GPA Vs. Experiance 5

[Gymmeh]

We all know that better grades lead to better jobs.

I am one of those that has managed to, I feel, excel at jobs, however I am one of those less then 3.0/4.0 people.

Now with two internships and a year and 5 months of work experience I have set out to get into a more comfortable job position.

So I had, what I thought were two excellent interviews for a company for a design engineer position which was presented as a position which calculations were rare and basically design falls under “fair judgment” on industrial equipment, and working with drafters to bring the design together for the Project engineer. They had me do a couple aptitude tests which I breezed through, one question I even answer just looking at the paper while it was in the interviewer’s hand.

My current position requires calculations or a reference to back up anything I do -so people don't get hurt-, inspections, and almost total authority over designs.
Basically the new job seems one step back from the math intense/extreme details, and I thought this new job was a done deal!

Today I got an email saying they had some concern about my GPA (which is a 2.4/4.0), which was just quickly asked during the interview and never brought up again.

I laughed when I read it! you have got to be kidding me?

I wrote up a Email saying, What course work do you consider relevant to this position? I will gladly send you my transcript showing A and B in all classes which seam relevant to this position.

I also wrote about getting B's in two grad level engineering classes, and the fact that I was involved in Rugby, multiple intramural sports, battle bot team, An engineering fraternity, a job, and I also applied for a Patent, etc. (e.i. my grades are not low because of partying!)

I didn’t email them because I thought it best to run this by the Best Qualified judges of all things engineering... the Eng-tips Crowd.

I have to assume they interviewed someone with an amazing GPA. How do I tell them that the job presented is not worthy of a High GPA person, and my experience should trump my GPA?

Should I ask if I could stop in and talk to them about my GPA, and that it does not reflect my potential?

Just destroyed my weekend...

Thanks & have a good weekend

 

[Lion06]

Helicopterjunkie-
Are you insinuating that people with high GPA's cheat? I take exception to that!
I graduated with a 3.86 overall and 3.92 technical GPA and not only did I not cheat, but I took a test to a professor once when he marked an answer right that I actually had wrong, and it ended up being the difference between an A and an A- (for the semester, not the test).
I put very little effort into anything outside of class, but I paid close attention during class, took good notes, and smoked all of the tests.
Grades are the way we determine who is learning and progressing and who is not.... to make a blanket statement that people with a high GPA cheated is completely inappropriate. Maybe the people with the low GPA should pay more attention in class instead of laughing and cracking jokes while the rest of us are trying to learn.

 

[whyun]

I re-read Helicopterjunky's post and he did say "some" not "all".

 

[TheTick]

Somehow I managed to get good grades without cheating. Sometimes without studying, too.

 

[ykee]

Gymmeh -- it is possible that the GPA request has nothing to do with you. Maybe there is an internal conflict and someone has another preferred candidate, and is looking for ways to hire them over you.

 

[csd72]

Some of the worst engineers I have worked with had almost perfect grades at University, conversely some of the best engineers I have ever worked with had quite bad grades at University.

You just need to assure them that you are not a hit and miss type of engineer and that you take your job very seriously.

 

[KENAT]

The issue of good grades not automatically meaning good enginers & vice versa has been discussed before in detail.

It tends to get a litte heated so unless the OP wants this thread to go that way I suggest we stop here.

There's already one post above that's so arrogant I'm having trouble not responding. However, I have enough important stuff to stress about tho' so Eng-Tips, no offence, aint worth it.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[Krautso]

Grades are of no consequence. If your interviewer could not think of any relevant questions to test your technical abilities and feels he has to resort to checking GPA, I'd be suspicious about it. Either he's looking for a reason NOT to hire you or he doesn't know what makes a quality employee or a quality engineer.

 

[Gymmeh]

The topic of good grades = good employees had been beaten on this forum pretty good

I was looking for more of, why, when everything seems reasonable, related work experience, passing an aptitude test, passing one phone interview and two in person interviews, (plus i live a block away ) could you get a email at the end of all the interviewing saying your GPA is not good? (yes I know this is the worst run on sentence)

ykee, Krautso, KENAT and some other hit on, that fact that its out of my control. who knows what it is, internal politics, my hair is to brown, whatever it may be. Kinda like work all week to get your for old VW running waxed and pretty, just to slaughter Bambi the next day at 65mph with the front of your car...
Its just really frustrating.

I dont know if its a good sign, but i sent the email Saturday and have not heard from them yet... the told me they were going to make a decision Friday.

Thank you all

 

[KENAT]

Gymmeh, good luck.

Generally not hearing is probably a bad sign but at my current place I didn't hear for a few days and it was just because HR didn't get their poop in a group. The offer came through about a week later than my now manager had anticipated.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[Helicopterjunky]

For whatever reason we do not get a job we wanted, most of the time it turns out later to be a blessing. In addition the word "some" is not the same as "all". Sorry to have stirred the hornets nest.

 

[plasgears]

I went from A/B's to B/C's after getting into activities. I think they weigh all the consequences of activities and jobs held.

 

[ykee]

I remember one job interview, where two different managers seemed to provide me with different job descriptions. I got on well with the hiring manager (he wanted a hardware guy), and even reasonable well with the other guy (he wanted a software guy). In the end, the software guy won out, I didn't get the job, because I didn't have the software background and they went back to looking, but changed the job description. Point being: who know what's going on inside the company. You've tried to explain yourself, if they are not interested, it's probably for the best.

 

[Gymmeh]

yeah, thats a good point. I am sure you would be the one getting the shaft when they realize they hired you for the wrong job.

 

[IRstuff]

Take into account "activities?" I think not. "Yes, I got Cs, but that's because we won state pennant" will not get you the job, unless the hiring manager happens to be a fan.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[ykee]

Maybe "activities" don't mitigate bad grades, but in a lot of cases its a good way to tell the difference between a person who is interesting to work with and can work with other people and someone who can work hard but doesn't work well with others.

 

[IRstuff]

Possibly, but unlikely. Stating that you were a member of a team tells me nothing other than that. Were you a slacker, the last-chosen right fielder, the high scorer, the diva, the ultimate team player? Are you going to include your game stats on your resume?

And to what end? Where's the proof that being a member of a sports team translates into being a team player at work?

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[ykee]

Fair enough question, and granted, if a recent grads resume shows only participation in one event, or conversely seems to have spent all their time in non-academic activities I'd be a little wary of either. I do feel that most engineering benefits from well rounded individuals, maybe R&D type work is an exception. I've worked with people that lack a social life, and frankly they are hard to work with, regardless of technical competence.

 

[Gymmeh]

Both of you have good points.
I would tend to agree with ykee,
I would not say you should use activities as an excuse for bad grades, but consider involvement in activities support for your personality?

IRstuff, To the same extent that working an internship through college does not "really" prove anything unless you talked to the boss. I know some people who brag about their internship being a complete joke, where they surfed the internet and played Fantasy sports. I also know others which just moved stuff around, filed papers, and got people coffee.
Yet wouldn't you assume the person knows a little more about engineering?
The same way some people assume sports may show, ability to play with others, commitment, etc...

If everything was set in stone we wouldnt need this "How to Improve Myself to Get Ahead FAQ"???

 

[MechanicalChef]

Back to the original post, tough out the job for a bit longer if you can. I'd say that anywhere beyond the 2.5-3 year mark of working, GPS is irrelevant. You've gotten a BSME at an accreditied university, and you've made it long enough to not be fired for gross incompetence.

 

[IRstuff]

"Yet wouldn't you assume the person knows a little more about engineering?"

Not really. We've got this amusing question on our website for potential applicants, asking if they're familiar with a particular analysis program. 3 times out of 4, a positive answer results in, "Yes, I watched over someone's shoulder while they ran that program," when asked during the interview.

So, ultimately, if you do put something like that on your resume, you might get queried about it, or you might not, but if you do get queried, you'd better have a decent answer, otherwise, it'll hurt you more than it would help.

TTFN

FAQ731-376