Its in the past even if youre actually still writing it. Its what you did as a student, and were not hiring a student. Were hiring a colleague. 4. Your Teaching Paragraph is All Drippy and Pathetic 5. Do I hear whining, that you cant possibly say all you need to in 2 pages? Tough. Do you want a job or dont you? Do it. 2. You Are Telling, Not Showing. Memorandum is so important in the business world. This is often use to inform employees of the company for abrupt changes. We have two types of business. Whats up with that? Heres whats up with that. Advisers dont teach their grad students how to write cover letters. They send them out pathetically, humiliatingly ill-informed. It is, in my opinion, a criminal degree of neglect. And 1b. It must follow proper letter norms of etiquette. Your letter must be on letterhead if you have a current academic affiliation of any kind. This is not negotiable. It has come to my attention that some departments are denying their graduate students access to letterhead.