as the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. if you're doing a job search or resume submission via email, the first impression any employer will have is your cover letter.
正如諺語所說，你沒有打造第一印象的第二次機會。如果你通過郵件傳送求職信的話，你給僱主的第一印象是通過你的自薦信來傳達的。
some tips for creating successful email cover letters are the same as for paper covers: be professional, with correct spelling and grammar, and -- very important -- do use them. other tips pertain only to the electronic medium, and when disregarded, could ruin your chances before your foot is in the door.
用郵件寫出一封成功的自薦信與手寫自薦信同樣需要以下技巧：專業的，正確的語法和拼寫，重要的是要正確的運用它們。另外還有一些技巧是專門用於電子媒體的，如果忽視了這些的話，你可能會毀掉即將到手的工作。
what should you consider crafting an email cover?
起草一封email自薦信需要考慮什麼呢？
don't waste your subject line.
不要浪費了郵件標題。
what you write on the subject line can determine whether your letter gets read, according to business etiquette expert and author of "manners that sell," lydia ramsey. "don't ever leave the subject line of your email blank and don't waste it by just inserting the job number," ramsey tells yahoo! hotjobs. "the subject line should be clear, and specific to the job you're looking for." an example: "bilingual cpa seeks account manager position."
你所寫的標題決定了你的郵件是否會被讀閱。lydia ramsey在其書中著稱：“永遠不要讓你的郵件標題空著，並且不要只是填上工作號碼了事。”他還說：“郵件標題應該清晰，並且明確你正在找的工作。例如“雙語註冊會計師求客戶經理一職”。
use standard cover letter protocol.
採用標準的自薦信格式。
write your letter as the body of the email and include a salutation (use the receiver's actual name if you know it) and a standard closing ("sincerely" or "warm regards" work well). leave blank lines between paragraphs, and use appropriate signature and closing lines. include all the information in your signature line you would have on your business card, including snail mail address, phone number and even email address. ramsey adds, "remember, your email address doesn't always automatically show up on the receiver's email program."
寫將求職信寫在郵件的正文部分，並且加上稱呼（如果你知道的話，寫上收信人的姓名），並加上標準的結尾。（“真誠的”“最誠摯的問候”）每個段落之間空一行，簽名要恰當，結束句要使用正確。將你名片上所有的信息都有寫在簽名檔上，這就要求包括電子郵件地址，電話號碼等。ramsey補充說：“記住，你的信箱地址不會總是自動地出現在收件人的郵件系統。”
keep it short and dynamic.
確保你的自薦信簡短有力。
managers and recruiters are busy. they want to get the gist of your pitch in 150 words or fewer. the first paragraph is crucial, according to ramsey. "hook the reader in the first paragraph by selling him or her your abilities," she says. "use short paragraphs and short sentences to give a very brief bio on who you are and what you can do for them, and wrap it up in the second paragraph."
經理和獵頭通常都很忙，他們想從你簡短的闡述中很快得到要點，他們期望的自薦信的長度一般不超過150字。ramsey聲稱第一段十分重要，在第一段就要向讀者展示你的能力，在第一段簡短的介紹你自己，以及你能為他們做什麼。然後在第二段分開闡述。
keep it simple.
形式簡單。
if you write a cover letter in a word-processing program, strip away all formatting and save the file as plain text. the ideal line length is 40 characters. some email packages automatically do word wrap for you, so your cover letter doesn't arrive in fragments. if your program doesn't do this, go to www.formatit.com, drop in your text, and the free service will format your email for you.
如果你是使用文字處理軟體寫自薦信的，要將格式都清除掉，並且保存為簡單的文本形式。理想的情況是每行40個字。一些郵件系統會自動地幫你整理語句，所以你的自薦信不會未經整理成句就被寄出。如果檔案處理軟體沒有這個功能，那就登入www.formatit.com，輸入你的自薦信，該網站會免費幫你整理信件。
don't get cute: save emoticons, abbreviations, wild colors, and fonts for your non-professional emails. the same goes for humor. chances are, the reader won't think it's funny, and may even find it irritating.
不要裝可愛：不要使用表情，縮寫，鮮艷的顏色，以及不正規的郵件字型。同樣，在自薦信中也不要使用幽默。事實是，收信的人可能不會認為這樣是有趣的，反過來，他們可能還會覺得被侮辱了。
be specific.
具體化。
don't respond to an ad for a copywriter when you're really a graphic designer, says diana qasabian, talent director at syndicatebleu. "it may be the tight job market, but we've been receiving more and more letters responding to a specific job from candidates who are not at all qualified for it," she says.
syndicatebleu的天才主管diana qasabian建議說：“如果你是一個平面設計師，就不要發求職信給一份廣告編輯的工作。也許求職市場的競爭很激勵，但是我們收到了很多並不適合該份工作的求職者發來的求職信。
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"we look for specifics in email cover letters, which means skills and abilities. embellishment and fluff are not necessary. it's not necessary to write, 'i'm a hard worker.' that goes without saying," she says.
她說：“在郵件求職信中，我們需要的是專業對口的求職者，這就意味著要求技能和能力與工作相符。華麗的潤色是完全沒有必要的。如果你在求職信中寫“我工作很努力”，那相當於是白寫了。”
keywords are key.
關鍵字很重要。
because many companies use applicant tracking systems (ats) to find and screen candidates, skill-oriented keywords will boost your chance at being discovered, a recruiter at a large technology company tells us.
一家大型科技公司的獵頭跟我們披露，因為很多公司利用候選人追蹤系統去搜尋和篩選候選人，技巧性的關鍵字能增大你唄搜尋到的機會，
"ats tools track keywords that identify skill sets," she said. "so even if you're not right for the job you're seeking, strong keywords improve the chance that your cover letter and resume will be retrieved in a future search or be selected for a more appropriate job."
ats系統可根據關鍵字追蹤查詢技能技巧。所以即使你不適合這份工作，優秀的關鍵字也可以增加你的簡歷和推薦信在將來被重視的機會，或者說它們可以增大你將來找到合適工作的機會。
play by their rules.
根據他們的規則行事。
take the time to learn the company guidelines for submitting resumes, and follow them. many companies list these guidelines on their websites. also, don't include attachments unless they are requested. some companies block all emails with attachments to prevent viruses.
通過總結簡歷而學習了解公司的指導方針，並且遵從該公司的指導方針。很多公司都將指導方針放在網站上。並且，除非他們有要求，否則發郵件的時候不要帶附屬檔案。因為很多公司為了預防病毒而阻隔帶附屬檔案的郵件。
check it again.
仔細的再檢查一遍。
you must thoroughly spell-check and proofread your email letter. and remember, your email software's spellchecker won't catch grammar mistakes. send it to a friend first and ask him or her to check for the content and style. if all your friends are tapped out, or even if they aren't, test your email cover letter by emailing it to yourself, and put yourself in the mindset of an employer when you read it.
你必需全面檢查以及校正你的郵件。且記住，郵件自動檢查工具不會處理語法錯誤。在發出之前先發給一個朋友，讓他幫忙檢查內容和格式是否正確。在你朋友檢查完之後，或者他們不幫你檢查的話，將郵件先發給自己，以一個僱主的立場去讀讀自己的自薦信。