EXPERT ANSWER
Apr 22, 2019 - 05:59 PM
Here's how to get a good job if you had bad grades in college:
Grades earned in school are used as a substitute when a candidate doesn’t have enough of a work history to suggest sufficient aptitude for a job. High grades are evidence of a good work ethic, discipline, and a strong capacity to learn.
But while good grades indicate you have characteristics desired by employers, bad grades don’t necessarily indicate you lack them. That’s the key. Were your low grades a result of needing to work in order to afford attending school? Did you experience (and eventually overcome) hardship while in school? Turn things around by demonstrating that you developed discipline, a strong work ethic, and a great capacity to learn through your educational experience, which included brutal coursework.
On the other hand, did you just goof around or slide through school with minimal effort? Demonstrate you are not that person anymore, committed not to waste any more opportunities, and chastened enough to gain future opportunities by earning them.
- Downplay the negative.
- Offset your GPA with exceptional accomplishments.
- Turn the narrative into something positive and beneficial to the employer.
- Try to get a referral, which adds weight in your favor.
Grades earned in school are used as a substitute when a candidate doesn’t have enough of a work history to suggest sufficient aptitude for a job. High grades are evidence of a good work ethic, discipline, and a strong capacity to learn.
But while good grades indicate you have characteristics desired by employers, bad grades don’t necessarily indicate you lack them. That’s the key. Were your low grades a result of needing to work in order to afford attending school? Did you experience (and eventually overcome) hardship while in school? Turn things around by demonstrating that you developed discipline, a strong work ethic, and a great capacity to learn through your educational experience, which included brutal coursework.
On the other hand, did you just goof around or slide through school with minimal effort? Demonstrate you are not that person anymore, committed not to waste any more opportunities, and chastened enough to gain future opportunities by earning them.
Aug 16, 2018 - 10:50 PM
Everyone knows getting good grades in college can increase your chances of finding a great job, but, for various reasons, not everyone ends up with a stellar transcript. Now what? The good new is that bad grades do not have to prevent you from getting a good job. There are several things you can do – that do not include traveling back in time to study harder – to improve your chances of job-hunting success. Generally, resume professionals recommend that you do not place your GPA on your resume if it is below 3.5. Leaving your GPA off your resume will likely tell employer your GPA is lower than 3.5, but there is nothing you can do about that. Many employers do look to other metrics to determine whether you are a good candidate for the job. Help them by including relevant student activities, work experiences, and volunteering stints. However, if you are a recent college graduate, you can still expect questions about your grades during the interview. You can learn about some effective approaches for handling this topic honestly and without defensiveness.
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