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.

　　正如谚语所说，你没有打造第一印象的第二次机会。如果你通过邮件发送求职信的话，你给雇主的第一印象是通过你的自荐信来传达的。

　　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.

　　用邮件写出一封成功的自荐信与手写自荐信同样需要以下技巧：专业的，正确的语法和拼写，重要的是要正确的运用它们。另外还有一些技巧是专门用于电子媒体的，如果忽视了这些的话，你可能会毁掉即将到手的工作。

　　What should you consider crafting an email cover?

　　起草一封Email自荐信需要考虑什么呢？

　　Don't waste your subject line.

　　不要浪费了邮件标题。

　　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."

　　你所写的标题决定了你的邮件是否会被读阅。Lydia Ramsey在其书中著称：“永远不要让你的邮件标题空着，并且不要只是填上工作号码了事。”他还说：“邮件标题应该清晰，并且明确你正在找的工作。例如“双语注册会计师求客户经理一职”。

　　Use standard cover letter protocol.

　　采用标准的自荐信格式。

　　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."

　　写将求职信写在邮件的正文部分，并且加上称呼（如果你知道的话，写上收信人的姓名），并加上标准的结尾。（“真诚的”“最诚挚的问候”）每个段落之间空一行，签名要恰当，结束句要使用正确。将你名片上所有的信息都有写在签名档上，这就要求包括电子邮件地址，电话号码等。Ramsey补充说：“记住，你的邮箱地址不会总是自动地出现在收件人的邮件系统。”

　　Keep it short and dynamic.

　　确保你的自荐信简短有力。

　　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."

　　经理和猎头通常都很忙，他们想从你简短的阐述中很快得到要点，他们期望的自荐信的长度一般不超过150字。Ramsey声称第一段十分重要，在第一段就要向读者展示你的能力，在第一段简短的介绍你自己，以及你能为他们做什么。然后在第二段分开阐述。

　　Keep it simple.

　　形式简单。

　　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.

　　如果你是使用文字处理软件写自荐信的，要将格式都清除掉，并且保存为简单的文本形式。理想的情况是每行40个字。一些邮件系统会自动地帮你整理语句，所以你的自荐信不会未经整理成句就被寄出。如果文件处理软件没有这个功能，那就登陆www.formatit.com，输入你的自荐信，该网站会免费帮你整理信件。

　　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.

　　不要装可爱：不要使用表情，缩写，鲜艳的颜色，以及不正规的邮件字体。同样，在自荐信中也不要使用幽默。事实是，收信的人可能不会认为这样是有趣的，反过来，他们可能还会觉得被侮辱了。

　　Be specific.

　　具体化。

　　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建议说：“如果你是一个平面设计师，就不要发求职信给一份广告编辑的工作。也许求职市场的竞争很激励，但是我们收到了很多并不适合该份工作的求职者发来的求职信。

　　"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.

　　她说：“在邮件求职信中，我们需要的是专业对口的求职者，这就意味着要求技能和能力与工作相符。华丽的润色是完全没有必要的。如果你在求职信中写“我工作很努力”，那相当于是白写了。”

　　Keywords are key.

　　关键词很重要。

　　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猎头跟我们披露，因为很多公司利用候选人追踪系统去搜寻和筛选候选人，技巧性的关键词能增大你呗搜寻到的机会，

　　"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系统可根据关键词追踪查询技能技巧。所以即使你不适合这份工作，优秀的关键词也可以增加你的简历和推荐信在将来被重视的机会，或者说它们可以增大你将来找到合适工作的机会。

　　Play by their rules.

　　根据他们的规则行事。

　　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.

　　通过总结简历而学习了解公司的指导方针，并且遵从该公司的指导方针。很多公司都将指导方针放在网站上。并且，除非他们有要求，否则发邮件的时候不要带附件。因为很多公司为了预防病毒而阻隔带附件的邮件。

　　Check it again.

　　仔细的再检查一遍。

　　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.

　　你必需全面检查以及校正你的邮件。且记住，邮件自动检查工具不会处理语法错误。在发出之前先发给一个朋友，让他帮忙检查内容和格式是否正确。在你朋友检查完之后，或者他们不帮你检查的话，将邮件先发给自己，以一个雇主的立场去读读自己的自荐信。