Three years ago, job search expert Jenny Foss wrote one of my favorite articles on cover letters. It was called, "Bad Pick-Up Lines: They Don't Work in Bars, They Don't Won't in Cover Letters." (Yes, I remember it even three years later.)

三年前，猎头专家Jenny Foss在笔者最喜欢一篇求职信的文章上写了这么一句话。它是这样说的：“最糟糕的话：对调酒师没用，也不会出现在求职信上。”（是的，甚至三年过去了笔者仍然记得很清楚。）

Even after reading that article, it took me some time — longer than I'd like to admit — to step outside of the "I am writing to apply for [position]" lead-in, because it's what I was comfortable with. But it's 2015, and people are still writing form letters, which leads to the spread of terrible advice like, "No one reads cover letters anyway."

甚至在读完那篇文章后，还让笔者花费了相当长的一段时间，跳出那个“来信的目的是申请某个（职位）”的框框，因为这是我最习惯的做法。但这已经是2015年了，而人们仍然在写求职信，以致得出很多不耐烦的建议，“已经没有人会看求职信了。

It's not that no one reads them. The hard truth is that if your letter looks like everyone else's, the hiring manager will read it — and promptly¹ forget it.

这也不是说没有人查看这些求职信，残酷的现实是，如果你的求职信千篇一律，hr看完后，也就忘了。

So, read on for the five of the most cliché lines to strike from your cover letter immediately.

所以，快点查看你的cover letter，看看有没有以下这5种陈词滥调吧。

1."I am applying for the role of [title] at [company]"

1. “我想申请的是贵公司的XX（职位）”

Years ago, when applications were sent through the mail and secretaries sorted through letter after letter, it was probably really important to dedicate your opening line to the job you were applying for. But nowadays, I'd guess you're applying via some system that makes it clear what position you're interested in — such as an online portal where you can check that box or in an email with the subject line. In other words, the person reading your cover letter knows why you're there.

多年前，当人们通过电子邮件发送求职申请，然后通过人事秘书的逐一筛选后，那么你的信件抬头真的很有可能对你的求职结果至关重要。然而到了如今，笔者会推断，你会通过一些求职平台来清晰地表达自己的求职意愿，比如在线求职端口，你既可以查看邮件，也可以根据来信的标题来判断一个职位。换而言之，对方了解你的求职意愿。

Of course, I'm not suggesting you never mention the position. The very opposite is true: You should absolutely mention the position, the company, and why you're a fit for both. What I'm saying is that if you open your cover letter with the line above, you'll have the same opener as several other candidates. Translation:

当然，笔者没有建议你绝口不提求职岗位。实际上最应该做的是：必须提到职位，公司，还有你的求职优势。笔者想表达的是，如果你以上面的这句话作为开场白，你就会跟其他的求职者一样，可以解读为：

You'll have wasted your first impression as well as valuable space.

你浪费了留下第一印象以及表达自己长处的大好机会。

So, start your letter by grabbing the hiring manger's attention, and then leading into why you're a fit for the particular role and organization.

所以，信件开头必须抓住hr的眼球，吸引对方的注意力，然后他/她就会有耐心继续往下阅读你的求职信，了解你对岗位和公司的求职优势。

2."I'm a fast learner"

2. “我的学习能力很强。”

Confession³: Every time I've written this in a cover letter, it's because I didn't have the preferred number of years of experience. And, I'm pretty sure the person reading my application translated this line accordingly.

坦白说，每当笔者在写求职信时加上这句话的时候，都是因为笔者并没有足够的工作经验。所以我也

很肯定查看我的求职信的hr也会这么解读。

Saying that you learn quickly isn't going to knock anyone's socks off. So, what should you write instead? Include a stat or story that shows what a fast learner you are. If you have a photographic memory or taught yourself to code, mention it. If your boss asked you to learn every major client's name in one morning and you did it, share that anecdote⁴. It will be much more memorable⁵ than "I'm a fast learner."

这句话的意思并不是要哗众取宠。所以，你应该要怎么表达自己的学习能力强呢？用事实或故事说明自己是个学习能力强的人。如果你有过目不忘的能力，要说清楚。如果你的老板让你记住在一个早上记住所有重要客户的名字，而你也办到了，也要把这件轶事说出来。这样会比“我的学习能力强”这句话更让人印象深刻。

3."I think outside the box"

3. “我能跳出思维的框框”

Let's start with the irony⁶ of using a cliché to describe how creative you are. Seriously, though, if you are someone who thinks outside the box, why not do just that with your cover letter?

首先用这种陈词滥调的话来显示自己的创造力是很可笑的。说真的，如果你确实能够跳出思维的框框，何不直接在求职信里体现呢？

Your best bet here is to show — rather than write a sentence about — your inventiveness. Maybe you apply for your job in a creative way or provide an example of time when your ingenuity⁷ saved the day. Or, just prove it right off the bat by opening up your cover letter with a witty⁸ line that grab people's attention.

最佳的方法就是事实胜于雄辩。也许你用一种新颖的方法表达求职意向，或者给出一个你为公

司摆脱困境的例子。又或者直接用诙谐幽默的开头吸引读者的注意。

4."I'm the best person for the job"

4. “我最适合这份工作”

First things first, do you know every other applicant⁹? Take it from someone who's lost out to a person with a decade more experience in a given sector¹⁰: You can't make this assertion.

先说重要的，你了解其他的求职者吗？这是输给另外一个比自己多10年工作经验的人的教训：决不能说出这种武断的话。

Not only could there be someone who is in fact more qualified¹¹ than you, but your prospective¹² boss may also have additional considerations that you're unaware¹³ of. Maybe you're the person with a decade more experience, but the company is looking for someone greener because of budget constraints¹⁴. Or perhaps you check all the right boxes — but the best person is actually in-house.

不仅是的确有人比你更有资格，你的未来雇主也会有你没有预料过的额外考量。也许你就是拥有比别人多10年工作经验的人，但公司也有可能因为公司的预算想雇佣职场新人。又或者你查看了所有的消息，发现最适合这份工作的人早已在公司里工作了。

"Best" is a subjective¹⁵ term, so stick to statements you know to be true. This would include all of the lines about how well-matched your experience is and why you're personally drawn¹⁶ to the organization. By the time someone finishes reading your cover letter, he or she should know that you're the best person.

“最合适”是主观的判断，所以要注意言辞要客观真实。这就需要包含所有想匹配的工作经验以及为什么你会被录用。当别人读完你的求职信，他/她就知道你是最合适的。

5."This is exactly the kind of role I'm looking for"

5. “这正是我想找的工作。”

OK, this statement means well. You're trying to show that you're here for the right reasons, that you're passionate¹⁷ about the company, that you're invested in the role, and so forth¹⁸.

好吧，这句话还可以接受。你在尽力显示合适这份工作的理由，你对公司的热诚以及你对岗位的投入，等等。

But it doesn't have the impact you're going for. First, it can come off a little self-indulgent (i.e., that you're more focused on what the company can do for you than on what you can do for the company). Second, it's redundant¹⁹. If you're applying for a job, let's hope it's what you're looking for!

但对你的目标没有多大用处。首先，有可能导致自我放纵的倾向（也就是说，你关注的更多在于公司能为你做的，而不是你能为公司所做的事）。其次，这很多余。如果你在求职，那就期待你所期待的吧！

Instead, shift your focus to discussing why you're the candidate the company is looking for.

相反，你应该把自己的注意力放在陈述自己应该被录用的原因。

Your cover letter is a chance to show why you're uniquely qualified for an open position. So, don't bury your potential in cliché cover lines — use the tips above to stand out from the pack.

求职信让你能够显示自己的独一无二的、超凡脱俗的职业优势。所以，不要用陈词滥调把自己的潜力埋藏了，参考以上的小提示，让你在芸芸求职者中脱颖而出。