GPA 2.0 The Resume Dilemma

There is a myth about listing GPAs on resumes that goes around our campus every year. Let's see if you've heard it:

 "If your GPA is less than a 3.0, leave it off your resume." Sound familiar? Do you agree?

WRONG! 

Why? If you leave your GPA off your resume, an employer is likely to believe you have a 2.0 GPA. Let's say you are like Jason (not his real name), a recent alum I heard from, who graduated with a 2.98 GPA. That's a whole lot better than a 2.0. I say list the 2.98 GPA on your resume so the employer doesn't assume this number is much lower.

A few GPA tips for your resume:

Present the highest GPA first. If you list both your In-Major GPA and your Overall GPA with your degree information, share the higher number first. Your resume is your advertisement, so sharing the best view of your performance first makes sense. Don't know your in-major GPA? Check Hokie Spa, your DARS or visit your academic department or advisor for assistance.

Consider listing a more specific GPA. Did one of these apply for you freshman year?

• You majored in having fun: 
• You were in the wrong major; OR
• You took a while to get used to college course demands. 

Then, after your first year, did your grades begin an upward spiral? If yes, then think about calculating your GPA for a certain number of hours. Here's a sample:

BS, Finance, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Expected May 2016
GPA last 60 hours: 3.2, Finance GPA: 3.0, Overall GPA 2.75

Listing this kind of GPA works for employers or for graduate or professional schools; your most current hours of study likely focus on your area of expertise.

Most recent semester been your best? Then, list GPA Fall Semester 2015 3.51 before listing your overall and/or in major GPAs.

Let's talk numbers. In math class, we learned all about rounding numbers. When you list your GPA in your resume, you do not want to round. If your GPA is a 2.9999, then list your GPA as a 2.99. You only need to share 2 percentage points, and in this case, you do not want to round up to a 3.0, which leads me to my next point...

About employer GPA requirements. Some employers get such large volumes of applications that they have to use a mechanism to pare down the number of candidates. Some choose to use GPA requirements as their method to do this. Some require a 3.0 GPA, while others set the bar even higher. This really varies by employer where some do not have a GPA requirement at all. When we've asked employers about looking at a candidate who doesn't meet a GPA cutoff, the biggest selling point to get past this obstacle is relevant experience. If your GPA is not currently as high as you would like it to be, try to get as much experience as you can before you graduate, so you'll still be competitive as employers review your resume.

If you still have GPA questions, stop by Career Services for Walk-In Advising or make an appointment with an advisor. If you would like to view some samples of ways other students listed their GPAs on resumes, visit our set of sample resumes.

Let us help you present your qualifications, including your GPA, in a way that sells.

The Hokie Nation Stands...Thankful

Thought of these writings from a few years ago as I reflect on April 16, 2007. I wrote these after Virginia Tech police officer Deriek Crouse was shot in a parking lot across the street from our office in December 2011.

The Hokie Nation Stands. Live for the 32.

Know yourself, Know your journey

Marilyn vos Savant, who is known for having the highest recorded IQ according to the Guinness Book of Records, states, “Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” As individuals we tend to focus on “negative” traits we have, rather than identifying skills we have that are good. You may have a hard time being flexible and adaptable, but you forget your strengths in being structured and organized.

Becoming self-aware of your strengths is critical to your career development. Knowing your strengths allows you to utilize and benefit on the key components of your work ethic. Applying these strengths helps you to be more successful in your future professional development.

How you think, learn and study are all things unique to you. However, assessing your strengths on your own can be difficult. Virginia Tech Career Services provides students the opportunity to assess their strengths through a variety of self-assessments.

Strengths Quest: http://www.dsa.vt.edu/aspirations/strengths/

This assessment categorizes you into your top five strengths, out of over 30 possible strengths. Strengths could range from Positivity and Responsibility, to Strategic and Learner. According to their website, “Gallup has created resources to help you develop and use your strengths to achieve greater success in academics, in your career, and in life.”

Myplan.com: http://www.myplan.com/

This assessment focuses on interests, values, personality type, and skills in order to see a journey in to a unique career path for you. Overall, the assessment fits your strengths with career fields. You can take the assessment for free through Career Services.

Do What You Are: This assessment can be given through an appointment at Career Services

The assessment is based on your initial preferences to certain values and traits. When you take this tool, you have the possibility of being one of 16 different personalities. After finding your results, you can be categorized into personality areas that fit best with certain areas of study and work.

You never know what strengths you have, that maybe you don’t even consider as strengths. It is important for you to understand these strengths when deciding and exploring your future journey. Identifying your strengths can help lead you down the path that suits you best. The positivity of focusing on your strengths, rather than your weaknesses, can open so many doors of possibilities.

Be sure to make an appointment with an advisor at Career Services to better help you understand your self-assessments and strengths. To find out more about who you are and your strengths, check out the links provided in this page of our Career Services web site: http://www.career.vt.edu/MajorCareerExploration/SelfAssessment.html

Feel like time is running out to make your summer plans? Try these 5 resources

In the past ten days or so, I've met with a number of students who are about to give up looking for an internship or summer position because they think they are too late. Do you feel like time is running out like the photo above? Don't give up just yet.

Why? Even though our semester ends in early May, many employers are still nailing down their summer employment needs. And, some employers may receive a new client, nail a big order, or start a new product line within the next month where their hiring needs will drastically change; they may be desperately searching for some summer help. One student I met with recently said he had heard that after April 15 was just too late to find a summer internship. I'm happy to be the myth buster.
This. Is. Not. True.

Here are 5 sites you can tap into as you seek to finalize a plan for your summer:

Hokies4Hire: Access this site to view openings employers share with Career Services. In a recent search of internship listings on this site, I found over 580 postings. Too late? I don't think so!

CareerShift: This site is great for location specific searches and if you seek a contact at a particular employer. I did a sample search with "internship" as the key word and Washington, DC, as the location. Over 1200 listings came up in my search. Still think you're too late?

GoinGlobal: With over 40 US City Guides, you can search for job listing sites specific to a certain city. If Denver sounds good to you, I found over 740 listings using one of their local sites linked in the City Guide. OK, are you still doubting that there is an opening for you?

Hokie Nation Network: Alumni can post job openings on this site. There were 5 internship listings and 12 part-time listings when I did a recent search. You can also join the Alumni Association LinkedIn Group and access job listings shared by group members. See, even a Hokie still might hire you this summer!

LinkedIn Student Jobs Portal: To access the portal, you have to have a profile in LinkedIn. In a recent search for Public Relations Internships, I found 115 openings. Have I convinced you yet?

There are still opportunities out there. Come see us in Career Services to learn about even more places to search.

Experience matters. Go find some.