We have recently come across an interesting topic of including GPA on a resume. A good question to ask yourself is, “When to include my GPA on my resume and when it’s not a good idea to do so?“ and When to include my GPA on my resume after the first job?
We have done extensive research on this topic, and today you’re going to finally discover the rules of the game of including GPA on your resume. It’s not too complicated as it seems like at first glance.
Let’s go!
Maybe you’re just getting out of school, or perhaps you’ve had many jobs before, and now you want to make a change in your life and get a new job.
Getting a new job could be a life-changing experience since you’re forced to get out of your comfort zone and go into new situations.
We believe that this is what life truly is about. Consistently making progress no matter how big or small it is. When you hear it like this, it could sound amazing and easy.
The truth is that everything has its price, and anyone who wants anything has to pay the specific price. Since you paid a significant price by studying and getting a degree, it’s now time to look for a job that will suit you, and when you finally find it, commit to it and do whatever it takes to get that job position.
The price you pay today is learning when to include your GPA on your resume. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
Don’t worry. It’s not that difficult.
Since you have decided to get a job, you now must make a resume, and you suddenly start thinking about the topic of when to include your GPA on your resume and if you really should do it or rather not.
Now what we have noticed is that many people have different statements and opinions.
One of the most general opinions is the following statement:
“A great GPA could be a strong selling point and can make you stand out of the crowd.“
Yes, the mentioned statement makes sense of the first sight, but we think that its a really bold statement.
Here’s why:
We discovered that It depends on two primary factors.
One of which is your life position. This means whether you’re getting right out of school or whether you have been working in your industry for multiple years and had many job experiences in the field.
The second thing is your actual GPA.
The rules of including GPA on your resume
It’s very intuitive that if you have a really good GPA (usually on average a GPA of 3 or above), you don’t have to worry too much and you can just include it.
If you have a GPA below 3 it’s probably not a perfect idea to put it on your resume since it could hurt you more than help you.
Sounds simple.
But that’s not everything.
Let‘s factor in the second factor, the factor many employers pay most of their attention to, and that is your expertise and experience.
As already stated, if you have been working in the field for years, including your GPA is unnecessary because the employer will care more about your real expertise and experience than a GPA from years ago. Still, if you have a great GPA include it.
If you’re getting right out of school and you’re starting from nothing, and you have a high GPA, include it. It could make you stand out a bit, and you won’t do anything wrong.
If, on the other hand, is your GPA not that great, it’s still okay since including GPA doesn’t have to be specifically your point of differentiation. This means do not include it.
Many people believe that the impression you make on your job interview is much more important than if you decide to include your GPA or decide not do include it. Your charisma and personality are very important to most employers. It’s what truly defines you.
One big possible problem
One huge problem that you can face if you have a bad GPA is that some employers require a minimum GPA. If you’re below the minimum, you very much can limit yourself since you’re not going to be eligible for that job.
There are still some employers who use GPA as an indicator of how well you can handle the stress and carry out orders.
Are there any disadvantages of not including a GPA on your resume?
Let’s get this straight. Employers are not stupid. This means that they obviously will know what you’re trying to do when you don’t include your GPA on your resume.
But…
An important question to ask is whether it really matters that much. GPA isn’t the only thing employers factor in when recruiting. There are many details in your actual resume that can make or break your whole reputation much more than if you decide to include your GPA or not.
Your resume format, resume filename, your objective, your activities section, and past experience. Just to name a few.
In summary
If you have a high GPA (above 3.0) and are coming right out of college, include it. If you have a bad GPA (bellow 3.0), never include it under any circumstances.
If you have been working for many years and are just switching jobs and have the experience, the future employer will care much more about your past experience than a score from years ago.
Conclusion
Getting a job could sometimes be difficult, and since we understand the significance of this topic, we hope that we helped you as much as we could with our brief article.
We hope that you have found our article useful and that you now have more general awareness about this topic and that when you ask yourself, “When to include my GPA my resume?” you will know what to do and how to decide.