來源：新東方網
作者：朱博
Hoping to apply to a job in an English-speaking country? You might think that after putting together your résumé or CV your work is done, but there’s still a very important step left: the cover letter.
想要在英語國家找工作，光準備好簡歷是不夠的，cover letter也絕不能忽視。
A cover letter is a short letter – no more than one page – that goes on top of your application. It’s the first thing that employers read, and, if it’s well-written and intriguing, should encourage the hiring manager to turn the page and look at your application, instead of throwing it in the trash and moving on.
cover letter在你申請資料的首頁，內容不超過一頁紙。你的僱主會最先讀這一部分的內容，所以cover letter一定要寫得「引人入勝」，否則，你精心準備的申請資料只能被扔進垃圾桶了。
It’s important to remember that the cover letter makes a first impression, so it’s important to pay particular attention to spelling, grammar, and readability. The letter is your opportunity to show your personality, interpret your experience, and explain to the employer why they should hire you.
cover letter會給僱主留下對你的第一印象，所以一定要注意拼寫和語法的正確性以及可讀性。它是你展現個性和解讀閱歷的機會，你要給僱主一個僱用你的理由。
Because the letter should be specific to the job opening, don’t send the same letter to every company you apply to. Feel free to use similar ideas and wordings, but employers should not be able to tell that you erased another company’s name and wrote theirs in. Do a little research about the company before you write the letter. You want to come across as interested, informed, and resourceful.
每一封cover letter都是對應具體的招聘職位的，所以不要去每個公司應聘都用一樣的cover letter。你大可以在不同的letter裡用相似的想法和措詞，但是別讓僱主感覺你僅僅是擦去了上家公司的名字換上了他們家的。在寫信前，多做些調研。你應該讓僱主感覺你對該公司很感興趣，並且見多識廣足智多謀。
Start by addressing the letter. Do what you can to find the name of the person who will be making the decisions, and address it to them. This makes the letter more personal. Otherwise, address it to a relevant job title:
Dear Mr. Jones,
Dear Ms. Smith,
Dear [Company Name] Hiring Manager,
[note: in the US, it is customary to put a period/full stop after the abbreviations 「Mr.」 and 「Ms.」 In British English, this punctuation is left out.]
開頭稱呼部分，儘量找到可以直接決定是否僱傭你的老闆的名字，這樣顯得更加personal. 找不到的話，就寫給相關的公司負責人。
In the first paragraph, explain why you’re writing. State the position you’re applying for and where you heard about the opening. If you talked to anyone in the company about the position, be sure to mention them by name, as it will distinguish you from other applicants. Also include a very brief explanation of why you’re interested and who you are.
第一段，解釋寫信理由。陳述自己要應聘的崗位以及在哪裡聽說該崗位空缺。如果你有公司內部人員推薦，要在信中提到他們的名字，這樣僱主才能把你跟其他應聘者區分開。同時，要簡要介紹一下自己，並解釋一下為什麼有意願進入該公司。
In the second (and possibly third) paragraph(s), discuss your experience in more detail and, most importantly, how it applies to the opening. Don’t list everything that you』ve included in your résumé or CV. Instead, choose a few very relevant and/or impressive points that will intrigue the reader. Use active words that highlight your skills.
在第二、三段，更具體地介紹一下你的工作經歷，尤其是要證明一下這些經歷和技能如何能夠應用到該職位。不要把簡歷上的內容都列在上面，而是要挑選若干個相關的閃光點來打動僱主。
These paragraphs give you an opportunity to change how the hiring manager reads your résumé or CV. For every bit of experience that you mention, say how it demonstrates a skill that would be essential for the job. This is particularly important if your experience isn’t quite in the same field as the opening: you have the opportunity to explain how your experience in other fields can be applied to this new one.
這些段落可以讓你有機會改變僱主解讀你簡歷的方式。對於每一個你提到的工作經歷，一定要說明它體現出的對於該職位很重要的能力，尤其是當你之前的工作經歷與應聘崗位不在一個領域的時候。這裡你有了個很好的機會向僱主解釋，你在其他領域的經驗和技能是如何可以應用到新的崗位的。
Remember that employers will pick whichever candidate they think is best for them. Don’t talk about why the opening is perfect for you, but instead why you are the perfect candidate for the opening. The difference is subtle but important to keep in mind!
要牢記，僱主會聘用那位他們認為最合適該崗位的應聘者。不要總是強調這個空缺對你來說多棒，要解釋為什麼你是最適合該位置的人。
In your closing paragraph, inspire confidence and show enthusiasm. Restate your interest in the position and say that you look forward to discussing your qualifications at their earliest convenience(feel free to use those exact words!). Providing your contact information and suggesting an in-person discussion show your enthusiasm, put the reader in the mindset that they would like to contact you, and make it easy for them to do so.
在結尾段，表現出來你的自信和熱情。重申自己對該職位的興趣，並表示期待儘早獲得面試資格。提供自己的聯繫方式，並提議面談機會來展現自己的熱情，讓僱主想要聯繫並深入了解你。
Finish the letter by thanking the reader for their time and consideration, and then conclude with:
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
結尾，要感謝僱主花時間閱讀我們的cover letter，類似我們中文裡的「感謝您在百忙之中閱讀這份求職信，誠摯的期望能得到面試機會。」
最後，跟一般書信的落款一樣，寫上Sincerely XXX.
A successful cover letter will set you on the road to employment. Once you』ve written the letter, reread, reread, reread. It can’t be stressed enough that this is your first impression to the employer. Make it count!
These days, applications are often submitted electronically by email or online. If you submit your letter in this way, submit it as a .pdf file rather than a .doc or .docx. This way, it looks cleaner and more professional.
Soon, you』ll be on your way to the interview!
一封成功的cover letter會讓你成功走上就業之路。寫完了之後，要自己反覆讀幾遍，這可是你給僱主的第一印象。
如今，申請資料都是線上投遞的，如果你是通過郵件發送，儘量提交pdf文檔，而不是word文檔，這樣能使你的letter看起來更加整潔和專業。
語言點解析：
put something together = to make or prepare something by fitting or collecting parts together例如：
to put together a model plane/ an essay/ a meal
I think we can put together a very strong case for the defense.
résumé = CV = curriculum vitae = a written record of your education and the jobs you have done, that you send when you are applying for a job
cover letter = covering letter = a letter containing extra information that you send with something例如：
Send a covering letter and a CV to the following address…
intriguing = very interesting because of being unusual or not having an obvious answer例如：
These discoveries raise intriguing questions.
an intriguing possibility
He found her intriguing.
feel free to do something = used to tell somebody that they are allowed to do something例如：
Feel free to ask questions if you don't understand.
『Can I use your phone?』 『Feel free.』
come across = to make a particular impression例如：
She comes across well in interviews.
He came over as a sympathetic person.
informed = having or showing a lot of knowledge about a particular subject or situation例如：
an informed critic
an informed choice/ decision/ guess/ opinion
They are not fully informed about the changes.
Keep me informed of any developments.
resourceful = good at finding ways of doing things and solving problems, etc.例如：
These women were strong, resourceful and courageous.
address = [usually passive] to write on an envelope, etc. the name and address of the person, company, etc. that you are sending it to by mail例如：
The letter was correctly addressed, but delivered to the wrong house.
Address your application to the Personnel Manager.
opening = a job that is available = vacancy例如：
There are several openings in the sales department.
at your earliest convenience = (business) as soon as possible例如：
Please telephone at your earliest convenience.
set = to cause somebody / something to be in a particular state; to start something happening例如：
The new leader has set the party on the road to success.
Her manner immediately set everyone at their ease.
英文來源：
https://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-in-english
文章配圖來源於網絡，版權歸原作者所有，如侵立刪
教師簡介：
朱博，新東方口語講師，畢業於985院校大連理工大學，碩士保送一等獎學金。在校期間曾遊學美國，任出版社英語出版中心校對四年，工作嚴謹，活潑開朗，讓大家快樂的學習英語。