Recent graduate with poor GPA, what do I do about my resume? 16

[tokki]

Hi,

I recently graduated from college with a 2.6 GPA overall. Because of some personal issues, I took an extra semester to finish up college. After getting some professional help, I ended up with a 3.4 GPA in the last year and half of college. I don't think I should put down my GPA because it's lower than a 3, but at the same time, I feel like my resume would be dumped pre-interview. The companies wouldn't get to see that I took care of my problems and did better at the end. In this case, what should I do about my GPA on the resume? Should I put down the 2.6? Or should I not put it down at all? Oh, and I don't even have any internship experience. I honestly wouldn't even want to hire myself if I was the interviewer. Any tips on how to improve my chances of landing a civil engineering job? Thanks for any help!

 

[HVACctrl]

Don't sell yourself short.
My GPA wasn't much better. I never mentinoed it. It never came up.

In my 11 years in the market (2 of which were co-op jobs while in college), only maybe one or two companies asked for a certain GPA on their job ad. I have found that many companies don't care or aren't thorough enough in their screening to even think to ask.

I don't think it should be very important myself.

Ed

http://www.engineerboards.com

 

[UcfSE]

There's a few threads that have come through recently about this. I would imagine the advice is similar. Try searching the forum.

 

[COEngineeer]

What do you call an engineer graduated last in his/her class? An Engineer!

No, you dont need to put the GPA. I had 2.7 gpa for undergrad and 3.6 for my masters. I still didnt put my GPA for my graduate degree because I feel like if I put it, then I have to put my undergrad gpa also. It is really up to you. I betcha a lot of stuff you put on the resume isnt exactly true anyway (i.e. previous job responsibilites)

 

[dcroasmu]

Would it work out better for you to put down your overall GPA and then also list your GPA in your major?

 

[tokki]

No it wouldn't. I had some problems with test taking so it was basically most classes that were graded heavily based on tests.

The only nice thing is that I ended college decently, in that case, should I put down something like senior year GPA or is that tacky?

 

[whyun]

GPA never came up in any of my previous job interviews. If it EVER comes up, it will probably only be for the first engineering job out of school.

Experienced interviewers look for certain qualities such as attitude/confidence which weigh a lot more than GPA.

My advice is don't put it.

 

[MJJBEE]

Try not to get too disappointed I like to remember the saying "success in school doesnt equal success in life" With that said I wouldn't list my GPA you made it through school and have an engineering degree. If I were you I would be working towards my PE licence that is what really will get someone in industry's attention. If someone doesn't hire you because of your GPA then they are focusing on the wrong thing. For an entry level position what most interviewers are looking for is an ability and willingness to learn. show those in your interview and you will be well on your way to your first job. Good luck on the job hunt.

 

[l3city]

Is up to you, actually I think 2.6 gpa was my overall too. Companies don't care that much as seems to be. Sometimes they have an add requirement 3.0 gpa or above, but actually they don't care, I bet you it's in the interview where they "look" at you and not your GPA. Send resumes and ask for interviews, don't be afraid, the real market/engineering is very faaaaaaaaar away from what college is (at least that is my personal experience) You can be an expert on one area while in college, but how about if you get into a different field? that's the part where GPA stuff is worthless, it is your willingness to perform and learn while on the real job!! Just for your info, some of my best friends in college (they where totally surviving school, praying not to be disqualified from engineering school because of very "trashy" GPA) .....got better jobs than me.
Regards!!

 

[IRstuff]

GPA has only ever affected ONE interview, with Bell Labs. They wanted a minimum of 3.5, which I didn't have.

TTFN

 

[Heckler]

When I was hunting for my first job out of college in 1994 the ME market was competitive....GPA was only an issue for companies that use that as a screening tool....HP was the only company I interviewed that had a min requirement.

I would sit for the FE exam...passing should give you some creditability to your resume'. Lucky for you Civil Engineers are in high demand. If all else fails join the Peace Corps for an eye opening experience. Best of luck

Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 5.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience every time.

 

[MechNorth]

There's little value put on GPA except in high-profile companies. I wasn't a great student, and I was nervous as Hell about it at graduation also. I graduated in '93, which was a really bad time to be a Mech Eng in North America. I took whatever job I could get at the time, and proved my abilities. Nobody ever asked my GPA, only what I could do. Be aggressive to learn & apply what you know, and your GPA won't ever be an issue.
Good luck!

Jim Sykes, P.Eng, GDTP-S
Profile Services
CAD-Documentation-GD&T-Product Development

http://www.profileservices.ca

 

[bridgebuster]

Q. What do you call the person who graduates last in
his/her class at medical school?

A. Doctor

Don't sweat it. MechNorth has the right idea.

 

[Ashereng]

tokki,

I would like to first generalise a little bit. A speed burner of a wide receiver would tell you his time of 3.7 in the 40 first. A precise route runner of a wide receiver would tell you his precision and guts going over the middle. One is not better than another, they are different.

Now, back to your OP.

You know what your strengths are. The interviewer doesn't yet. Your job is to make sure that the interviewer knows what your strengths are. The interviewer's job is to determine if your strenghts are what the company currently neeeds.

If a company wants a 3.8 GPA candidate to fill a position, then that is what they will look for. Chances are, you won't get the job.

If a company wants an engineer that suits their culture and way of doing work, chances are, they will take a look at you since GPA is not the most important criteria for them. You said you finished your career strong. Good on you. The fact that you finished (graduated) already says something about you.

My advise is to determine what you are good at, and then present that in the interview.


I would like to now get onto my soapbox for a bit:

Yes, GPA is not the be all and end all for determining whether a graduate will become a good engineer. I understand that.

On the other hand, why would I penalise someone who bust their but to get a good GPA? I wouldn't. When I interview, I look at GPA (definitely). I also look at other things such as trends (GPA going up, down, even?), type of courses taken, outside activities (did they hold a part-time job while going to school, are they a parent while going to school, etc.), and of course, their personality.

In my mind, not looking at GPA would be similar to not looking at any one of the above areas I look at - I am not doing a complete job.

Having said that, a weakness in one area may be compensated by strengths in another - it all depends on the position I am hiring for.

In an interview, here are some good rules to go by - there are lots of others:
- highlight your strengths
- be honest about your weakness
- avoid making excuses

The last one is a big red flag raiser for me. If someone makes excuses for something that happened, it seems to me that they are not taking responsibility for their actions. This is not the type of person I am lookig to work with. If it happened, it happened. Tell me how you are going to make sure it doesn't happen again. Telling me why it's not your fault really doesn't tell me how it won't happen again once you start working with me. Tellinn me that it really isn't important just means you still can't do it - and if it is important to me, I won't hire you.

Okay, off the soap box.

Good luck with starting your career, and congrats on graduation.



"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Pulpboy]

My GPA wasn't all that great (in fact pretty horrible) - I never put it on the resume and had no issues. In fact one interviewer asked about it and I told him my GPA and he was happy I wasn't the brainiac type. He figured that straight A students had no life and therefore were socially inept. In the end it was my experiences through COOP that landed me my first job.

 

[BelspringKen]

There are firms that want high GPA, and others that see a 4.0 person as someone who only has book knowledge but no "street smarts".


Emphasize what you have to offer, and how it will benefit the firm if you can work for them.

 

[HgTX]

I never understood the mentality that someone with a 4.0 must surely have ONLY book knowledge and no street smarts. Or the converse, that crappy grades must mean good street smarts.

Sounds like a compensatory attitude on the part of those with lower grades who are now in a position of authority.

Should good students start deliberately getting questions wrong on their exams so as not to be victims of anti-intelligence bigotry?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[joekm]

Well, when I got my bachelors, my GPA wasn't so good either. People were telling me not to worry because "you got the sheepskin - that's all that matters". Well, my experience was that GPA *did* matter. Every interviewer wanted to know what it was.

This was also during the late 80's when defense spending was being dramatically cut - especially in aerospace. My solution was to get what work I could, take post-bachaloreate classes in graduate level mathematics, and use that along with very high GRE scores to convince the university to let me in their Master's program. I then had to pursue my Master's degree while working full time at a job only vaguely related to what I went to school for. This time around, I did what I had to in order to make sure my GPA was definately *not* mediocre.

Good news is, that did get me into engineering and the experience working in the related job wound up helping me as well.

I realize that may not be the answer you were hoping for, but that's the path I wound up having to follow.

--
Great Spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds
-- Albert Einstein

 

[MechNorth]

Some very valid points on the value of a high GPA. It may be a requisite for the job you want. For those of us without the high GPA, if we want "that" job, we work our butts off to develop the experience and respect that will get us there. It's accepted that that is the price we pay. A point was made above that you should look at the full package, not just the GPA. If there's no underlying reason for a low GPA, of course you're going to be concerned. Just as a high GPA without something outside of academia is a bad indicator (ever had a PHD working with a bunch of Technologists ... often a bad social combo).

And I doubt it's a compensatory attitude that generates the "GPA Bigotry"; many of us have valid experiences that tend to focus our leanings. As I said above, low GPAs that want the better job will work their way up to it, high GPAs may be able to start there. After 5 years of work, who gives a damn what your GPA was...if you're doing the job well, that's usually what matters. What I have tended to see is a bit of humility and more determination from low-GPAs entering the workforce, and an unfortunate air of entitlement from high GPAs (I did a lot of recruiting and co-op/intern recruiting ... bad days). YES, these are GENERALIZATIONS; I've seen absolutely useless low-GPAs, and absolutely humble high-GPAs. I've seen low-GPAs who really don't know how to put a nut onto a bolt, and high-GPAs who can dissect a machine and reassemble it properly. A GPA may be a step-up when you're starting, but work ethic and determination matter more in the long term.

Jim Sykes, P.Eng, GDTP-S
Profile Services
CAD-Documentation-GD&T-Product Development

http://www.profileservices.ca

 

[mshimko]

Until you have your first position and gain experience AS an engineer, your GPA will be an important part of who you are.

Fact is, when I interview for entry level positions, I do notice the GPA. I will also notice the grades the last year, or in the major if these are provided.

How much does it matter? While I would probablt prefer to hire a peron with a 3.9, tha facts are:
(a) I probably can't afford those folks;
(b) have a person with common sense and a good work ethic is equally important (probably more),
(c) my GPA many, many years ago was under a 3.0.

Back to basics:
1. Your GPA should be on your resume;
2. The purpose of the resume is to get an interview;
3. If you come across well during the interview, no one will remember your GPA.

Good luck, and keep trying.