high GPAs and CV's
 

from another thread here:

I recently advised a soon-to-be new grad (guaranteed a six-figure income) to not put her very high GPA on her CV. I told her that most want to hire a capable, normal and personable candidate. I told her that a great GPA is something of which to be proud but the odds are good that her supervisor won't have a GPA like hers. My advice was "certainly tell if asked but otherwise use it to do well and move up."

What would you say?

What industry is she going into???

I wish I hadn't effed around so much in my younger years so I could have graduated to a six figure job. Congrats!!!!

Depends on the position and the job. Remember that resumes should be tailored for the position being applied for, and some jobs specify a desired GPA. In those cases she should include her GPA, otherwise I would leave it off.

GPA is a funny thing, as depending on who reads the resume it can go either way. High GPA can be interpreted as smart and hardworking or egghead with no common sense. Low GPA can be interpreted as dumb and lazy or normal with an abundance of common sense. Better to just leave it off if you're not sure, if an employer cares they will ask.

GPA? well that certainly explains alot. damn. i had to "hide" mine :D

CV or resume?

On the CV, definitely no. On the resume, it depends I guess but even then It's better left out.

I had to raise my GPA by taking dumb classes. If they want to see grades, they should look at the whole transcript.

It was a CV but could have been a resume as well. I'd stick by by my assertions all the same. She is capable and personable so I felt that she would do well without flying her "GPA flag" (in the end, we hired her). After graduation and upon passing her board exam, she will be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

I am an engineering student and I have always been told that anything above a 3.0 is considered to be excellent. I guess it depends on your major and where you went to school.

Mine is in the low 3s, I don't consider it anything noteworthy. I consider my eagle scout and this internship more valuable than the GPA...

Sid, given a choice between and Eagle Scout and pretty much anyone else, I take the Eagle Scout. Better indication of the quality of the individual than GPA. I would tend to look at the extra-curricular stuff quite a bit when interviewing.

When I interviewed prospective residents, I hardly ever would ask them a medical question. They covered that in school and on their boards. I would look at the other stuff they did. One time, one of the other docs saw the guy had worked as a welder and peppered him with questions about welding.

x2

No matter what I was told in school, I've never been asked my GPA by an employer. Good thing, I'd have to get a transcript to figure it out. Depends on the industry thought I guess.

Yup. It is all relative.

I wish more college aged "kids" could appreciate the value of a kick-ass internship (I didn't). A co-worker's son will graduate from Milwaukee School of Engineering this month. He turned a sophmore summer internship into a part-time school-year job that pays retirement benefits...2 years ago!! Any guess on who hasn't had to worry about if/where he's going to work FT in June? The guy deserves a great job.

biz began taking advantage of interns a while ago - the feds have them somewhat contained now

GE won't even look at you without a 3.5 on an entry level position

I guess it would depend on what you are trying to do.

+1

I am in engineering. That's why I put that comment. The OP in that thread is getting a degree in gunsmithing. I doubt a nice GPA will hurt him.

The argument that a hiring manager will put your resume down because your GPA is higher than his or hers is hogwash. A good manager will hire people that are smarter than him / her and perform accordingly. I know more than one bachelor level manager that hires nothing but Ph.D.s when they can. Makes them look better! The output of the team is what makes the manager good, not towering over his or her employees.

Many places in aerospace, national security etc. will have a minimum GPA requirement. Usually 3.5. An entry position often requires hands on book smart skills. If you want someone to model your new airplane wing, I doubt a high GPA will hurt.

For a recent grad there isn't much you can go on. Internships, yes, but if you don't know the grades, what else is there to go on? I'd stay with my advice to put the GPA if it is 3.5 or above in any technical field. It will only help.

George

I can't imagine interviewing someone without knowing what their GPA was, let alone hiring them. Studies have shown repeatedly that GPA correlates to income over the life of the worker more than what their major was or even prestige of the school they graduate from. I'm sure there are exceptions and industries where it doesn't matter, but a high GPA should be on the resume under the section showing education above where you would put honors and activities.

I was taught that the only reason you wouldn't put your GPA on your resume was if it was so bad it was a disqualifier and that employers assume that someone who doesn't put down their GPA left it off because it was bad. I know that's what I think. I never hire just based on GPA and mine was worse than lousy. But I want to know what it was and why when I evaluate the candidate and as much as I'd like to think otherwise, a high GPA goes to the front of the line. I can't imagine it ever being a drawback unless the high GPA applicant was a total Pointdexter who had no other attributes and the GPA turned out to be a limiting factor on the applicant.

I can't see how a high GPA would be a detriment to that profession. In sales or any kind of touchy feely profession I can see some GPA envy and I understand how it can be a problem, but how the heck can a high GPA hurt in a technically based profession? Has political correctness gone so far that even our technicians have to be careful not to be too smart??

This has to depend on your field. I work in IT and know more than a few with little or no college that make a ton of $$. Sure, I guess a good GPA is nice to have and everything being equal might qualify one candidate over another. However, I have never seen this in IT. In my case, maybe since I never included my gpa on a resume I was just overlooked for those jobs. :)

Yes, a high GPA does not mean everything. But since my thread started this conversation, here is my two cents. I feel this applies to me and my degree specifically but has some application in the technical field.

My course is VERY hands on. Last semester I had four subjects: GSM 123: Basic stockmaking, GSM 125: Barrel fitting & Custom Alterations, MAT 120: Geometry and Trigonometry and ENG 114: Professional Research and Reporting (which I took as an online course). In the two gunsmithing classes we did not write a test. The grades earned there is a reflection on the quality of the work you do. When a prospective employer in this field takes a look at this, it will be a direct reflection of the quality of the work I will produce. High grades in my other classes show that I can also do more than just the gunsmithing subjects.

So, to me my GPA is important.