College Graduates: Does GPA matter?

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CoastalmixX

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We all know high school GPAs matter when trying to get into higher education institutions, but how about for when you get out of college and look for that first job?

My cumulative GPA isn't very high... 2.857 to be exact and I'm a senior Industrial Engineering major. My Major GPA is way better. XD

What are your opinions based on experience (or close friend/relative experience)?
 
I'm on the job hunt right now and most jobs that are looking for "recent graduates" are looking for a 3.0/3.5 overall G.P.A.

So you might not be able to get the job you want (i.e. more cash) straight out of college but once you have a work history your G.P.A. doesn't matter as much.
 
I've always been told your GPA doesn't matter too much out of the box. Just don't lie about it on a resume.
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']I care very much about my GPA. I'm already worried no one will hire me because I only have a 3.55 (not a 4.0).[/quote]

What field are you going into that you're so worried about it.
 
[quote name='Magehart']What field are you going into that you're so worried about it.[/QUOTE]Electrical & Computer Engineering Tech. I always have one class mess me over, where I get a B (usually in some Speech or Humanities class).
 
It depends on your field, but it can matter a great deal. In NJ, it's tough to get a teaching job. Schools get so many applications they often throw out any below a certain GPA.
 
as said before, for the first job most likely...but once you have work experiance/references you shouldn't have a problem
 
Well I'm taking Industrial Engineering... and my university is well known for graduating good engineers (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo). I was just wondering how big GPA factors in compared to other stuff:

- Institution
- Technical Projects
- Leadership experience
- Work experience
- Who you know

Thing is... I know people and so does my family, so I could probably land myself a job somewhere nice once I leave.

The con about my graduating sooner than later is that I have a feeling my GPA will fall. XD
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']I'm already worried no one will hire me because I only have a 3.55 (not a 4.0).[/QUOTE]
:roll:

Though it damn well better matter some, at least in getting a starting position. I didn't work to get a 3.92 for nothing.
 
Eh it really depends. I have a friend who graduated with a 3.92 from UC Berkeley and he's making less than what my other friends who had the same major as him but with lower GPAs are making. It also depends on your internships, job experiences, luck...

One thing I think I've been surprised to discover though is that the college you go to doesn't seem to matter that much as far as I can tell. Usually my friends who come out of the UCs make a lot less than my friends who graduate from Cal State. Or maybe for it to really matter, you have to be a Harvard graduate or something...
 
[quote name='Liquid 2']For your first job, I think it does. After that though, no.[/quote]

QFT. The older you get and the longer you are working you will come to realize that there are morons everywhere who get paid more than you do. It's all about who you know and being in the right place at the right time.
 
I think it's very helpful especially if your going into something with govt. That is the way I see it , so far have a 3.0 and gonna have to keep it or then no govt. job. I'll have to start else where to get there.
 
People tell me its all about social skills. If you're a 4.0 GPA hermit, you aren't going to go far in the business world initially. I heard some companies not hire people who had 4.0 GPAs (or just really high), because they never got out much or did any activities outside of school (like getting involved).
 
I don't know how much it matters for a job, but it definitely matters if you plan on going to grad school. My brother went to UF for undergrad mechanical engineering and applied to UF for grad school. He had a high enough GRE score, but a 3.18 GPA when they require a 3.2 GPA. After getting denied and appealing, he still got turned down and goes to USF now.
 
[quote name='javeryh']QFT. The older you get and the longer you are working you will come to realize that there are morons everywhere who get paid more than you do. It's all about who you know and being in the right place at the right time.[/QUOTE]
So true. Theres a kiss-ass in every company who you know doesn't belong in the position.
 
Not really, no. As long as it's 3.0-3.5, you're ok. Employers are looking more for internship and co-op experience than anything else.
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']People tell me its all about social skills. If you're a 4.0 GPA hermit, you aren't going to go far in the business world initially. I heard some companies not hire people who had 4.0 GPAs (or just really high), because they never got out much or did any activities outside of school (like getting involved).[/QUOTE]
Except I have a good amount of activities to put on my resume. So I get the best of both worlds.
 
Crap if the intern thing is true, because I never had an intern. Luckily, my Dad is good friends with some top executives at a few big companies, along with my Dad being part of the management at Verizon (before he retired, and many of the people at the company know me because of him), so I might luck out.
 
Really depends on the field you are going into. I have a respectable 3.75 GPA and thought it would help me a great deal in getting a job in my field of Respiratory Therapy. Turns out, there is such a huge demand for therapists and not enough people to fill them, I have been getting job offers for over a year blindly in the mail. If you are in an oversaturated field, I think it might be a big determining factor.
 
GPA matters if you're going into graduate school... for getting a job, very infrequently. There's a good dozen or two things a prosepective employer will look at before looking at your college GPA.

And for as much as they bother you about getting into the right school and such... where you went to college matters aboooout nothing in the real world.

Its all about experience, then experience, then more experience.. after that, probably experience... and how you interview after that.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']GPA matters if you're going into graduate school... for getting a job, very infrequently. There's a good dozen or two things a prosepective employer will look at before looking at your college GPA.

And for as much as they bother you about getting into the right school and such... where you went to college matters aboooout nothing in the real world.

Its all about experience, then experience, then more experience.. after that, probably experience... and how you interview after that.[/quote]


As someone who took the grad school route, gpa doesn't matter much even then. After talking to professors doing admissions gpa is only a factor if it's significantly different from the rest of your application materials.

A strong gpa is nice, but unless it is particularly low it won't really hurt in most cases if you can prove yourself through other means.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']GPA matters if you're going into graduate school... for getting a job, very infrequently. There's a good dozen or two things a prosepective employer will look at before looking at your college GPA.

And for as much as they bother you about getting into the right school and such... where you went to college matters aboooout nothing in the real world.

Its all about experience, then experience, then more experience.. after that, probably experience... and how you interview after that.[/QUOTE]


I have to disagree with that part. Being an MIT graduate, I have had many doors open up for me that I would never have had a chance at had I gone to one of the other schools I was accepted at (Univ. of Flor., Georgia Tech., etc.). When you graduate from a good school, it does get noticed. Much more so than your GPA even. Of course, now that I'm trying to get into Pharm. School, I need the GPA as well. But Pharm School is the only place my GPA has mattered since I've been out of college. It never made a difference anywhere else.
 
If you're majoring in computer stuff like me, it doesn't matter as much. They look at your experience more than GPA there.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']GPA matters if you're going into graduate school... for getting a job, very infrequently. There's a good dozen or two things a prosepective employer will look at before looking at your college GPA.[/quote]

My C+ college GPA didn't hinder me getting into graduate school - it helped that my 5 year double major program was somewhat difficult, I took 3 years off between college and grad school and I did very well on the LSATs. Coming out of grad school, the ONLY thing potential employers cared about was (grad school) grades - that's it. I interview well too I guess.
 
I graduated in 2000 from Georgia Tech with a BS in Industrial Engineering. The #1 school in the country for IE. Well, I graduated at the bottom of the class, my cum at grad was a 2.11. I was lazy in college and just got by. But hey, I graduated. Fortune 500 companies wouldn't look at me. I went to work for a small private company doing logistics. Being a small company I learned a lot - about Logistics and various other things (customer service, management, IT etc.) a lot more than I would have gotten at a fortune 500 company. I took a low pay ($38,000) because I didn't have a lot of options and it hurt me for a couple of years (avg starting pay was about $53k). I proved myself in the job but after 2 years I left for more money and went to another company using all the skils I had learned at the small firm. Here I learned the real corporate world about politics and all that. I was promoted twice over a 3 year period and my salary ballooned to $80k. Life was good, but I wasn't happy. The big corporate world sucked, and this wasn't even a fortune 500 company. Well after 3 years my old boss at my first company wanted me to come back. I helped them expand the business and renegotiated contracts and saved the $20MM a year compay about $1.4MM per year. Well I went back and now have some ownership, car allowance, golf membership and other perks. Yes low GPA hurts you, but without it I wouldn't be where I'm at now. 40 hrs per week, Thurs afternoon golf w/boss, free gas and my car note paid, and $90k per year - much better than probably most others. Look at small companies - I'll never work for a bigger company again. Long hours but good pay, and always having to worry forget it.
 
I don't think GPA is all that important as long as you keep it high enough to stay in your area of study and college. For me however, I have to keep it at least a 3.00 to maintain my scholarship.
 
No, of course not. Employers care whether you have a degree and experience. They could care less (and it's none of their business) whether you got a 75 or an 85 in a class.
 
If you're planning to go to graduate/professional school...then yes it matters.

Getting that entry level job? I'd say it depends. Interviewing skills and prior work experience (interning etc.) goes a long way. As an engineer, I think you're ok. Engineering isn't exactly an easy major to get straight A's in....or B's even :p. As long as you've had some type of internship in the past that will let the company know that you're a competent worker...I'm sure you'll get an offer somewhere.

I just graduated with a B.S. in Biology with a GPA right under a 3.0. Yeah...I had a little too much fun in college...not to mention a lot of growing up to do.

One of my roommates actually failed to get a job offer because of her SAT score. She had an SAT score in the 1100s (this was before the new SAT) but turned it all around and had a 3.5 GPA in the #1 Accounting Program in the country. The interviewer circled her SAT score on her application before she even said a word during the interview.
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']One of my roommates actually failed to get a job offer because of her SAT score. She had an SAT score in the 1100s (this was before the new SAT) but turned it all around and had a 3.5 GPA in the #1 Accounting Program in the country. The interviewer circled her SAT score on her application before she even said a word during the interview.[/quote]

WTF? SAT scores now. Well it seems most of you are in the tech field. How about those of us with a "useless" degree such as history or political science? Really, what kind of job would I get with one of those degrees?

Shit even after all this time I still don't know what the fuck I want to do with my life. Sadly I'll probably just intern for some congressman and get a governmental job.
 
[quote name='Thongsy']WTF? SAT scores now. Well it seems most of you are in the tech field. How about those of us with a "useless" degree such as history or political science? Really, what kind of job would I get with one of those degrees?

Shit even after all this time I still don't know what the fuck I want to do with my life. Sadly I'll probably just intern for some congressman and get a governmental job.[/quote]


Most of the people I know with "useless" degrees (Hist,Gov,English) are applying to law school ;) .
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']If you're planning to go to graduate/professional school...then yes it matters.

Getting that entry level job? I'd say it depends. Interviewing skills and prior work experience (interning etc.) goes a long way. As an engineer, I think you're ok. Engineering isn't exactly an easy major to get straight A's in....or B's even :p. As long as you've had some type of internship in the past that will let the company know that you're a competent worker...I'm sure you'll get an offer somewhere.

I just graduated with a B.S. in Biology with a GPA right under a 3.0. Yeah...I had a little too much fun in college...not to mention a lot of growing up to do.

One of my roommates actually failed to get a job offer because of her SAT score. She had an SAT score in the 1100s (this was before the new SAT) but turned it all around and had a 3.5 GPA in the #1 Accounting Program in the country. The interviewer circled her SAT score on her application before she even said a word during the interview.[/quote]Why would she put her SAT score on her resume or application?
 
[quote name='DT778']Why would she put her SAT score on her resume or application?[/quote]


It was required for the accounting firm she was applying to.
 
It matters trust me, I watched my roomate get screwed. He was an accounting major with like a 3.2 GPA, smart guy, some decent expirence, and more then qualified for most jobs. And several times people ahead of him with 3.6-3.8 GPAs were offered jobs.
 
Does GPA by it myself matter? Probably not. I graduated from UC Davis with a 3.93 GPA and I am earning less money then when I was a waiter working my way through college. Did the high GPA prepare me for working my way up the "corporate ladder"? Heck ya. To get such a high GPA I had to work really hard and learn quite a bit and I think learning those skills helped me more than the GPA itself. Besides, it will help keep me competetive for when I decide to go to grad school, so I don't have to limit myself later.

By the way, there has been some talk about income deciding how good of a job you have and I don't think that is quite fair. I'm in social work and love what I do even though I could be making twice as much working in an office and hating my job. Besides only having to work 40 hours a week instead of the highly paid 80 hour per work week CEO's means I get more free time to play my games :) .
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']
One of my roommates actually failed to get a job offer because of her SAT score. She had an SAT score in the 1100s (this was before the new SAT) but turned it all around and had a 3.5 GPA in the #1 Accounting Program in the country. The interviewer circled her SAT score on her application before she even said a word during the interview.[/QUOTE]
I'm an accounting major... if this is a major firm, and you remember the name of it, would you mind PMing me it? I find this pretty damn interesting and appalling... though I did have a higher SAT than your friend.
 
yo OP im in the same situation as you. I finished my BS - Criminal Justice last semester with a 2.81 over all GPA (major GPA - 3.2). I kinda slack off my freshman and sophomore year. I have internship this fall and I will finished my minor next year (18 units left). I'm stressing out that I won't probably be getting my dream job - investigation at a bank firm / insurance firm. If not investigation, my last option would be a gov't job (probation/law enforcement) :( which sucks!!!
 
From what I've experienced, GPA means nothing. Most employers around here look for anything from 2-3.0 or higher. I said if you have something greater than a 2.5 (and an engineering major) you should be fine.
 
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