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As recruiters, Do you make your decision according to GPA?

I am graduating in June from energy engineering. My accumulative GPA is 2.7 (B- in my country) and I don't know if this would be a problem in finding a job
#electrical-engineering #engineer #job-application #job-search #gpa #entry-level #interviews #engineering #

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Daniel’s Answer

Rana -
I graduated with an Electrical Engineering major. A “B-“ in EE is a very respectable grade because it is such a difficult field and not many people go into this area. I have not found many Recruiters to be concerned about GPA. They are more concerned about how one might fit on an Engineering Team. You should not have difficulties finding a job.

I commend you on your choice of energy engineering – the world needs this skill.
Good luck and prosperous future in your new career!

Daniel recommends the following next steps:

Develop a plan to improve your soft skills - oral and written communication, team building, etc. to become a more valuable engineer.
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much Daniel that was helpful and encouraging! Rana
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Megan’s Answer

Hi Rana,

I have always felt that the GPA is just a data point, and I always encourage hiring managers to see it the same way. I typically recommend that candidates remove the GPA from their resume, but I do know that some companies require it. I would try to include additional accomplishments or achievements in your resume to offset the GPA. Also, showing any activities, sports, clubs, associations that you were a part of can show how you have gone above and beyond to do more than just the minimum coursework.

Good luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much Megan! Rana
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Dexter’s Answer

Hey Rana,

Back in 2005, I graduated UC Berkeley with a 2.7 GPA and I had a really hard time finding a job, so much so that I gave up finding jobs in the EE field and found one in IT as helpdesk/desktop support. I must say that although I had interesting research projects on my resume, as well as a solid list of courses, I did not have intern experiences, which if I could go back in time, I would advise myself to do, as it really helps in finding jobs.

Having said that though, now that I'm on the other side of hiring, I can tell you that while I look at GPAs, it's one of the lowest factors when deciding on a candidate. The things I look for the most are past experiences and projects, with extra points going to candidates who have volunteered their skills with a nonprofit and those who have contributed code to open source projects.

As Daniel Indish stated in his answer, I would also encourage you to work on your soft skills, as soft skills matter so, so much in any field.

I wish you the best of luck!

--
Dexter
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much Dexter! Rana
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Kate’s Answer

Some great advice here. I think the reality is that when you first graduate, this is a data point that recruiters consider - especially when they are trying to differentiate between a high number of candidates. So - I suggest you have great counter points to reinforce. Did you work or volunteer during college, which would allow you to share how you manage multiple priorities? Is your GPA low because of key lessons you learned fresh and soph year and you can tell how you adapted to your college environment and earned higher grades your jr and sr year? Interview stories of resilience and adaptability can go a long weigh to support why your GPA is only one "data point". There is more to your story, so be sure you are prepared to tell it.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much kate. This is exactly my story. I was struggling at my first 2 years in college and my GPA was 2.3 then I decided to raise it, now I am a fresh graduate with 2.8 gpa (75%-80%) Rana
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nitin’s Answer

For university recruitment GPA does matter most of the time. But if you are looking out for off campus then you should be good as long as you clear all the rounds of interview.
In some countries, government recruitment require a certain GPA for selection.
Thank you comment icon thank you Nitin! Rana
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Mohit’s Answer

GPA will only play role in initial stages of your career. It's just another filtering criteria for companies. So even if you have not performed well in your college you still can cover that up with your work.
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much Mohit! Rana
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Savita’s Answer

A GPA is definitely something I look for when recruiting candidates that are applying for roles immediately after finishing their bachelors degree. Once you have some experience in the workplace then GPA becomes less important and eventually fades into the background. There are however students who have impressed me despite lower GPA scores due to extra curricular activities they have participated in during their time in college.
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Jackie’s Answer

GPA is a just reference, I will not pass anyone only if his GPA is not strong. Also, I will require graduats to provide other documents to prove his capabilities in addition to the interviews.
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