<human>: A friend of mine recently interviewed for a position he thought he was perfect for.  The job description actually sounded like it was written with him in mind.  His initial phone interview was a slam dunk, and the follow up interview with two of the firm's partners went extremely well, by all accounts.

A week later, one of the partners phoned to thank him for participating in the interview process, but had to regretfully inform him that they selected another candidate.  He was pretty devastated, and bitter.  It was a job he really wanted, and thought for sure he was a shoe-in for.  When he told me about this, I advised him to write a thank you note to the firm, as difficult as it might be at this point.  

He asked "Why?".  I responded "For a number of reasons.":

* It reflects graciousness on your part, especially at a moment when most people aren't very gracious, thus differentiating you as someone unique.

* That graciousness will elevate your stature in the eyes of the people who passed you over, and might even make them question themselves for having done so.

* If things don't work out with their selected candidate, that gracious thank you note might just propel you to the top of the list of rejected candidates worth revisiting for a second look.

* It might make them realize what a quality candidate you are and spur them to see if there's any other openings at their firm that you might not have been aware of and which they now feel you might be a good fit for.

He begrudgingly agreed and asked for my help in crafting the note.  I told him it should pattern itself on the following structure:

* Acknowledgement of their decision
* Expression of disappointment (without sounding devastated or bitter)
* Sincere wishes for success with their selection
* Expression of thanks for the opportunity to interview with them
* A request to keep him in mind if things don't work out with their selection

He followed my advice and immediately received a response indicating that he was at the top of their list to contact if their selected candidate didn't work out.

Can you succinctly summarize the text in 1-3 sentences?
<bot>: If you get passed over for a job, take the time to write a thank you note.  Almost no one does it, and it's a great way to stand out from the crowd.