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!

 

[Senselessticker]

DO NOT allow a low gpa to discourage you or make you feel inferior when compared to your peers.

What is most important are the reasons why you have a low gpa... If you have a low gpa because you spent too much time drinking beer, chasing women (I'm assuming you are male), working, or if you had add/hd issues...then you actually may have an edge over the general engineering popluation.

My gpa was aweful.... < 2.5

Since I landed my first job, I've received 2 promotions and have increased my salary by about 30% (all within about 2.5 years)

In today's engineering market, many companies are looking for well balanced people persons as opposed to the traditional "nerds" which have dominated the engineering world for decades.

Big companies are likely to scrap your resume because of your your gpa. Stick with applying to small companies. You'll have to look much harder to find them...but they're out there.

Put your gpa on your resume. DO NOT be ashamed of it. You have have degree signed by the president of the university you attended that states you have met the requirements of the program.

List ALL of your activities and hobbies on you resume. List ALL of your work experience. Employers seeking entry level engineers expect you have ZERO engineering knowledge except for the backbone of what you learned in school. If you graduated....you've got that backbone.

I agree with others that passing the FE will greatly increase you probability of landing a job quickly. If you can pass the FE...then you have the skill set needed to perform the technical aspects of engineering. However, engineering is much much more than technical thinking. That's where you personality and attitude come into play. Keep you chin up, your shoulders back, and be proud of what you have accomplished.....AND (just like you did while in school) keep trying...over and over again if that's what it takes.

I imagine you'll be just fine in the long run....


Sense

 

[Senselessticker]

One more thing...

If during an interview someone asks you about your low gpa. He/she is most likely looking for your reaction and ability to "dance" a little. If he/she/they actually cared about your gpa, you would not be at the interview.

Answers to tough questions like this should be unique to each inidivual. Be truthful. When I was asked....the answer was simple..."If it was raining, I went kayaking on my favorite local river run rather than attend class or study. If it was snowing I ditched class and went skiing." I also working full time while attending college so that factored in also.

I just wish I could ditch work now for the reason above!!!!!

Of course...you may not want to listen to my advice....I just realized it's friday night and I'm typing away on an engineeing forum. I'm going to go get a life now!

Gook Luck!

 

[Chaosiscash]

I agree 100% with Senseless ticker. Being well balanced and having good social skills have affected my ability to get a job, and more importantly, the money I make, much more than my GPA. When you do interview, just be confident in your abilities.

Chaos

 

[COEngineeer]

But good GPA does get you a job. I have a friend that graduated in 3.5 years with 3.7 gpa from the same university as my self. Good GPA does the trick but if you dont have a good gpa doesnt mean you cant find a good job.

 

[BelspringKen]

I don't know the GPAs of anyone that I work with, but I have had to work with people with lackluster communication skills, and no people skills. Those skills are important - try to demonstrate those skills if you can.

 

[KENAT]

Not so much on your resume but...

When you send a cover letter with your resume and before any interview find out as much as you can about the company and the industry since this will really help. Make sure you communicate this in the letter or interview. If you can talk knowledgably about their products and/or industry this may help any possible attention from your GPA, not that it would necessarily come up.

FYI I never put my grade (it's done differently in the UK) on my resume or cover letter. A couple of applications for large companies asked for it but it didn't even come up at my first job.

 

[HgTX]

I can't fathom someone actually going for the "I preferred skiing to going to class" defense. I'd have to assume that this person would also prefer skiing to showing up to the job or making it to a meeting with a client. I mean, that kind of statement doesn't say, "I'm a well-balanced person with good people skills"--it says, "I have no work ethic and very bad judgement."

If your grades really did pick up in the last year or two, you could put the overall GPA, and then the last year's (or upperclass) GPA after it. You'll get a lot of credit for improving. I had to do something like that--I changed majors and my grades really improved, so I listed the overall GPA and then the GPA in just my major. (Though for me it was on grad school applications, not job applications. GPA mandatory there.)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[JMirisola]

Your biggest hurdle, in my opinion, is going to be lack of experience. You can overcome that by talking about how eager you are to learn all that you can. As was mentioned previously, learn all that you can about the company that you're interviewing with. Make sure you ask them insightful questions about the position, the direction of the division/company and their expectations of the candidate.
Don't feel bad about your low GPA. I can't even put one on my resume as I never graduated from college. It's because of my willingness to constantly learn that I've continually moved up. After a few years, experience speaks louder than a degree. That's been my experience anyway.
Exhibit confidence in your skills, a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, and you'll do just fine.

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
CAD Administrator
SW '07 SP1.0, Dell M90, Intel 2 Duo Core, 2MB RAM, nVidia 2500M

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

 

[stanier]

Most jobs come from networking or personnel references. Get out and network. Dont worry about the GPA or explaining yourself. Look forward.

If all else fails come to Australia. We wouldnt have a clue what a GPA was anyhow. Plenty of work in Queensland or Western Australia.

Job ads usually read: "Wanted Engineers. Must be hardworking, not a pain in the backside, drinks with mates, willing to learn, will ask dumb questions and learn from the answers, must have sense of humour, helpful if knows rules of cricket or footie preferably both , shouts when it their round at the bar, and will do anything to help the team. Whingers need not apply.

Geoffrey D Stone FIMechE C.Eng;FIEAust CP Eng

http://www.waterhammer.bigblog.com.au

 

[stanier]

What doeas GPA stand for anyhow?

Geoffrey D Stone FIMechE C.Eng;FIEAust CP Eng

http://www.waterhammer.bigblog.com.au

 

[Ashereng]

GPA - Grade Point Average.



"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?

 

[Ashereng]

Just curious. How many people with a great GPA (say, better than 3.8) thinks that GPA is NOT important for the first 3-5 years out of school?

"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?

 

[HgTX]

Me. My undergrad GPA met Ashereng's condition, and when I was hired after my master's degree I don't remember either grad or undergrad GPA ever coming up in conversation. Having the master's degree itself was a factor because I was recruited to my job directly from school.

But since people with high GPAs have no street smarts, who the hell cares what we think?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[tokki]

I didn't put down my GPA like many of you suggested, and today I got an interview from a high-profile company! I guess I won't make it past the initial interview but at least I got an interview, that's always the first step. I'm so excited. Thank you for all your responses!

 

[Ashereng]

I still don't understand why high GPA = no stree smarts.

Can someone have a low GPA and NO street smarts?

It is sort of like saying if you are smart, then you can't be interested in sports. Or, if you are an athlete, you can't be smart. The two are not related.


HgTX,

I know you've said that your GPA didn't come up in conversation. That wasn't my question. Do you consider GPA important when you interview someone less than 3-5 years out of school (undergrad, not masters or doctorate)?


tokki,

Congrats on getting the interview. Good luck with it.

Why don't you think you will make it pass the initial interview? Have some confidence in yourself - if you don't, chances are no one else would either.

"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?

 

[Senselessticker]

I still don't understand why high GPA = no stree smarts.

Can someone have a low GPA and NO street smarts?

I don't think it's impossible for a high gpa student to have no street smarts, but I think its very rare (maybe 1 out of 10). However for a low gpa student...I think the likelihood of him/her having street smarts is more like 9 out of 10.

 

[UNLengineer]

Senseless,

Your odds are either ridiculous, or the other 9 people I graduated with have no street smarts. From your earlier post, I would not hire anyone who admitted that he had poor grades because of spending to much time drinking beer. College was about learning to balance your life, work and play, if someone can not figure out that drinking to much is affecting his grades, it does not sound like street smarts to me.

I am curious as Asher was, as to what people with high GPAs think about the importance of GPAs for the first couple years.

I do not feel that GPAs are the tell-tale sign of a good engineer, but the do provide an insight into possible work habits or technical abiility.

For instance, I might think twice about a graduate with a 2.5 GPA. Did he just not get it, which would beg the question, Would I want him to design a process with hazardous chemicals? Or, did he feel that showing up was not that important, which begs the question, Will he show up at work?

 

[monkeydog]

My GPA was not that great, similar to tokki's trend.
Different story, I was just goofing off at first, then got serious. I did not post my GPA on my resume' but took a copy of my transcripts with me on my interviews. One guy asked what my GPA was, and if I had a copy of my transcripts, I offered the transcripts, he looked at it and noted the upward trend in the upper classes. He asked why that was, and I honestly told him I started off goofing off, then got serious.

tokki, if you can look the interviewer in the eye and tell him your situation, you will be fine.

Good Luck,
Remember, they put their pants on the same way you do.

 

[Senselessticker]

UNLengineer,

So would you feel better about hiring someone who lies about why he/she has poor grades? The truth is....anything less than a 4.0 is result of knowingly and purposefully diverting attention away from your academic life. Doesn't matter if its drinkin beer, chasing women, working, video games, drugs, wife, kids, sports, or just plain laziness. Its a choice!!!

I would be scared to death to hire a 3.0 student who said he tried as hard as he could and that was the best he could do. Either a) he is lying, or b) he's just dumb.

However, if someone where to say: "Well, sometimes it was more important to me to spend time with my kids than spend that time doing math", or "it was more important to me to spend time with my wife", or "it was more important to spend time in particpating in sports" etc... etc.. etc... I don't care if someone says he/she spent time playing video games which lead to poor grades. I just like folks to be honest...


Maybe some folks here might even want to explain to his/her boss that some things didn't get done because he/she spent too much time on non-technical fourms on eng-tips!!! Just a thought...

Hey Tokki...Be honest about your gpa and don't make excuses for it. Take responsibility. If a potential employeer wants to hear excuses....then its problably not a company you want to work for. Also, remember that once your out there in the engineering world...only about 1 out of 10 engineers are worth their weight. The other 9 just soak up salaries.

Good luck!

Sense

 

[rmw]

I, too, didn't have the best GPA, a combination of working my way through 100%, taking time out for the USN, and just some good old goofing off.

Be that as it may, since I was graduating in the early '70's right after the moon landings and lots of taxi drivers were ex NASA Engineers, I interviewed everyone who came to campus.

It was pretty commonly known that Dow Chemical was seeking high GPA students, but I interviewed all of them.

The interviewer made some kind of statement to the effect of "well mr. X, your GPA isn't that high is it?" To which I kind of exploded on him, figuring it was a lost cause anyway and said "you knew my GPA when you agreed to schedule the interview. If you are looking for a high GPA I don't have it. What I do have over these kids that have the better GPA's is a work record and practical experience in power plants and manufacturing plants, etc, etc."

I figured that was one to put in the NO column, and moved on.

Later, upon encountering my Mech Eng. Dept head on campus one day, the conversation turned to interviewing and I pumped him for information as to who might have been interested enough to inquire further. He was evasive, as you might expect him to be, but I persisted. Finally he said "well, one I remember was the guy from Dow, he seemed very interested in you."

So you never know.

I didn't actually get an offer from them, but I will tell you that there were 12 ME's who graduated that quarter (off quarter-not May) and of those 12, I had the lowest GPA and the only job offer in my pocket, and there was a thing raging out there called the Viet Nam War, so you can imagine what the topic of discussion was while we stood in line to walk, as well as the surprise on the part of the others when they discovered that I was moving on to employment.

So, if you have other tricks in your bag, capitalize on them and don't sweat the GPA.

rmw