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Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?
5

Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

(OP)
Hello all,

So I'm about 3 months away from getting my MS degree in Aerospace Engineering from a university that ranks in the top 10 (Georgia Tech). I will be interviewing with companies over the next few months along the West (CA, WA, OR, CO, AZ) because that is where I would really prefer to live. Therefore, anything I can do to increase my chances of getting a job in that region is important, which leads me to my GPA question. I know GPA is trivial in many cases but I still feel compelled to ask about it.

My GPA is not necessarily stellar (but technically not "bad"). I have a 3.0 and that will be the GPA I'll graduate with. Maybe I was burned-out or maybe I'm not too bright, but either way, that is my GPA and I have to deal with it. So, my questions are:


Should I put this GPA on my resume considering it is from a highly regarded school? Or should I not put it on my resume considering it is right around the cut-off line to where they start ignoring job applications?

Will this GPA hurt my chances of employment?? Typically there are 3.0 and 3.3 cut-offs for job applications in aerospace, but I always thought this cut-off was generally for undergrad degrees (considering grad school is a whole different level of curriculum).

Is a 3.0 GPA something to worry about in terms of employment in the aerospace industry?


The reason I am so worried is because I would really like to work in the west, so I don't want anything holding me back. I'm basically just wondering if my 3.0 GPA will hold me back from my goals. Any input would be appreciated!


Thanks!



Also important: My focus within Aerospace is structures, solid mechanics, finite element methods, structural dynamics, etc (you get the idea - anything "structures" related)

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

If someone said yes, it will hurt your employment chances, what could you change? As you said, it is what it is, and you can't really change that now. Work on your interviewing skills in the mean time. Good luck!

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I never put my GPA on my resume. Never affected me in looking for a job in Los Angeles. I was always told don't put a GPA unless you are at a 4.0. I wouldn't mention it unless someone asks. They will figure out your skills based on their questions more than anything.

B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer
http://bwengr.com | http://bwstructuralengineer.com | http://bwcivilengineer.com

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Do you have any industry-related experience? I mean, did you work summers or do any co-oping within your field of study (and I don't mean working as a life guard at the beach or tending bar)? If so, try documenting these periods as complete as possible as any demonstration that you can actually work successfully in your field will probably outweigh what YOU perceive as a weak GPA.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

GPA is much less important to employers than you are led to believe in college. You will have an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech....the same degree that someone else with a 4.0 GPA will get.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Remember, Bill Gates was a Collage Drop-Out!

prognosis: Lead or Lag

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I recently obtained a Masters in aerospace from another top US university with a similar GPA. It is not on my resume, and it hasn't come up. On the other hand I have experience, so that may affect my responses.

My suggestion is leave it off and keep the focus and your qualitative accomplishments. Some recruiters/managers, but not all, will look for the GPA. Of those, some will ask for it, a few others will round file your resume due to the omission, the rest will move on without it. Of those that ask, a few will care, others will only be checking a box. In those situations you either meet the hiring requirement or not; it is already out of your control and you will do better to focus on what is in your control.

The only GPA focused hiring I have experienced was fresh out of undergrad when talking to recruiters for management training programs, I think they use GPA for those programs more to find the 4.0 overachievers / workaholics in the crowd than to estimate actual skill level. That was when I realized that, just like high school, the REALLY smart kids took the easy classes/majors in order to qualify to manage the kids who put some skin on the line and actually learned something in the challenging areas. I don't want to work for those people.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Leave the GPA off of the resume - as Ron mentioned, what really matters is that you actually have the degree, and the fact that you have a MS from Georgia Tech speaks volumes in it's own right. You really want to focus on your interviews and hopefully you have some tangible experience you can reference of where you worked on a project with others, came up with a solution to problem, etc.; that will matter more to most potential employers. The further you get along in your career, the less GPA is going to matter anyway - 10 years from now you will still have an MS from Geogia Tech, and that will never be disputed.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Can't see the point of publishing your exam results unless you have zero experience. A degree from a good place generally speaks louder than a (state you grade) from anywhere.

- Steve

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I would avoid bringing up the subject of your GPA. I also believe it to be somewhat irrelevant because there could be a number of reasons why one person's GPA is lower than another persons and yet the one with a lower GPA could be a much better candidate.

It reminds me of the line about what do you call the guy who graduates dead last from medical school: doctor.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I found in my job searching after college that companies very rarely asked for my GPA. Mostly companies only seem to care about what working (or equivalent Research or Project) experience you have. Also 3.0 from GT will not weigh you down in the slightest.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

There are companies where GPA is a big deal; whether you'd want to work for them is another matter. Bell Labs wouldn't even talk to anyone with 3.3 GPA, and that was at Caltech. Clearly, work experience is a HUGE factor, but, all else being equal, your GPA will affect the outcome, so you need to bring your A game to the interview because someone who is interesting and interested may outweigh a dullard with a 4.0 GPA.

A former company used to send out recruiters who would essentially hire anyone breathing with a 4.0 GPA and then figure out what to do with them; so we get a 4.0 GPA EE from Cal Berkeley, who was literally a lump on a log. He had zero motivation, zero curiosity, etc. I could never figure out what got the recruiter interested in this guy, and wonder if a 3.3 GPA guy with guns blazing would have been more useful.

TTFN
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RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

if you told me you graduated with a Masters and 4.0 GPA, my first question would be why didn't you stay for the PhD?

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Most graduate engineering job offers in the UK ask for a 2:1 (or a Desmond, if you face fits and you interviewed well). I wonder how that maps to this GPA system that's used in the USA.

- Steve

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

British grades in order of merit are: first (1); upper second (2:i); lower second [2:ii); third (3); fail.

Waiting with bated breath to find out what a Desmond is though...

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Probably the most significant issue you face is that some employers on their standard application form (most likely web based) will require GPA information, especially for new grads. They may also have a pass/fail test in the HR software which requires a certain GPA.

However, if you've got to the interview then you've passed this test already.

Sompting, my sadly rather low Desmond mapped to under 3.0 when I had it properly reviewed, I want to say 2.8 ish but it's been a while. On the bright side my A levels read across a bit more impressively essentially equivalent to a year or two of college or some such.

Posting guidelines FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm? (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

A desmond is one up from a richard. A richard is a short-cut into the accountancy industry for those who used to be good at maths.

- Steve

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Haha, a two-two and a third. The latter comes with a compact car parking spot.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

My employer asks us to publish CV's on its intranet. I just read one with (1'st) added to the degree. Made me want to puke.

- Steve

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

You know what they call the guy who graduated last in his class from medical school? They call him doctor. In 6 months it won't matter what your GPA was. The degree is just the beginning. It's up to you to prove your worth on the job.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Worry is payment on a debt you may never owe. Don't be too concerned about your GPA. It's very likely that the majority of potential employers will never even ask you about it.

Maui

www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Some employers actually prefer not to hire the higher GPA's, a 4.0 can be a barrier. Not sure what the rationale is. I wouldn't worry about it.

Good luck,

Mike

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

The doctor reference is similar to the concept, "C's" get degrees. Everyone who graduates from medical school and passes the 3 parts of USMLE become licensed doctors. But, you can pass with a 70, or you can pass with a 100, which is not something that's readily apparent when you go to the doctor.

TTFN
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RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I'm the proud holder of a UK "BEng (Ordinary)" meaning I graduated below 'third' but the establishment looked kindly upon me, let me drop a number of credits a year and gave me a 'not quite a degree' degree.

Other than friendly grief from colleagues, it's never caused me a problem.

I have not mentioned my classification in interviews or paperwork as nobody has asked. The only company which did ask employed me the next week.

Designer of machine tools - user of modified screws

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

The cream will always rise to the top.(PERIOD!)

You will quickly see... GPA and University mean next to nothing.

Accept to get through the computer controlled screens!

I had the person with the highest GPA in my office ask me what PSI stood for. (this is in the USA) That is one of the three times in my career i feel sorry i over reacted.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I would recommend not to put ur GPA in ur resume; when employers interview u they, most likely, start by asking u about what you have on ur resume; if u are open to relocation, with a Master from Georgia Tech you should not have a problem finding a job. Most companies are looking for someone who can easily be trained, so being open to work with others, listening, be responsive and interested in learning their engineering methods are ranked higher than your GPA.
Good luck with ur job search

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

While this site's participants are generally tolerant of bad or mangled English from non-English speaking countries, they do frown on textspeak, so please use full words and phrases. English is bad enough as a procedural language for technical topics, textspeak just makes it worse.

TTFN
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RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

A 3.0 at Tech ain't all bad. A 3.5 would put you in the top 5% or higher at GT when I was there. Most of the companies you're going to be interviewing with know that GT GPAs are lower than most other comparable universities, especially if a Tech grad is interviewing you, so don't sweat it. I do agree with the other posters above not to bother to put it on your resume.

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East - http://www.campbellcivil.com

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Shouldn't be a problem esp if you were working or voluteerign part timer!!

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Don't worry about it man, most of your competition nowadays comes from people who barely speak English, and that is a far worse problem then your GPA. The GA Tech name will speak volumes for you.
I graduated from a foreign land that not many people even heard of, and I am employed decently in this good old US of A.

GA Tech Vs Third world: Even if you sting, they'll pick the yellow jackets over 4.0 GPA from a community college any day.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Generally, finding good opportunity with a 3.0 is a non-issue, with the following notes:
- As you go from BS to MS to PhD, the GPA becomes ever-more important in the hiring process. A BS with 3.0 will have more willing employers than an MS with 3.0.

That said, engineering programs teach very little in some very critical areas:
- If your 3.0 if offset by other skills, those other skills can greatly outweigh the value of the extra GPA. For example, a student who needed to work part-time to keep income going may have traded study time for time spent working. What skills did that job develop that the study-only students do not have? In my example, that person may have been a bartender and in fact developed exceptionally good social skills that make them likeable and a highly effective sales person. The technical background is a bonus.
- How is your business acumen? Are you good with money and competition? Can you manage people?
- Are you an exceptionally good communicator? Can you excel at taking technical content and making it useful information for those without the technical training?

All departments are in need of "streetable" engineers who might not make the most elaborate MathCAD calculations or derive the most subtle understanding from an analysis, but can make engineering meaningful for the rest of the organization. Determine what it is that you are good at and also like to do that might fall outside of the coursework and find employers who need that versatility.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

If you have a 3.0, I generally have no concerns as an interviewer, as long as you are well-rounded with extracurriculars, hopefully some job experience, and TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS. If you have something less than a 3.0, THEN i worry a bit, as it can often indicate slacking.
Conversely...if I'm hiring for a project-oriented, technical role and someone walks in with a 4.0, I'm usually wondering if a) they'll be happy during project work, and b) if they'll be able to handle the stress that real-world problems create, that theoretical work doesn't have.

So i generally look for people in the 3.0 range. ;)

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Can you generalize and say "in the top quarter of the class"? Gosh maybe no one got beyond 3.5.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

It's very encourage to hear these stories of people who have had successful careers and their GPAs were not relevant to their success. I might be in a similar position as the original poster in one year. How do employers weigh the GPA relative to software experience, industry experience, research experience, etc?

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

GPA is all about academic experience, and the ability to, often, regurgitate the content of books for tests. Assuming that you want to get a job in industry, then industry experience is the best, since they then now that you can potentially tackle and work real world problems and situations. There are lots of 4.0 GPA students that don't know how use an oscilloscope.

TTFN
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RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

The purpose of your resume is to get your foot in the door. If you aren't proud of having a 3.0, simply don't include it. If the interviewer asks about your GPA, be honest. Maybe find a way to spin it in some positive way, i.e., 3.0 overall GPA but 3.3 in the core courses.

My GPA in college was pretty good, but I still removed it from my resume when I was looking for job #2. I felt it gave the impression that I was focused on past college accomplishments rather than what I had done since I left school, which is infinitely more important to most employers.

Also, for what it's worth, my first boss said he wouldn't hire someone with a GPA that is too high. I think there is a stigma that if one is that focused on grades, he would be less well-rounded. Results may vary.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I graduated with a 3.8. It was on my resume, too, and I was damn proud of it. However, it was almost inconsequential in the final analysis. The reason I got hired is because I brought my senior project (an electric motorcycle based on a mountain bike) with me in the bed of my pickup truck to my interview. I showed it to the interviewer (now my boss) after the interview. I even invited him to take a ride on the two-wheeled death trap, which he politely declined.

The design and fabrication aspects of my project had NOTHING to do with what I was hired to do. It DID make me stand out in a field of candidates. I also brought a portfolio of some of my projects with me. Those are the things that got me hired, according to my boss-- I represented myself well and I had interesting "cool" projects that made me unique. GPA didn't hurt, but it didn't get me the job, either.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

Here is the truth. Work experience and personality will get you the job, Not gpa.

RE: Graduating with barely a 3.0 GPA from a top university- should I worry?

I graduated with similar credentials, and am now within one step of the top of our corporation's career ladder. GPA is irrelevant. Most of the smartest people I've ever met were B students. As an engineer involved in recruiting, I only ever considered hiring one 4.0 engineer out of the 5 I ever met, though I've argued strenuously for several B-/C+ students considered unacceptable by HR "experts."

Doug

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