How Much Does Your GPA Really Matter?

One of the most common concerns job seekers have is whether or not a low GPA is going to hurt their chances for landing the job they really want. While it doesn’t hurt to have a high GPA, in reality, it’s not going to matter all that much with your future employer.

 
Let’s take a look at a few of the variables that employers weigh when it comes to your GPA.

 
How Much Weight Does it Carry?

 

 

If you are in an extremely competitive field, such as engineering or IT, your GPA is going to carry more weight with an employer than if you are simply going for an entry-level position. Generally, the higher up you want to go out of school, the more important it will be to have a higher GPA.

 
For the vast majority of positions however, your GPA is going to carry that much weight. In fact, many employers won’t even ask. If they do, it’s typically out of curiosity rather than as a qualifier for whether or not you’re going to get the job.

 
Most hiring managers are looking for street smarts, intuitive problem solving abilities and a passion for the position. Those are the factors that are going to matter a lot more than your GPA. Book smarts are one thing, but when it comes to real world application, most hiring managers really aren’t going to attach that much weight to your overall grade average.

 
Giving the Wrong Impression

 
This is a double edged sword for many job seekers. If you list your high GPA on your resume, it may look as though you’re trying to curry favor and brag about your grade point. If you don’t list it, they’re going to automatically assume it’s less than a 3.0 GPA.

 
The best path to take in this instance is to err on the side of caution. If you are going for a high level or highly skilled position, and you have a high GPA, by all means put it on your resume. If you are in that position and your GPA was lower than a 3.0, list your other achievements at school instead. Always try to accentuate the positive in this situation.

 

 

You can’t always trade on a high GPA and hiring managers are going to be far more interested in what you accomplished than your grade point average.

 
Need tips to help your job search? Ask the experts at SelecSource for a little guidance today!

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