Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry? 5

[AeroDude345]

Hello all,

So I'm about 3 months away from getting my MS degree in Aerospace Engineering from a university that ranks in the top 10 (Georgia Tech). I will be interviewing with companies over the next few months along the West (CA, WA, OR, CO, AZ) because that is where I would really prefer to live. Therefore, anything I can do to increase my chances of getting a job in that region is important, which leads me to my GPA question. I know GPA is trivial in many cases but I still feel compelled to ask about it.

My GPA is not necessarily stellar (but technically not "bad"). I have a 3.0 and that will be the GPA I'll graduate with. Maybe I was burned-out or maybe I'm not too bright, but either way, that is my GPA and I have to deal with it. So, my questions are:


Should I put this GPA on my resume considering it is from a highly regarded school? Or should I not put it on my resume considering it is right around the cut-off line to where they start ignoring job applications?

Will this GPA hurt my chances of employment?? Typically there are 3.0 and 3.3 cut-offs for job applications in aerospace, but I always thought this cut-off was generally for undergrad degrees (considering grad school is a whole different level of curriculum).

Is a 3.0 GPA something to worry about in terms of employment in the aerospace industry?


The reason I am so worried is because I would really like to work in the west, so I don't want anything holding me back. I'm basically just wondering if my 3.0 GPA will hold me back from my goals. Any input would be appreciated!


Thanks!



Also important: My focus within Aerospace is structures, solid mechanics, finite element methods, structural dynamics, etc (you get the idea - anything "structures" related)

 

[SLTA]

If someone said yes, it will hurt your employment chances, what could you change? As you said, it is what it is, and you can't really change that now. Work on your interviewing skills in the mean time. Good luck!

 

[brandonbw]

I never put my GPA on my resume. Never affected me in looking for a job in Los Angeles. I was always told don't put a GPA unless you are at a 4.0. I wouldn't mention it unless someone asks. They will figure out your skills based on their questions more than anything.

B+W Engineering and Design
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[JohnRBaker]

Do you have any industry-related experience? I mean, did you work summers or do any co-oping within your field of study (and I don't mean working as a life guard at the beach or tending bar)? If so, try documenting these periods as complete as possible as any demonstration that you can actually work successfully in your field will probably outweigh what YOU perceive as a weak GPA.

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[Ron]

GPA is much less important to employers than you are led to believe in college. You will have an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech....the same degree that someone else with a 4.0 GPA will get.

 

[pennpiper]

Remember, Bill Gates was a Collage Drop-Out!

prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[YoungTurk]

I recently obtained a Masters in aerospace from another top US university with a similar GPA. It is not on my resume, and it hasn't come up. On the other hand I have experience, so that may affect my responses.

My suggestion is leave it off and keep the focus and your qualitative accomplishments. Some recruiters/managers, but not all, will look for the GPA. Of those, some will ask for it, a few others will round file your resume due to the omission, the rest will move on without it. Of those that ask, a few will care, others will only be checking a box. In those situations you either meet the hiring requirement or not; it is already out of your control and you will do better to focus on what is in your control.

The only GPA focused hiring I have experienced was fresh out of undergrad when talking to recruiters for management training programs, I think they use GPA for those programs more to find the 4.0 overachievers / workaholics in the crowd than to estimate actual skill level. That was when I realized that, just like high school, the REALLY smart kids took the easy classes/majors in order to qualify to manage the kids who put some skin on the line and actually learned something in the challenging areas. I don't want to work for those people.

 

[bk19702]

Leave the GPA off of the resume - as Ron mentioned, what really matters is that you actually have the degree, and the fact that you have a MS from Georgia Tech speaks volumes in it's own right. You really want to focus on your interviews and hopefully you have some tangible experience you can reference of where you worked on a project with others, came up with a solution to problem, etc.; that will matter more to most potential employers. The further you get along in your career, the less GPA is going to matter anyway - 10 years from now you will still have an MS from Geogia Tech, and that will never be disputed.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Can't see the point of publishing your exam results unless you have zero experience. A degree from a good place generally speaks louder than a (state you grade) from anywhere.

- Steve

 

[Noway2]

I would avoid bringing up the subject of your GPA. I also believe it to be somewhat irrelevant because there could be a number of reasons why one person's GPA is lower than another persons and yet the one with a lower GPA could be a much better candidate.

It reminds me of the line about what do you call the guy who graduates dead last from medical school: doctor.

 

[Terminus0]

I found in my job searching after college that companies very rarely asked for my GPA. Mostly companies only seem to care about what working (or equivalent Research or Project) experience you have. Also 3.0 from GT will not weigh you down in the slightest.

 

[IRstuff]

There are companies where GPA is a big deal; whether you'd want to work for them is another matter. Bell Labs wouldn't even talk to anyone with 3.3 GPA, and that was at Caltech. Clearly, work experience is a HUGE factor, but, all else being equal, your GPA will affect the outcome, so you need to bring your A game to the interview because someone who is interesting and interested may outweigh a dullard with a 4.0 GPA.

A former company used to send out recruiters who would essentially hire anyone breathing with a 4.0 GPA and then figure out what to do with them; so we get a 4.0 GPA EE from Cal Berkeley, who was literally a lump on a log. He had zero motivation, zero curiosity, etc. I could never figure out what got the recruiter interested in this guy, and wonder if a 3.3 GPA guy with guns blazing would have been more useful.

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[cvg]

if you told me you graduated with a Masters and 4.0 GPA, my first question would be why didn't you stay for the PhD?

 

[SomptingGuy]

Most graduate engineering job offers in the UK ask for a 2:1 (or a Desmond, if you face fits and you interviewed well). I wonder how that maps to this GPA system that's used in the USA.

- Steve

 

[IRstuff]

2:1?? Desmond?

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[ScottyUK]

British grades in order of merit are: first (1); upper second (2:i); lower second [2:ii); third (3); fail.

Waiting with bated breath to find out what a Desmond is though...

 

[KENAT]

Probably the most significant issue you face is that some employers on their standard application form (most likely web based) will require GPA information, especially for new grads. They may also have a pass/fail test in the HR software which requires a certain GPA.

However, if you've got to the interview then you've passed this test already.

Sompting, my sadly rather low Desmond mapped to under 3.0 when I had it properly reviewed, I want to say 2.8 ish but it's been a while. On the bright side my A levels read across a bit more impressively essentially equivalent to a year or two of college or some such.

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[SomptingGuy]

A desmond is one up from a richard. A richard is a short-cut into the accountancy industry for those who used to be good at maths.

- Steve

 

[GregLocock]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[ivymike]

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