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

 

[lowedogg]

i recommend removing your GPA from your resume. it really only needs to be there for your first job out of school. you said you have 1+ year experience now, so don't give them the GPA unless they ask for it specifically. i have found that the quality of your school is much more important than your GPA.

 

[Gymmeh]

I have never had in on my resume. They asked me during the first interview.

So an update,

Apparently my persistence paid off cuz I got the job, made a counter offer, accepted the job and turned in my 2 weeks!

FINALLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best part of the whole thing was talking to the head engineer of my company- which is on the other side of the US- and having him tell me he just turned in his 2 weeks. I told him "can I call you back in 5 minutes," handed in my two weeks, and then called him back and said, yeah I just handed mine in to!

 

[Gymmeh]

THANK YOU GUYS!!

 

[MechEng2005]

Congratulations Gymmeh!

 

[lowedogg]

congrats

 

[Helicopterjunky]

Congratulation Gymmeh.

 

[jeebusmn]

So, did you get the job you described earlier or is this a different one?

 

[Gymmeh]

this is the one i discribed earlier! which put me through the loops for the last 4 weeks.

 

[plasgears]

Some of the activities that seem to count:
- Honor fraternity;
- Part-time jobs in college offices;
- Student chapters of ASME, etc.

I got a solid reference from faculty in the ME dept. This particular prof also was our fraternity faculty advisor. I entered an ASME paper contest, and that ref went on the resume. So, there are activities, and there are good activities.

Having a good reference has a way of saving your life. One character in an early job at a big company was out to 'kill' me, but the reference confirmation was strong and bullet proof. I kept my job for ten years and gained retirement earnings.

 

[fade2blue]

Congrats Gymeh,

I also have a low GPA that i attribute it to extracurricular activities.Also not all activities are irrelevant to your major, for example FSAE.

 

[KENAT]

Congrats, all the best in your new position.

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

 

[kevindurette]

"I have always hired people who somehow paid their way through college - either by jobs or athletic scholarships."

I will too when I'm eventually promoted to such a position. I've always had absolutely no respect for kids partying off of daddy's dollar. You tend to learn discipline and time management under our circumstances.

You never know how much time you have until you realize how much you waste. I've actually heard classmates complain about not having time to study with no job! I worked full time until my last semester. I very rarely missed time due to finals week; I needed the money too much. My last semester, my now-wife supported me while I took six classes.

 

[kevindurette]

My GPA was 2.955, and it has made me ineligible for most, if not all, graduate schools since I'm below a 3.0. How long will it be before this no longer matters? How much work experience does it take to completely erase this?

 

[B16A2]

Kevin,
As an SE going back for my masters, it will never be erased in the eyes of the university. I have 5 yrs experience, and passed SE1 and SE2 and they still honed in on my GPA. I think you'd need to have face to face discussions with the professors and maybe an arrangement could be made. Depends on where you want to go too.

 

[Gymmeh]

I was always under the impression that you can take graduate leave classes without being in grad school, to prove that you can get >3.0.

My Uni. will let you take one semester worth of classes. If you get >3.0 on all the classes they will let you in for grad school, Although this may be for Alumni and not everyone.

“Students applying for admission with a quality point average less than 3.0 or without a B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering may occasionally be admitted on a provisional basis, depending on the circumstances of their case and their letters of recommendation. Admission on a provisional basis requires that the student obtain a grade of B or higher in each of the first three graduate courses taken.” from my Uni.

http://www.mae.buffalo.edu/academics/graduate/manual/index.shtml

 

[jpankask]

Kevin,
The University of Idaho offers a graduate certificate in structural engineering through engineering outreach. It is 12 hours, you choose from a limited number of classes which to take. The minimum GPA to enroll is 2.80. Once completed, the hours can be applied towards a MS. You could probably also take those hours and prove to the program of your choice that you can do the work. Most programs will transfer up to 9 hours from another university.

http://www.outreach.uidaho.edu/eo/ViewPage.aspx?pid=42

Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla) has something similar, as does a Florida university. I'm sure other universities do as well.

http://dce.mst.edu/credit/certificates/contemporarystructuralengr.html

http://www.graduate.ucf.edu/CurrentGradCatalog/content/degrees/ACAD_PROG_183.cfm

You will probably have to start with something like this, as most universities are going to be a stickler about GPA. Good luck.

 

[KENAT]

Gymmeh, you mention playing Rugby, what position?

As an old player myself (not of any quality though) I'd have sympathy for any forward managing 2.4, with constant concussion/hangover for the entire playing season that isn't a bad achievment.

If you were a girly back though, then there's no excuse;-).

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

 

[kevindurette]

I actually went to UCF. It's funny you mentioned that.

 

[Gymmeh]

hahaha!!!

Girly!!! i played 9 and 11! ha no excuse!!! Those b' fightin' words!!!!! ;-) I was plenty sore/hangover on Sundays when I played wing!! As scrum I tried hard not to break any nails, wrinkle my shorts, or ruin my hair ;-)!

I was always on the B team….IE not the best player, but I did play and not sit the bench!

What position did you play??

 

[KENAT]

When I was taking it seriously Blind Side Flanker. I always enjoyed making the Scrum Half thouroughly miserable, hammering him at every line-out and at scrums if I could get away with it.

Sadly I was the 4th best back row player out of a squad with about 6 or 7 people that wanted to play back row. Our squad was always short of good backs though. So I'd often get stuck out on a wing, defensively I did fine there, offensively... That or get loaned to an opposition short a player, this annoyed me so I'd take it out on my team-mates! Did some bench time too.

Played Prop for intramural team a bit when I got older & fatter at Uni but I'd injured my knee at highschool so combined with not being able to catch a cold let alone a ball my career didn't go far!

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