Overrated: College GPA a poor predictor of job hunt success
Filed under: Career
Of the many things that I find overrated, the single most highly overrated item has to be the college grade point average (GPA). Yep, that two-digit number that we slave over for four years, carefully weighing which classes we can skip and which justify an all-nighter, is, in the long run, worth less than a meal in the student union. I suppose many of you are already up in arms because of my devaluation of a college GPA, but take a minute and write down your cumulative GPA. Then write down how many jobs you've gotten as a result of your GPA. Go ahead... I'll wait. If the sum of these two numbers is less than 6 then I'm sorry, but I believe my case is made.
I wouldn't expect you to take my opinion that college GPAs are overrated. A 2006 survey by Collegegrad.com found that only 6% of employers think that a job candidates GPA is the most important piece of information about an individual. The survey found that the interview and work experience were ranked higher than GPA when determining an applicant's aptitude.
Don't miss the rest of our series on Overrated people, places and things!
Still not convinced that your GPA isn't the most important asset you picked up in college? Maybe Jon Morrow's account of why he wishes he didn't get straight A's in college will help you better understand why your GPA doesn't count for that much. In his experience, employers were far more concerned with what he did in school overall than just how well he did in the classroom.
Even though your college GPA is overrated, that doesn't mean you should necessarily skip college or zonk out in the classroom. If anything, this should serve as a wake up call to get involved in leadership roles on campus or to take internships in your field to make yourself more marketable. Don't kill yourself for a 3.3 GPA by memorizing formulas and definitions; instead, spend more time focusing on how the lessons you learn in class relate to real life. These actions will make finding a job after graduation easier for you than for Joe Schmo 4.0 with no experience!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-11-2008 @ 10:19AM
neoclassicgirl said...
I think the GPA on a resume is kind of like a clean house; no one may notice the high GPA (or clean house,) but they will notice if it is a low GPA or a dirty house! Therefore, work hard for the good grades.
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9-11-2008 @ 5:49PM
anne said...
A good GPA is necessary if you plan to apply for summer internships. Many companies won't even consider you for a position if you don't have at least a 3.2. So, I disagree that a good GPA isn't important. Internships can give you an edge in getting a job after you graduate.
9-12-2008 @ 12:58AM
Alex said...
A high GPA isn't necessarily overrated in all cases. Sure, if you're looking to get a job right out of college then it's not that important. However, if you plan to head to graduate or professional school like law school, med school, pharmacy, dental school, etc. a high GPA will be a determining factor.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:01AM
Alex said...
A high GPA isn't necessarily overrated in all cases. Sure, if you're looking to get a job right out of college then it's not that important. However, if you plan to head to graduate or professional school like law school, med school, pharmacy, dental school, etc. a high GPA will be a determining factor.
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9-20-2008 @ 10:44PM
mdphins72 said...
I've found college, overall, to be overrated. I hardly slacked in school, even worked to help pay for whatever & whenever the student loans fell short. I could have saved that money plus interest if I'd found a trade or good union/govt work in the 4 years spent at college & probably would have been way better off financially. Instead I found myself being turned down by potential employers because of not having the right kind of experience, & being turned down by jobs that only required a high school diploma because my degree made me appear "overqualified".
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9-21-2008 @ 10:32AM
boggie said...
Yep,lets tell everyone not to learn in school and just slide by with a low GPA. We need more idiots in the job market. Not a lot of experience coming out of college, it's called getting your first job to get experience. Being smart is overrated. Look at George, he is the prez with a 2.0, What kind of shape is this country in....
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9-21-2008 @ 10:07PM
bikefolder said...
GPA gets your foot in the door. When there are candidates who are otherwise equally suited, it IS something employers can and do use to weed through applications, when they're hiring right out of school. It is a statement of your aptitude and determination when you can add "cum laude" to your resume, as well. Does it lead to higher income over a lifetime? Is it important to every field? No. But in fields that aren't business-related - it can be more important than what kind of extra-curriculars you're involved in. People don't want to hire doctors and nurses who just barely squeaked by. If your lawyer just barely got through his basics - what kind of trust do you have? Lest we forget our current president is a Yale grad - with a C average, and a history of failed private business ventures. And there are many who would say it's showing right now...
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9-22-2008 @ 7:00AM
Sam said...
I believe that a high GPA is a necessity. Who wants to hire someone with a 2.0? Is it a predictor of overall job performance? NO! But a high GPA shows a candidate worked hard and cares about how they do, which are 2 great qualities in the workplace.
Would you want a heart surgeon to operate on you if they received a 2.0 or a 4.0? I would want the 4.0, so go ahead and memorize those formulas and definitions!
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9-22-2008 @ 7:00AM
kris said...
GPA is for graduate school. if you want to get a Wharton MBA or a Harvard Law degree (with the career paths that follow), better keep pulling those all-nighters.
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9-22-2008 @ 3:01PM
Rick said...
Your GPA can be impressive if it's very high (e.g., above 3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or if you offer a number based on your grades in core courses related to your career pursuit (e.g., the GPA in your science courses if you're applying for a job as a botanist).
But if I were a hiring manager, given the choice between a candidate with a 3.9 GPA and no related work experience vs. a candidate with a 2.9 GPA and experience, I'd go with the latter.
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9-23-2008 @ 9:25PM
Blake said...
Despite the stats, I see thousands of 125K jobs posted on employment sites:
http://www.linkedin.com
http://www.monster.com
http://www.realmatch.com
There are tons of jobs if you look.
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9-27-2008 @ 11:00AM
Seth said...
For the Job market GPA is not critical, but for Grad School it is critical.
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9-28-2008 @ 5:41PM
Nenad said...
I graduated with a 3.98 GPA from Rutgers and graduated from my high school with a 4.0 and as Valedictorian. I couldn't get a job. I am still jobless after a few months because I have only been offered sales and customer service positions that I could've gotten if I had not even gone to college. My GPA hasn't helped me one iota.
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