Sample cover letter for Internship position at facebook

J.P. Morgan recruiters are asking you to explainWHYyou have decided to apply for the particular graduate programme at the bank andWHATqualifies you for the role. If you put: ‘I think it sounds like an interesting and exciting opportunity to learn, and I’m a good team worker and communicator’, you would have answered the questions, but poorly. It wouldn’t convince recruiters that you have thought carefully about your decisions, and are truly interested in and committed to the scheme – which is what you have to prove. 

Identify aspects of the graduate programme that you like

It’s essential that you find one or two aspects of the scheme that appeal to you. These could relate to training and development, opportunities for career progression, the nature of the role, or the size of the team. Take as an example the organisation’s 27-month operations programme, which provides graduates with the opportunity to gain exposure to a variety of business areas and strategies. This may appeal to you because you’re keen to develop a deep working knowledge of the wider operations – not just your chosen division – and work closely with employees across the business.

Mention why you have chosen J.P. Morgan and not another bank

It’s also worth thinking about why you have opted for this programme at J.P. Morgan over other organisations. What does J.P. Morgan do differently? Perhaps you did an internship at the bank or attended one of its presentations and enjoyed the office culture or gelled with employees? Take a look at the graduate profiles on J.P. Morgan’s TARGETjobs employer hub and read what graduate recruiters have said about the business.

Select skills that are relevant to the graduate position

The word count is pretty tight, so choose examples that relate to the role. J.P Morgan’s website contains some information on what the bank is looking for, but it’s also advisable that you read between the lines. On the investment banking programme, for instance, you’ll be working in small teams, which makes teamworking skills mandatory even if it’s not specified.

If you have the space to include an example of when and where you demonstrated the requisite skills, make sure you do. This will show recruiters that you’re not all talk. Sticking with the teamwork example; perhaps you worked in a small group on a student magazine and often stepped in to do interviews, write articles or distribute copies when colleagues were absent or otherwise engaged.

Before you answer the application question, you should...

• Read about the role and programme by visiting J.P. Morgan’s website and theAreas of worksection of TARGETjobs Finance, and note down the skills, competencies and qualities that are required for the position
• Think about examples of when you have demonstrated the required competencies – this can be during university, work placements, part-time jobs or elsewhere
• Think about your medium- or long-term career aspirations and how your chosen graduate programme might help you to achieve them

2. Please write about a recent news article that has interested you and how you feel that subject would relate to J.P. Morgan (200 words)

J.P. Morgan, along with most investment banks, is susceptible to what goes on in the wider world, and within the business. If financial regulators decided to introduce a new policy about interbank lending, J.P. Morgan would be affected. If an employee quit and decided to lambast J.P. Morgan on social media, the bank would be affected. Here, recruiters are examining your understanding of the big and small, and the directly related and subtly connected events that could affect the bank. It’s commercial awareness.

Browse financial newspapers, magazines or websites – such asThe New York Times, theFinancial Times,The Wall Street Journal,The Economist, Reuters and Bloomberg – to find a news story that interests you and relates to J.P. Morgan. You could pick a story that is specifically about the bank or think a