditional and high-tech companies alike still look for the same business skills they have always looked for. A good post-interview thank-you letter can make a difference in the final decision process."

BrilliantPeople.com recruiters have these suggestions for post-interview, e-mail thank-you notes:

• Send your thank-you letter no later than 24 hours after your interview.
  
  
• Address the issues and concerns that were mentioned during the interview.
  
  
• Use the thank-you letter as a follow up "sales" letter, in which you restate why you want the position and why you are qualified.
  
  
• Mention anything of importance that your interviewer neglected to ask you.
  
  
• Thank everyone that contributed to your job search.
  
  
• Even if you don't want the job, write a respectful note withdrawing your application.

"Don't let the speed and ease of sending e-mail blind you to the fact that you will be judged on what you say and how you say it," Salikof said. "Of course, a nice handwritten note adds a personal touch as a follow up to an e-mailed thank-you note, especially if you really want that job.