[MUSIC] Now that you know how to write a cover letter, the follow up letter will be a breeze. This is the letter you write after an interview. You use the same one two three approach you use for the cover letter. First you'll make that all important connection with the employer and grab his or her attention. Then you'll market your skills and capabilities and re-emphasize your fit with the needs of the hiring organization. But you're going to use a subtle strategy. Finally, you'll urge the employer to act. This time using the powerful psychological principle of reciprocity. After you've been interviewed, you should always send the follow-up letter but as you probably guessed, the follow-up letter is more than just a humble expression of your gratitude. It serves a strategic purpose in your job seeking. The follow up letter reminds the employer why you will fulfill his or her needs. It also gives you an opportunity to mention any capabilities that you might have not stressed enough in the interview. And you could include additional copies of your work or a recent article pertaining to the employer's industry. If you're in the running for the position, a follow up letter could give you the competitive edge you need to win. Think about it. Most employers will consider an applicant who sends a thank you letter following an interview more favorably than those who don't. Yet more than half of all applicants do not take the time to do even this. By writing a thank you letter you're placing yourself in the minority. By using it strategically you're giving yourself even more of a competitive advantage. In your opening to the follow up letter you need to renew the connection you made during the interview. Despite the strategic purpose of the letter it should always come across as sincere and genuine. To accomplish this you must be sincere and genuine. So begin by thanking the interviewer for his or her time. Notice that this opening is right to the point and uses the word today. That makes it look like you went home and wrote the follow up letter immediately after the interview. This subtly communicates that you're on the ball and get things done in a timely fashion. Now you have to grab the employer's attention. You already know that one of the best ways to do this is to compliment him or his organisation. Another effective method is to mention any valuable insights you learned as a result of the interview. This was you not only show your genuine appreciation for the interview but you also demonstrate to the employer your listening skills. The model that you use as a template is this. If you remember the example from the earlier lesson on constructing a cover letter, you'll use a similar strategy here. So as this example shows, revisit your personal connection with an inside agent in the organization whenever that's possible. It makes you already seem part of the organization and it flatters the employer. Mike praised him and you second the compliment. So your opening starts with a thank you and follows with the line you see here. Of course, if you don't have an inside connection like Mike Walker you can still offer a genuine complement about something you learned during the interview. You're now going to turn the tables on the power players. Employers are so used to reading letters that puff up an applicant that they're almost numbed by them. So now you're going to give the hiring manager an unexpected change of pace. Let's picture our busy chief architect, Mr. Smith, sitting at his desk, stressed out as he often is. The mail is brought in, he quickly shuffles through it, bills, advertisements. And something that looks like a personal handed rest letter. Which one do you think he picks up first? He opens your letter and as soon as he realizes it's a follow up, he expects to see a blatant list of all the reasons why he should hire you. But you softened him up in the first paragraph so he puts down his guard and starts reading more intently. He's in a receptive mood so now's the time to emphasize your noteworthy skills and achievements and show how your competencies mesh with the needs of the organization. You might say something like this. Observe the specific structure you use here. The first sentence is a smooth tie in to the opener. You have thanked the hiring manager for his insights. And now you prove you can make those insights or visions for the future come to life by citing your experience and abilities. In the last line you indirectly indicate that you're a perfect fit for the organization. Now the hook in your closing paragraph, your call to action. In your call to action, you urge the prospective employer to get in touch with you again but you have to give Mr. Smith a reason to call and one of the best ways to do that is to offer to solve a problem for him. This is the try-before-you-buy strategy, which you're probably familiar with. Here's an example of how this strategy works. Let's say, during the interview, Mr. Smith mentioned an operational problem he was struggling with. On your way home, you think about an approach to the problem. However, you aren't going to give the solution away. You're going to get the employer to ask for it. That's the hook. Something like this. Here you give the employer a real reason to contact you. This is much more powerful than any of the other calls to action we've discussed so far. Its a matter of simple reciprocity. You give the employer your idea in exchange for a competitive edge over other applicants. That's it. You end the follow up letter with sincerely, print a copy of it all from the same paper and with the same font you've been using for your resume and cover letters. Sign your name, preferably in blue ink, send it off. So here are the master secrets for writing effective follow up letters. Always give the employer a reason to call. Simply asking an employer to call is not enough. By offering something of real value, you make it in his or her best interest to call you. Keep it simple and to the point. Like the resume and cover letter, the follow-up letter should be extremely focused and direct. Keep it down to one page, three paragraphs. Establish a personal connection and gain attention by doing the unexpected. Always match your qualifications to the employer's needs. Prove to him or her that you are capable and willing to solve the problems he or she faces. There you have it, how to write winning resumes, winning cover letters and winning follow up letters. You've got the tools you need to land an interview and then to land a job. And the capstone that follows, you'll have the opportunity to do just that. [MUSIC]