You’ve been studying all week for tomorrow’s exam. While scoring below an A on one college test isn’t the end of the world, it may affect your grade point average — which you’ve been working tirelessly to keep up since middle school. You know GPA matters because it’s enabled you to get here.
So, how important is it to your job prospects?
The role your GPA plays may vary according to how well you’ve done in collegeand the industries that interest you.
A High GPA (3.5–4.0+)
Congratulations! A high grade point average is no small accomplishment. It indicates hard work, dedication, and commitment to your academic success — all qualities that matter to many employers.
# You can compete.
Sectors such as finance, tech, accounting, and engineering still use GPA as a key metric in their initial evaluations of candidates. Some even ask for SAT scores! These domains are highly competitive, and your GPA is one of the principal indicators of your competence.
Industries such as these also consider GPA because they are among the most popular fields among recent graduates — and GPAs provide an easy shorthand for Human Resources departments to whittle down large candidate pools.
According to Amir, a recent Rutgers Business School graduate who secured a coveted consulting position at PricewaterhouseCoopers: “I think GPAs are very important. It’s an initial indicator on how valuable a candidate is, especially when one is applying for the job online.”
# Still, you’re not alone.
According to a report by the <a href=”http://www.tcrecord.org/content.asp?contentid=16473){: target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” }, an A average is more common than you think. When considering the evolution of grading across a wide spectrum of schools over the past 70 years, current data indicate that A’s represent 43 percent of all letter grades on average, an increase of 28 percentage points since 1960 and 12 percentage points since 1988. Grade inflation(https://www.noodle.com/articles/why-is-there-grade-inflation-in-us-colleges” target=”_blank”>Teachers College Record means that, while your GPA will make you competitive, it won’t necessarily land you a job.
# GPA isn’t everything.
It’s also important to remember that employers are looking for skills, qualities, and experience that a GPA doesn’t always capture. To put it another way, your GPA may get you in the door, but it’s not going to close the deal. There are other factors — your creativity, interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and communication ability — that are likely to be far more relevant than the grades you received in college coursework.
Leadership, special projects, related work, or internship experience — these are what will help you maintain your lead.
Looking for more information? Check out our expert advice about career preparation.
An Acceptable GPA (3.0–3.4)
While a GPA in this range isn’t outstanding, it does demonstrate competence. And there are other ways for you to stand out!
# Focus on leadership.
Jerome Joseph, Dean of Students at Uncommon Schools and former Teach for America Associate of District and Community Partnerships, has also emphasized the importance of leadership.
“I came into teaching as a TFA corps member, so my GPA was a fairly significant consideration when I was offered a spot. I had a 3.2 major in biology, which I think was solid but nothing that blew people away. I had a lot of intangibles that I think set me apart, such as serving as Vice President of the Student Government Association at Howard University.”
The National Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE) agrees, citingleadership roles as more influential than GPA when evaluating a college graduate’s candidacy.
# Build relevant experience.
GPAs can serve as predictors of success, but there is no more important measure to employers than actual experience. Having <a href=”){: target=”_blank” } is critical to post-college success. As reported in the Daily Free Press(http://dailyfreepress.com/2013/03/07/employers-value-experience-over-grades-data-suggests/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>relevant work experience in 2013, the Chronicle of Higher Education and American Public Media’s Marketplace found that relevant work experience is more important than college grades to prospective employers, noting:
“Employers place more weight on experience, particularly internships and employment during school vs. academic credentials including GPA and college major when evaluating a recent graduate for employment.”
# Expand your network.
Remember that a GPA in this mid-range doesn’t automatically disqualify you from working at a large company or in a competitive industry; it just means you need to network. “I would say a high GPA definitely helps, but the connections you make are way more important,” says Jabe, a junior at Drexel University and a marketing intern at Fox Rothschild.
Networking is not a practice to be fearful of, but is rather an important skill to master for career success — and networking is becoming easier because the job hunt is increasingly social. According to a recent LinkedIn report on 2015 global recruiting staffing trends, social professional networks provide the best quality and quantity of placements.
NACE also confirms this trend in its 2014 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey, reporting that nearly half of employers who took part in the study used social media to find and reach out to prospective hires.
An internship is a great way to find a mentor. Search our listing of open internships.
A Lower GPA (3.0 or below)
The general guideline is that you should leave a GPA lower than 3.0 off your resume (unless it is expressly requested by a prospective employer). That said, there may be extenuating circumstances to consider. Just because your GPA is lower than other candidates’, you’re not out of the running. Before you give in to the urge to tell a little white lie — which can come back to bite you if a hiring manager checks your transcript — consider a few scenarios.
# What’s the reason?
Remember that you’re human, and employers are too. It can be difficult to balance academics with emergency situations: Did you deploy for military service? Did you take a leave for medical reasons? Did you have to take on full-time work? Each of these reasons can help employers put your GPA and candidacy in context.
# What’s your major vs. overall GPA?
High achievement in all your courses is admirable, but it’s really your major GPA that matters most. Take the time to calculate each, and if your major GPA is higher, then include it (and specify that it’s your major GPA). Chances are that it captures the classes and competencies most relevant to the work you’re seeking anyway.
# It’s worth repeating: Expand your network.
Networking is particularly important if your GPA is below a 3.0. Your GPA on its own may not earn you consideration, but networking will allow you to make connections and tell a fuller story of your strengths.
Want to boost your GPA? Try Noodle’s tutoring search to browse affordable and convenient help in your area.
After Your First Job
Remember that experience usually trumps other factors when you’re applying for work. As a recent college graduate, hiring managers may look to GPA as a metric of success, but after you’ve been in the workforce, your most important credentials will be your accomplishments and experience. That is to say: You can remove your GPA after your first job.
“After two or three years, your ability to perform at Google is completely unrelated to how you performed when you were in school, because the skills you required in college are very different. You’re also fundamentally a different person. You learn and grow, you think about things differently,” said Laszlo Bock, the Senior Vice President of People Operations for Google, in an interview with The New York Times.
A Final Word
Regardless of where your GPA falls on the four-point spectrum, remember that the post-college job hunt is about demonstrating your value and fit. Ensure you have relevant experience and projects, a formidable skill set, and a solid professional network — because, no matter what your GPA is, these are the factors that employers value most.
Sources:
Adams, S. (2013, December 6). Do Employers Really Care About Your College Grades? Retrieved February 15, 2015, from Forbes.
The Role of Higher Education in Career Development: Employer Perceptions. (2012, December 1). Retrieved February 14, 2015, from The Chronicle.
(2014, November 13). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from Facebook.
Joseph, Jerome, Dean of Students, Uncommon Schools. Phone interview February 8, 2015.
The Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees That Are Most in Demand. (2015, January 21). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from NACE.
Job Outlook: U.S. College Hiring to Increase 8.3 Percent. (2014, November 12). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from NACE.
Rojstaczer, S., & Healy, C. (2012, January 1). Where A Is Ordinary: The Evolution of American College and University Grading, 19402009. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from Teachers College Record.
Spencer, S. (2015, February 15). Employers seek grads with ‘soft skills’ more than specific majors. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from Telegram.
