How important was your college GPA in getting the job you did? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Grondar · 04-24-2003, 06:07 AM

From your experiences, did employers take a close look at your transcript and GPA? Were they big influences on whether you were hired on not?

I have been raised being told GPA was very important in determining whether an employer would hire me or not, and I am very curious about how true this is?

What are your experiences/findings?

gov135 · 04-24-2003, 06:45 AM

Having a GPA above 3.0 is crucial.

However, I have always found that the activities you belong to in college, things you do with your academics (important papers, etc.) are more important than GPA.

In other words, "great you got a 3.2. So did everyone I interviewed today. What did you do with your time there that seperates you."

Employers often look not only for "chess club" on the resume but "president of chess club." In other words, that you put time and effort into making an organization better.

As long as you aren't going to law school or don't want to be a doctor, etc., GPA should be a concern, but don't be upset if it slips. Look to see how you can distinguish yourself from others.

Oh yeah, and "boobies board moderator" should not be on a resume.

Sorry to go so long. My girlfriend is in HR and so I hear alot of stuff about this subject.

gov135 · 04-24-2003, 06:47 AM

Oh - one more thing, if you are really concerned I would speak to an academic advisor about their experiences with what an appropriate GPA is in your field.

WildZero · 04-24-2003, 06:51 AM

(Psst...dirty little secret...nobody outside college cares what your GPA was...don't tell)

Daval · 04-24-2003, 06:55 AM

My GPA had zero bearing on my job. My employer looked at my skills, my experience, and my attitude.

Mondak · 04-24-2003, 07:06 AM

My GPA was not at all important. I will say that I was recruited out of college for my work history and would guess that I would have been recruited more had it been higher.

Either way, I landed a job on my own with a substantial salary that had zero bearing on my GPA.

maximusveritas · 04-24-2003, 07:07 AM

Your GPA does not matter that much. It is a nice indicator and weed-out tool, but when it comes to getting the job, its all about "what can you do for me?" You need to show that you have tangible skills to offer and that you can offer more than the other guys.

davidc209 · 04-24-2003, 07:10 AM

Neither my GPA nor my degree had any bearing on any job I've had, including a high level position at Boeing. Experience, attitude, and referals are the only thing that counts.

I'm currently self-employed with 14 employees and I did not make any degree or gpa requirements for new hires. If the interviewee has documented experience, gets along with me, has a positive attitude, and is genuinely interested in the work (mostly IT), they are in. Most companies hire this way: if they like you and you're qualified for the job, you're in.

livingitup101 · 04-24-2003, 07:13 AM

My employer did not even look at my college transcripts. I did spend a few years travelling before starting my first 'corporate job'. They were more interested in my real life experience than grades in college.

maximusveritas · 04-24-2003, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Most companies hire this way: if they like you and you're qualified for the job, you're in.

I'm going to have to strongly disagree with this assessment. In an ideal world or at McDonald's, this may be true. But in reality, it takes alot more than this to get the job, including a little luck.

JumpinJesus · 04-24-2003, 08:20 AM

It mattered somewhat in getting my job. It matters more in the future, though. In order to remain certified, I am required to obtain my master's degree within 10 years, otherwise I lose my certification (I'm a teacher).

In order to avoid a lot of crap trying to get into a graduate program, it is necessary to have a GPA above 3.0. So in a sense, having a good GPA is essential to my career.

JoeyB · 04-24-2003, 08:27 AM

Don't expect to cruise through the business world if you have the same attitude and work ethic which led to the .36 GPA, but if you have a bit of experience, you know the right people and you're willing to work hard, you should do okay.

If the first thing in your GPA is a decimal point......good luck!

ARTelevision · 04-24-2003, 08:30 AM

when I was teaching it ruled for the first couple of jobs.
now, in technology, it's experience that rules.

mykockle · 04-24-2003, 08:30 AM

my GPA didn't have any sort of influance on my current job, didn't even complete college actually, but I am thinking of going back.

zf0enix · 04-24-2003, 08:37 AM

A lot of the firms I interviewed with in college had minimum GPA requirements even to talk to them. A 3.5 was preferred, but 3.2 was the cutoff. When I had worked for one firm a couple years and went back to my university to help with on-campus recruiting, we actually rejected a couple people that would have been great because their grades were at the cut-off. One guy in particular was really cool and smart, but had spent time in Europe studying abroad and traveling so his grades suffered a bit, but the partners didn't want to appear to be "lowering their standards". Dicks.

In my profession, I've learned that after the 1st job, GPAs and transcripts matter less and less.

shalafi · 04-24-2003, 08:58 AM

didnt matter a bit for me. In my "real" jobs my first one i got through my best friend already working there and him talking to the boss and this one used to be one of my customers that hired me away when they decided they needed an on site techy geek type

uncle phil · 04-24-2003, 09:04 AM

my gpa had no bearing on any jobs i've ever had, but grad schools usually look for at least a 3.0...of course, when i was in school, i kept my gpa up so as not to rule out any options...

yournamehere · 04-24-2003, 09:10 AM

Nah - they never asked my GPA. It says "cum laude" on my diploma though - so that helped.

4thTimeLucky · 04-24-2003, 09:33 AM

I don't have a GPA, but for getting into your first strategy consulting job the UK equivalent is really important.

Liquor Dealer · 04-24-2003, 09:36 AM

I have three degrees - 2 bachelors and a masters. No one has ever asked about my GPA. No one cares. With the inflated grading systems that are currently being used by most colleges and universities the GPA has beome irrelevant.

4thTimeLucky · 04-24-2003, 09:41 AM

Hey Bastard I'm on my second bachelors (a month to go) and that's pretty rare in the UK. How common is it in the US?

To the rest: Can someone clarify when GPA is used. Is it at secondary school and uni or just secondary school? How do you know which you're referring to?

Oh, and finally.
Michael Moore did a gig in London and held a Brit v. Yank pop-quiz on stage. The guy had to give his GPA then (3.8 I think). So be warned - if you ever plan to go to a live MM show... it counts!

Cubby · 04-24-2003, 10:01 AM

When I graduated from University I had interviews with a few different companies. One company required only the best GPA's work their (funny enough I ended up working there for 6 months as a contractor a couple of years later). One required quite a high GPA. I wasn't called back for either of those jobs but was not sure I would have wanted to work for those companies anyway.

I am a firm believer that GPA does not matter. Sure a base or average GPA at least says that you went to school, but school performance does not equal work performance. Some people can coast through Uni and have no work ethic. Others have a tough time at Uni but have an amazing work ethic.

The company I finally got hired on at, did look at GPA but only to a point. They were a small company and hired on personality and how well that employee would gel with the other employees. Perhaps that was the difference. Small companies want employees that will work well together. Big companies don't have the time to do that so they look at GPA as a larger part of hiring.

SaltPork · 04-24-2003, 10:05 AM

I've interviewed a lot of people since I've been in the working world (10 plus years). I don't care what your GPA was. Experience is so much more important. The fact that someone went to college is nice, but not necessary, in my opinion.

sapiens · 04-25-2003, 09:31 AM

It certainly depends on the job. If you're applying to graduate school, it's going to matter. Before I went to graduate school, they were more interested in where I went to school than what my GPA was. Of course, if you already have work experience, that makes GPA and where you went even less important.

Met22 · 04-25-2003, 09:51 AM

As an Architect GPA plays virtually no role. It's your graphic portfolio that gets you a job

Cynthetiq · 04-25-2003, 10:00 AM

hmm... i guess that my GPA would also mean that I also had a degree...neither mattered nor do matter... now unless I want to be the CIO or a SVP... my experience rules.

platypus · 04-25-2003, 10:08 AM

If you are fresh out of college, your GPA is one of the few measures of your capabilities. My frst position was with EDS when Ross Perot was still at the helm. My GPA was looked at closely during my interview. I think it just depends on the company.

Ever since my first job, the only things that mattered were my resume and aceing the interview.

Scipio · 04-25-2003, 12:06 PM

Well, it's important for me, as law school likes high gpa.

World's King · 04-25-2003, 12:08 PM

Luckily is wasn't important at all.

I'm a tool.

Antagony · 04-25-2003, 04:39 PM

In the tech industry, GPA is pretty meaningless (thank God).

We recently had a person come give a quick training session on writing resumes for the tech industry. She said that you shouldn't even put GPA on the resume unless it was better than a 3.5, but even then it probably isn't going to help you any.

Employers are more interested in seeing things you've done, some code you've whipped up in your spare time and what-not.

ratbastid · 04-25-2003, 04:43 PM

Blind luck, raw aptitude, and social connections had WAY more to do with the job I'm in than my college GPA. Good thing, too, because I had the sort of GPA you don't put on a resume.....

rogue49 · 04-25-2003, 09:32 PM

Zip

Never has been a factor.

saltfish · 04-25-2003, 09:38 PM

Evening all,

Recently I was contacted by a internation restraunt chain for an interview. I showed up in a new suit, and once the interview started I immedietly took charge, and made the conversation move as I wished. Called back for the 2nd, this one went just as well. I received a call yesterday that I will be meeting with the international execs this week, the want me for a position higher than they first intended. I'm still in college, and believe me, I've fucked around. My GPA is really nothing to brag about!

So I guess in all this rambling, if you have the character and personality, you appear clean cut and well groomed many places will just get the 'feel' and you're in like a dirty shirt!

Unless your job is somting that is CRITICAL, law, Rx, and the like, grades do not matter. How you carry yourself is a whole other thing.

-SF

04-24-2003, 06:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
Grondar Junkie Location: Pa, USA	How important was your college GPA in getting the job you did? From your experiences, did employers take a close look at your transcript and GPA? Were they big influences on whether you were hired on not? I have been raised being told GPA was very important in determining whether an employer would hire me or not, and I am very curious about how true this is? What are your experiences/findings?

04-24-2003, 06:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
WildZero Tilted Location: Jersey City	(Psst...dirty little secret...nobody outside college cares what your GPA was...don't tell) __________________ My other sig says something clever.

04-24-2003, 06:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
Daval Junkie Location: The True North Strong and Free!	My GPA had zero bearing on my job. My employer looked at my skills, my experience, and my attitude. __________________ "It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it." Winston Churchill

04-24-2003, 07:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
Mondak Industrialist Location: Southern California	My GPA was not at all important. I will say that I was recruited out of college for my work history and would guess that I would have been recruited more had it been higher. Either way, I landed a job on my own with a substantial salary that had zero bearing on my GPA. __________________ All truth passes through three stages: First it is ridiculed Second, it is violently opposed and Third, it is accepted as self-evident. ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860)

04-24-2003, 08:20 AM	#11 (permalink)
JumpinJesus Junkie Location: Chicago	It mattered somewhat in getting my job. It matters more in the future, though. In order to remain certified, I am required to obtain my master's degree within 10 years, otherwise I lose my certification (I'm a teacher). In order to avoid a lot of crap trying to get into a graduate program, it is necessary to have a GPA above 3.0. So in a sense, having a good GPA is essential to my career. __________________ "I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

04-24-2003, 06:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
gov135 Junkie Location: Midwest	Having a GPA above 3.0 is crucial. However, I have always found that the activities you belong to in college, things you do with your academics (important papers, etc.) are more important than GPA. In other words, "great you got a 3.2. So did everyone I interviewed today. What did you do with your time there that seperates you." Employers often look not only for "chess club" on the resume but "president of chess club." In other words, that you put time and effort into making an organization better. As long as you aren't going to law school or don't want to be a doctor, etc., GPA should be a concern, but don't be upset if it slips. Look to see how you can distinguish yourself from others. Oh yeah, and "boobies board moderator" should not be on a resume. Sorry to go so long. My girlfriend is in HR and so I hear alot of stuff about this subject.

04-24-2003, 06:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
gov135 Junkie Location: Midwest	Oh - one more thing, if you are really concerned I would speak to an academic advisor about their experiences with what an appropriate GPA is in your field.

04-24-2003, 07:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
maximusveritas Winner	Your GPA does not matter that much. It is a nice indicator and weed-out tool, but when it comes to getting the job, its all about "what can you do for me?" You need to show that you have tangible skills to offer and that you can offer more than the other guys.

04-24-2003, 07:10 AM	#8 (permalink)
davidc209 Tilted Location: Miami, FL	Neither my GPA nor my degree had any bearing on any job I've had, including a high level position at Boeing. Experience, attitude, and referals are the only thing that counts. I'm currently self-employed with 14 employees and I did not make any degree or gpa requirements for new hires. If the interviewee has documented experience, gets along with me, has a positive attitude, and is genuinely interested in the work (mostly IT), they are in. Most companies hire this way: if they like you and you're qualified for the job, you're in.

04-24-2003, 07:13 AM	#9 (permalink)
livingitup101 Crazy	My employer did not even look at my college transcripts. I did spend a few years travelling before starting my first 'corporate job'. They were more interested in my real life experience than grades in college.

04-24-2003, 08:27 AM	#12 (permalink)
JoeyB feeling tingly	Don't expect to cruise through the business world if you have the same attitude and work ethic which led to the .36 GPA, but if you have a bit of experience, you know the right people and you're willing to work hard, you should do okay. If the first thing in your GPA is a decimal point......good luck! __________________ My mom is a Diamondbacks fan. She really likes the Big Unit

04-24-2003, 08:30 AM	#13 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	when I was teaching it ruled for the first couple of jobs. now, in technology, it's experience that rules. __________________ create evolution

04-24-2003, 08:30 AM	#14 (permalink)
mykockle Crazy Location: Denver CO	my GPA didn't have any sort of influance on my current job, didn't even complete college actually, but I am thinking of going back.

04-24-2003, 08:37 AM	#15 (permalink)
zf0enix Psycho Location: PacNW	A lot of the firms I interviewed with in college had minimum GPA requirements even to talk to them. A 3.5 was preferred, but 3.2 was the cutoff. When I had worked for one firm a couple years and went back to my university to help with on-campus recruiting, we actually rejected a couple people that would have been great because their grades were at the cut-off. One guy in particular was really cool and smart, but had spent time in Europe studying abroad and traveling so his grades suffered a bit, but the partners didn't want to appear to be "lowering their standards". Dicks. In my profession, I've learned that after the 1st job, GPAs and transcripts matter less and less. __________________ One step closer to the edge...

04-24-2003, 08:58 AM	#16 (permalink)
shalafi ARRRRRRRRRR Location: Stuart, Florida	didnt matter a bit for me. In my "real" jobs my first one i got through my best friend already working there and him talking to the boss and this one used to be one of my customers that hired me away when they decided they needed an on site techy geek type

04-24-2003, 09:04 AM	#17 (permalink)
uncle phil comfortably numb... Super Moderator Location: upstate	my gpa had no bearing on any jobs i've ever had, but grad schools usually look for at least a 3.0...of course, when i was in school, i kept my gpa up so as not to rule out any options... __________________ "We were wrong, terribly wrong. (We) should not have tried to fight a guerrilla war with conventional military tactics against a foe willing to absorb enormous casualties...in a country lacking the fundamental political stability necessary to conduct effective military and pacification operations. It could not be done and it was not done." - Robert S. McNamara ----------------------------------------- "We will take our napalm and flame throwers out of the land that scarcely knows the use of matches... We will leave you your small joys and smaller troubles." - Eugene McCarthy in "Vietnam Message" ----------------------------------------- never wrestle with a pig. you both get dirty; the pig likes it.

04-25-2003, 10:00 AM	#26 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	hmm... i guess that my GPA would also mean that I also had a degree...neither mattered nor do matter... now unless I want to be the CIO or a SVP... my experience rules. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

04-24-2003, 09:10 AM	#18 (permalink)
yournamehere Invisible Location: tentative, at best	Nah - they never asked my GPA. It says "cum laude" on my diploma though - so that helped. __________________ If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors: "If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too." It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

04-24-2003, 09:33 AM	#19 (permalink)
4thTimeLucky Psycho Location: 4th has left the building - goodbye folks	I don't have a GPA, but for getting into your first strategy consulting job the UK equivalent is really important. __________________ I've been 4thTimeLucky, you've been great. Goodnight and God bless!

04-24-2003, 09:36 AM	#20 (permalink)
Liquor Dealer Super Agitator Location: Just SW of Nowhere!!! In the good old US of A	I have three degrees - 2 bachelors and a masters. No one has ever asked about my GPA. No one cares. With the inflated grading systems that are currently being used by most colleges and universities the GPA has beome irrelevant.

04-24-2003, 09:41 AM	#21 (permalink)
4thTimeLucky Psycho Location: 4th has left the building - goodbye folks	Hey Bastard I'm on my second bachelors (a month to go) and that's pretty rare in the UK. How common is it in the US? To the rest: Can someone clarify when GPA is used. Is it at secondary school and uni or just secondary school? How do you know which you're referring to? Oh, and finally. Michael Moore did a gig in London and held a Brit v. Yank pop-quiz on stage. The guy had to give his GPA then (3.8 I think). So be warned - if you ever plan to go to a live MM show... it counts! __________________ I've been 4thTimeLucky, you've been great. Goodnight and God bless!

04-24-2003, 10:01 AM	#22 (permalink)
Cubby Insane Location: BC, Canada	When I graduated from University I had interviews with a few different companies. One company required only the best GPA's work their (funny enough I ended up working there for 6 months as a contractor a couple of years later). One required quite a high GPA. I wasn't called back for either of those jobs but was not sure I would have wanted to work for those companies anyway. I am a firm believer that GPA does not matter. Sure a base or average GPA at least says that you went to school, but school performance does not equal work performance. Some people can coast through Uni and have no work ethic. Others have a tough time at Uni but have an amazing work ethic. The company I finally got hired on at, did look at GPA but only to a point. They were a small company and hired on personality and how well that employee would gel with the other employees. Perhaps that was the difference. Small companies want employees that will work well together. Big companies don't have the time to do that so they look at GPA as a larger part of hiring. __________________ Don't be irreplaceable - if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted!

04-24-2003, 10:05 AM	#23 (permalink)
SaltPork Everything's better with bacon Location: In your local grocer's freezer.	I've interviewed a lot of people since I've been in the working world (10 plus years). I don't care what your GPA was. Experience is so much more important. The fact that someone went to college is nice, but not necessary, in my opinion. __________________ It was like that when I got here....I swear.

04-25-2003, 09:31 AM	#24 (permalink)
sapiens Junkie Location: Some place windy	It certainly depends on the job. If you're applying to graduate school, it's going to matter. Before I went to graduate school, they were more interested in where I went to school than what my GPA was. Of course, if you already have work experience, that makes GPA and where you went even less important.

04-25-2003, 09:51 AM	#25 (permalink)
Met22 Junkie Location: X-posed	As an Architect GPA plays virtually no role. It's your graphic portfolio that gets you a job __________________ Living on the west end dreaming of the theater playing in the Metropolis - Dream the Dream Live the Dream

04-25-2003, 10:08 AM	#27 (permalink)
platypus Essen meine kurze Hosen Location: NY Burbs	If you are fresh out of college, your GPA is one of the few measures of your capabilities. My frst position was with EDS when Ross Perot was still at the helm. My GPA was looked at closely during my interview. I think it just depends on the company. Ever since my first job, the only things that mattered were my resume and aceing the interview. __________________ Out the 10Base-T, through the router, down the T1, over the leased line, off the bridge, past the firewall...nothing but Net.

04-25-2003, 12:06 PM	#28 (permalink)
Scipio Mencken Location: College	Well, it's important for me, as law school likes high gpa. __________________ "Erections lasting more than 4 hours, though rare, require immediate medical attention."

04-25-2003, 12:08 PM	#29 (permalink)
World's King Here Location: Denver City Denver	Luckily is wasn't important at all. I'm a tool. __________________ heavy is the head that wears the crown

04-25-2003, 04:39 PM	#30 (permalink)
Antagony Psychopathic Akimbo Action Pirate Location: ...between Christ and Belial.	In the tech industry, GPA is pretty meaningless (thank God). We recently had a person come give a quick training session on writing resumes for the tech industry. She said that you shouldn't even put GPA on the resume unless it was better than a 3.5, but even then it probably isn't going to help you any. Employers are more interested in seeing things you've done, some code you've whipped up in your spare time and what-not. __________________ On the outside I'm jazz, but my soul is rock and roll. Sleep is a waste of time. Join the Insomniac Club. "GYOH GWAH-DAH GREH BLAAA! SROH WIH DIH FLIH RYOHH!!" - The Locust

04-25-2003, 04:43 PM	#31 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Blind luck, raw aptitude, and social connections had WAY more to do with the job I'm in than my college GPA. Good thing, too, because I had the sort of GPA you don't put on a resume.....

04-25-2003, 09:32 PM	#32 (permalink)
rogue49 Loser	Zip Never has been a factor.

04-25-2003, 09:38 PM	#33 (permalink)
saltfish !?!No hay pantalones!?! Location: Indian-no-place	Evening all, Recently I was contacted by a internation restraunt chain for an interview. I showed up in a new suit, and once the interview started I immedietly took charge, and made the conversation move as I wished. Called back for the 2nd, this one went just as well. I received a call yesterday that I will be meeting with the international execs this week, the want me for a position higher than they first intended. I'm still in college, and believe me, I've fucked around. My GPA is really nothing to brag about! So I guess in all this rambling, if you have the character and personality, you appear clean cut and well groomed many places will just get the 'feel' and you're in like a dirty shirt! Unless your job is somting that is CRITICAL, law, Rx, and the like, grades do not matter. How you carry yourself is a whole other thing. -SF