Chapter 07

简历与求职信

第七章 · 简历是六秒钟读完的文档。它的写作密度比任何文体都高。

简历的基础认知

HR 平均花6-15 秒扫一份简历决定继续不继续。再加上 ATS(Applicant Tracking System,求职机器人)筛选,简历本质上是一份关键词密度极高、信息可量化、句式完全平行的极端文档。

这一章讲三件事:(1) 简历的英文写作惯例与结构,(2) STAR 法则与量化技巧,(3) Cover Letter 的三段式。

简历的英文格式惯例

1. 文件命名

命名格式:FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf。永远存 PDF,不要存 Word。Resume_Final_v3.pdf 这种命名直接拉黑。

2. 长度

3. 标准模块顺序

  1. 顶部:Contact Info(姓名、电话、邮箱、LinkedIn、GitHub/portfolio)
  2. (可选) Summary / Profile:3-4 行高度概括(仅有经验者用)
  3. Experience(最重要,倒序时间)
  4. Education(应届优先在 Experience 前)
  5. Skills(按类别列)
  6. (可选) Projects / Publications / Awards / Volunteer

4. 不要写的内容

STAR 法则:每条经历的结构

STAR = Situation, Task, Action, Result。它最初是面试技巧,但写在简历每一条 bullet point 里同样有效。STAR 的简历版本通常压缩为 Action + Result,背景隐含。

字母含义简历里如何呈现
SSituation 背景常被省略或合并到 Action 前缀
TTask 任务合并到 Action
AAction 行动用 Action Verb 开头
RResult 结果必须量化,用具体数字

对比:

失败 bullet(中式)

Responsible for the maintenance of company database and made many improvements.

成功 bullet(STAR + 量化)

Migrated 400GB customer database from MySQL to PostgreSQL with zero downtime, reducing query latency by 38% and saving $24K/year in licensing.

关键差异:失败版本用 Responsible for(弱),用 made improvements(虚),完全没量化。成功版本用 Migrated(强动词)开头,立刻给出三个量化结果(400GB / 38% / $24K)。

Action Verbs 强动词清单

简历里每一条 bullet 都必须以一个有力的过去式动词开头(现任职位用现在时也可以,但保持全文一致)。下面这份清单按职能分类,可以直接抄。

领导 / 管理

Led, Directed, Supervised, Managed, Spearheaded, Orchestrated, Oversaw, Coordinated, Mentored, Coached, Mobilized, Championed, Headed, Chaired

创建 / 启动

Built, Created, Designed, Developed, Established, Founded, Launched, Pioneered, Initiated, Conceived, Architected, Crafted, Engineered, Produced

提升 / 优化

Improved, Increased, Optimized, Streamlined, Accelerated, Enhanced, Boosted, Strengthened, Upgraded, Refined, Reinvigorated, Maximized

降低 / 节省

Reduced, Cut, Eliminated, Decreased, Saved, Lowered, Minimized, Trimmed, Curbed

分析 / 研究

Analyzed, Evaluated, Assessed, Investigated, Examined, Quantified, Diagnosed, Audited, Benchmarked, Modeled, Forecasted

沟通 / 影响

Presented, Persuaded, Negotiated, Advised, Advocated, Briefed, Counseled, Lobbied, Influenced, Pitched

执行 / 交付

Delivered, Executed, Implemented, Deployed, Rolled out, Shipped, Launched, Completed, Achieved, Attained

团队 / 协作

Partnered, Collaborated, Aligned, Liaised, Facilitated, Unified, Bridged, Consulted

易错提醒

避免这几个被滥用到失效的词:Responsible forWorked onHelped withParticipated inInvolved inAssistedTasked with。它们让你听起来像是被动接受工作,而不是主动做事。无一例外用上面清单的强动词替代。

量化(Quantify)的艺术

量化是简历的灵魂。没有量化的成就在 HR 眼里几乎不存在。但中国学生常常说"我的工作没法量化"——这是因为还没学会找数字的角度。

量化的六个角度

角度问自己示例
规模多大、多少人、多少钱Led a team of 12; Managed $2.3M budget
速度多快、多频繁Reduced deployment time from 4h to 12min
百分比提升 / 降低多少Increased conversion by 23%
时间多久内做完Delivered MVP in 6 weeks
排名第几、Top 多少Top 5% of analysts; #1 ranked region
影响范围多少用户 / 客户Reached 1.2M monthly users across 14 countries

没有数字时的策略

如果你做的是后台 / 流程工作,确实没有现成数字,可以用以下方式"半量化":

简历 bullet 的写作公式

把上面所有规则合起来,可以得到一个简历 bullet 的"公式":

[Action Verb] + [What you did] + [Quantified Result] +
[How / Method (optional)]

套用例子:

Designed (Action Verb)
  a real-time fraud detection model (What)
  that flagged 94% of fraudulent transactions (Result)
  using gradient boosting and ensemble feature selection (Method).

→ Designed a real-time fraud detection model that flagged
  94% of fraudulent transactions using gradient boosting
  and ensemble feature selection.

每个 bullet 严格遵循这个公式,整份简历就有了"军队般的整齐感",HR 6 秒扫读时也能快速捕捉关键信息。

简历段平行结构(与第二章呼应)

整份简历的所有 bullet 必须严格平行:

  1. 全部以动词开头(不要 Responsible for... 这种名词短语)。
  2. 过去职位用过去式(Led, Built),现任职位用现在式或过去式都行,但同一职位内必须统一
  3. 不要句号 + 不要句号交替。要么所有 bullet 都加句号,要么都不加(推荐都不加)。
  4. 不要混用 -,用一种符号到底。

Skills 模块的写法

不要写 Microsoft Office, Communication, Teamwork。这些是默认值,写了反而显得简历水。Skills 应该按类别分组,每类列具体技能:

Languages:        Python (advanced), SQL (advanced), JavaScript (intermediate)
Data & ML:        Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch, XGBoost
Cloud & DevOps:   AWS (S3, EC2, Lambda), Docker, GitHub Actions, Terraform
Visualization:    Tableau, Power BI, Plotly, D3.js
Languages spoken: English (fluent), Mandarin (native), Spanish (B2)

给技能分级时用:native / fluent / advanced / intermediate / basic不要Excellent in / Proficient in / Familiar with——这些是中式英语简历常见错误。

Cover Letter 求职信:三段式

Cover Letter 不是简历的复读,而是讲一个"为什么我是这家公司这个岗位的最优解"的故事。三段式:

第一段:Why this company & this role(30%)

不要 I am writing to apply for the position of... 这种废话开头。直接讲:你为什么对这家公司感兴趣,这个岗位为什么对你有意义。

I came across the Senior Data Analyst role at Stripe last
week, and the description felt like the natural next step
in the work I've been doing for the past three years —
turning messy financial data into product decisions. Stripe's
public commitment to data quality (especially the recent
work on the Sigma platform) is exactly the environment
I want to grow in.

第二段:Why me — 1-2 个具体成就(50%)

这是核心。挑一两个最相关的成就,用 STAR 法则展开成一段 narrative。注意是 narrative(叙事),不是 bullet point 复述。

At my current role at FinTech Co., I led a project that
rebuilt our customer-segmentation pipeline. The old system
required 14 hours of manual SQL each week and missed roughly
20% of high-value users. I redesigned the data model around
event-level signals, automated the refresh in Airflow, and
collaborated with product and marketing to define the new
segments. Within four months, the pipeline ran in 8 minutes,
captured 96% of high-value users, and led to a measurable
lift in retention campaign ROI. The work taught me how much
the difference is in getting the foundations right — the
kind of foundations Stripe is clearly investing in.

第三段:Close + Call to Action(20%)

感谢、表达期待、给出后续行动。不要过分谦卑,也不要过分自信。

I'd welcome the chance to discuss how my background could
contribute to the Sigma team. Thank you for considering my
application; I look forward to the possibility of speaking
soon.

Best regards,
Sarah Chen

Cover Letter 的几个雷区

  1. 千篇一律:每家公司都用同一封信,把公司名一改就发。HR 一眼能看出来。每封必须为这家公司写一段。
  2. 过度谦卑I am just a fresh graduate without much experience, but I am willing to learn. 自我贬低是中文写作传统,英文求职信里是大忌。
  3. 过度自夸I am the best candidate you will ever find. 没有证据的自夸 = 自负。
  4. 翻译腔I deeply love your company and hope I can have the honor to work with you. 完全不像母语者会说的话。
  5. 三大段都讲自己:忘了讲为什么是这家公司、为什么是这个岗位。

中式英语简历的高频陷阱

中式表达问题地道改写
Be responsible for ...被动、弱Led / Owned / Drove ...
Have rich experience in ..."rich" 用法不地道5+ years of experience in ...
Hardworking and diligent形容词没意义用具体行动证明
Excellent communication skills谁都这么写 = 没说Presented to 200+ stakeholders, including C-suite
Familiar with Excel太初级,不用写(直接删,或换成具体函数 / VBA / Power Query)
I am a team player陈词滥调Collaborated across 4 functions to deliver X
Strong learning ability没人不"strong"Self-taught Python in 6 weeks; deployed first model in 8
Patriotic / kind / honest美国简历完全不写品德(全部删除)
写作要点

美国简历写作的核心信念是:"Show, don't tell."(用证据展示,不用形容词宣告。)写 "I am hardworking" 没用,写 "Worked 60 hours/week to ship MVP in 6 weeks" 才有用。这一原则贯穿简历、Cover Letter、面试。

简历的最后审查清单

提交简历前对照这 12 条:

  1. 所有 bullet 都用动词开头?
  2. 所有 bullet 都至少有一个数字?
  3. 同一职位内时态统一?
  4. 没有 Responsible for / Helped with / Worked on
  5. 没有照片、生日、婚姻状况?
  6. 电子邮件是 firstname.lastname@gmail.com 这种正式形式?
  7. LinkedIn 链接已自定义为 linkedin.com/in/yourname
  8. 不超过 1 页(应届 / 5 年内经验)?
  9. 字体一致(推荐 Calibri 11、Helvetica 11、Garamond 11)?
  10. PDF 导出,文件名 FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf
  11. 给三个英语母语者读过,没有语法 / 拼写错误?
  12. 关键词覆盖了职位描述里 60% 以上的术语(应对 ATS)?
练习方向

把你现在的简历每一条 bullet 用本章公式重写一遍。改完后做对比:哪些条变得有力了?哪些条改完发现"其实没什么可写的"?后者就是你下一步该补成就的方向。简历不是写作问题,是过去六个月你做过什么有数字结果的事