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.

Interesting. I have never even heard of anybody putting their GPA on a resume.

I had about a 3.0 getting my aerospace engineering degree, of course I was also working 40+ hours per week to support my family while also taking 16+ credit hours of coursework. A number of my fellow students had all of their expenses paid and were able to only worry about school, needless to say they had better grades than I. On the upside I graduated with two years of aerospace experience and quickly transitioned into a full time job while many of my classmates were still learning how to conduct themselves in a professional manner. As a manager I don't put much weight on GPA (no pun intended), I believe there are far more important attributes.

Good discussion so far.

I will add that performance is important and GPA is certainly a reflection of performance. While each profession and position is different, leaving a killer GPA off a CV says good things about a candidate. I think it says "consider me as a modest person, someone who doesn't rest on past performance, someone who is willing to quietly go out and prove myself everyday, including today."

I'd love for this gal to quote her GPA when asked. I'd think that little moment might stick in the mind of all in the room.

i nailed a 3.9 CUM LAUDE G.P.A.! and i am GAWD DAMN PROUD OF IT! and i did it late in life while working 60 hours a week! and had no mommy/daddy/rich uncle/nobody to pay for it except ME!

i will NEVER FORGET the night i met with my guidance counselor, and went over all my transcripts, and got the VERY SAD news of how many classes i had to take to graduate. walked outside, looked at stars and said to my self "how in hells feeking name will i be able to do this?"

i went 3 years to regis college(jesuit) in denver. snow skied for the college, partied my azz off, got laid mucho times/damn near got expelled for numerous stunts numerous times. then went to u/a chasing my high school sweetie(really dumb move) did u/a tucson for a year, then did a semester at pima c.c. and then my mom died at end of semester, and went to work at garrett corp working 7-12 hour days straight on swing and grave and finally days.


and then got dee-vorced and went back to school and had my azz handed to me in SPADES financially/mentally.


BUT I DID IT! and i was NEVER SO GAWD DAMN PROUD TO WALK W/MY PURPLE CUM LAUDE 3.9 G.P.A. sash and blue gown at NAU -flagstaff.


i had NO LIFE! while going to school. work /school/and very little sleep if any. i was a walking gawd damn zombee! how i did it i will NEVER KNOW! HARDEST DAMN THING I HAVE EVAR DONE and I AM GAWD DAMN PROUD OF IT!



and every stinking whipper snapper that applies for a job here and says he has a degree......................I DO A BACKGROUND CHECK! PERIOD!

i lost out on a damn good job years ago, that i was 100% qualified for, all because i did NOT have a degree. and that hurt a hell of ALOT! this was after 4 flights to L.A. to interview at their corp. H.Q. and this lil wet behind the ears H.R. gal dropped the bomb on me. it sucked royal purple donkey richards and IT HURT ALOT!


so.......................with that in mind.................dont think for a pico second guys or gals who have fought tooth and nail, lived off of freeking tuna and cheese crisps, DONT LOOK AT YOUR FREEKING GAWD DAMN G.P.A!



proudest thing i have EVAR DONE and i have done some WILD AZZ POO over the years and hung my azz out there in space quite a few times!


i would go back in an INSTANT to get my MASTERS!

YOUR DAMN RIGHT MY 3.9 CUM LAUDE G.P.A. is on my RESUME! makes all the H.R. clowns CRINGE!

OJU, you may put yours on your CV. Hell, on your cars license plate for that matter, lol!

hell i want it on my TOMBSTONE!


it damn near almost killed me. just thinking of 40page(numerous, not just one) psych term papers makes my sphincter go into convulsions.


biz mgmt and psych.



didnt mind any classes except algebra. I LOATHE ALGEBRA! had to go to tutoring for that! yeah if that aint a kick to the huevos!

met some wayyyyyy cool cops. actually got a "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" card from a LT. on tempe p.d. for saving him from certain doom and gloom as he works the tempe p.d. homicide motor home. tempe had a rash of murr-durrs(red-rums) and he was going from crime to crime missing classes. gave him all my lecture notes etc. and he passed final.


met a TON of wayyyy cool cops. all of them as old if not older than me, just trying to better themselves.


college books are a TOTAL RIP OFF! pay $120 and then when ya turn them in at end of semester............ya freeking get $10 for it unmolested with no highlights no scribbles etc. book stores are a SCAM! bought most of my books off amazon.com wayyyy cheaper.


my last semester for a lousy in state tuition 3 credit course was $895 BUCKS! at NAU! PLUS FREEKING BOOKS!


in relation at private regis jesuit college, back in 1975 when i graduated brophy college prep here(jesuit), my 1st semester 3 credit class was $110 a credit hour! so for a 3 credit class= $330 bucks!


education aint cheap by any means.

My first quarter tuition at U.C. Irvine was $289 or so, for 16 units. I still can't believe what a great deal that was. When I graduated it had gone up to around $600 or so, still unbelievable for a world class education.

yep student loans ARE THE ANSWER unless big daddy or big mommy MORE BUCKS is footing the bill.


ASU/NAU/U/A all have had in state and outta state TUITION INCREASES each and every damn year for years now.


ASU's new prez wants ASU to be the HARVARD OF THE WEST. and he is offering el supremo dollares for professors to migrate here. insane incentives for them to relocate.


ya really cant put a price on education. but i'll tell ya i wouldnt mind being a professor and cranking down their mega buck salaries! and ya get 3 months off!


you never could have told me value of education until i fought tooth and freeking nail for my G.P.A. all i thought about when i got out of prison(brophy college prep jesuit hell h.s.) was girls/snow skiing/ dirty bikes/and BEER!


you gain a hell of an appreciation for ANYTHING when yer footing the bill yerself!


when i hire someone for the rest of my life..............I WANNA KNOW THE EXACT HELL THEY WENT THRU JUST LIKE ME! and how they graduated g.p.a. wise.


kind of like U.S. MARINES who have seen combat and their outlook on life vs. civilians!


i cant tell you all how many times i wanted to quit and BURN MY BOOKS/NOTES!

I don't ask applicants about GPA. I don't really care how good you are at taking tests.

I ask them about their experience, hobbies, interests, and the like. If I like what I hear, I give them a shot. Don't show me grades - Show me what you can do.

well theres (2) kinds of degrees:

a) the one mommy/daddy pay for when yer fresh out of high school, knowing everything about life but really knowing NOTHING!

b) the one YOU PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET and SLUGFEST yer way thru while holding down a job as an ADULT!


i tend to lean towards the latter as an expression of how hungry they are, how much of a go getter they are, and how they think out of the box.

+1. I have been in IT for nearly 20 years now. I concede that a great GPA helps a new graduate with no relevant work experience but I have been disappointed too many times by those folks to rely on it. Same goes for titles - many occasions my BS degreed staff has totally out performed those with a MS or PhD.

Anyone with prior work history is hired based on their experience, references, and how they can communicate. Folks with 4.0+ GPAs grow on trees these days - sadly many of them are not productive outside of university. YMMV.

I don't want to come off like a smart ass from left field, but I work with a lot of guys who are really not very brilliant, and they all make embarrasing amounts of money (to me). I'd say that just having a college degree does somewhat evidence what OJU is talking about, so I see his point. But the ones who come through are not always the ones with the best grades. My brilliant friends are the ones who make good but not great money (attorneys and doctors). The ones who make foolish money are the ones who do deals and have balls as big as basketballs.

how do you know that????

Is there something you need to tell us...

You have a funny way of asking to see my balls.

But the answer will have to be "um no".