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According to Assante, JP Morgan (like many top firms) looks for two broad themes when assessing a candidate's credentials:

• A Demonstrated Commitment to Excellence, and
• Quality Experiences

To maximize your chances of getting that interview, you need to create a resume and cover letter that communicates these critical attributes and "get connected."

How Do You Look On Paper

GPA: Firms like JP Morgan value academic excellence, and the first indicator they look to is your GPA. Don't hide it. If they can't find your GPA on your resume, they'll assume it's low.

Try to present it in its best light. If you had a problematic freshman year, but rebounded strongly, break out you GPA for the past two years as a separate item. If you got killed in Chem 1A+B before giving up on your parent's dream of medical school, but have a 3.8 as an econ or anthro major, list your major GPA and make it conspicuous (left side of the page not the right). If you believe that your GPA doesn't accurately reflect your academic ability (e.g., because you had to work 25 hours a week, devoted significant time to a campus leadership position, or had to deal with a major family crises), explain the reasons, briefly, in your cover letter while highlighting your other academic accomplishments (e.g., an honors thesis or an advanced research project). Help them understand why you are a stronger performer than your GPA indicates.

Course Work: Another way to demonstrate you commitment to excellence is through difficult, analytical course work including independent studies and honors theses. Companies like Morgan care little whether the course work is in business or econ. Rather, they are looking for evidence that you seek out demanding, rigorous classes that will hone your skills and force you to confront exacting challenges.

Work Experience in the field shows that you have been focused on the goal of a business career and know what you are getting into. Don't simply describe the duties you performed. Communicate what you learned from the experience. Don't be afraid to mention, especially in the cover letter, how an experience taught you what you didn't want to do or the kind of organizational environment you wouldn't thrive in.

Activities: JP Morgan is looking for evidence of leadership, drive, and commitment. A lengthy track record of initiative, staying power, and increasing levels of responsibility is a clear sign that you possess the kind of personal qualities that they believe makes for a strong candidate. If you have had this kind of quality experience, whether through participation in a sport, hobby, or volunteer work, don't relegate it to the last couple of lines of your resume just because it's not "business related."

The Cover Letter: Be concise. Tell your story. Show how you take the initiative and embrace opportunities. Show them you know what you're getting into. Proofread rigorously. Attention to detail is essential, and there are no second chances.

Getting Connected

There is no substitute for personal interaction with members of a firm that you are interested in joining. Talking to current employees offers you an invaluable opportunity to learn about a company's values, culture, how they see themselves, and what they look for when they are recruiting. Even within a narrow field, different companies have different personalities. One of the keys to migrating into the "yes pile" is to demonstrate in your resume and cover letter that you understand what makes a given firm distinctive and that those characteristics match your past performance and preferences as well. Talking to people from the firm also gives you the chance to make a memorable impression. A five-minute conversation can make a substantially greater impression than even the most finely-tuned resume.

Take advantage of campus events such as Career Fairs, Employer Info Sessions, Mock Interviews, Meet-the-Firms Nights, and other events listed on the Career Center Calendar.

Don't overlook the possible avenues that family, friends, and alumni connections offer to make contact with members of firms that you aspire to join. Take the initiative, and be a little aggressive. Demonstrate in your pursuit of the job, the qualities that will make you worth interviewing.