<p>So I have a 2.99 right now as I continue job hunting. Some background may help:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Computer Science Major</p></li>
<li><p>First two years of college did not go so well. My average GPA of those four semesters is about a 2.6-2.7. However, after some job experience and guidance from a professor of mine, my GPA shot up! My average GPA of the last three semesters has been about a 3.38 and will continue to keep rising. Just FYI, most of my courses the past three semesters were upper-level CS courses/Astronomy courses/English courses. Probably took only one "easy" course out of those three semesters.</p></li>
<li><p>As of now, I have two years internship experience working at a lab on campus specializing in transportation software. Right when I started working, when my GPA shot up...Don't really know why.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I keep hearing people say that without a 3.0, I cannot get a job out of college. Is this really true?</p>
<p>I think when people say that, they’re more referring to degrees that have less jobs available, like psychology or communications. With close to a 3.0 in computer science and intership experience, you won’t have a fantastic pick of jobs, but you’ll definitely get something.</p>
<p>I’m currently in the same situation and am a senior, so any advice would be beneficial.</p>
<p>Major: Business (Finance and MIS)</p>
<p>I have a 2.9 GPA and 2.99 major GPA at a top 25 school. I previously spent 2 years at another university before I transfered and had a 4.0 GPA there. I’ve had internship experience at MTV, Merrill Lynch (2 different locations) and Morgan Stanley. </p>
<p>Will my experience at major employers offset my GPA or will I still have trouble? Should I list the GPA’s separately?</p>
<p>A lot of jobs have a GPA cut-off (depending on the selectivity of the position, it may range from a 3.0 to a 3.5). When HR gets a high number of applicants, the first thing they’ll do is check the GPA on the resume and see if it fits the req. or they’ll toss it aside. For a 2.9, definitely round it up to a 3.0 on your resume. After that, they’ll look at your experience (which is def. important). </p>
<p>Akbaby, how did you get internships at ML and MS with a relatively low GPA btw?</p>
<p>I’ve read and have been taught to never round your GPA to a whole number…no matter how close (eg: 2.99 to 3.00). They’ll ask for your official transcript upon accepting you as an applicant, and check your GPA again and if they see you don’t fit the 3.0 minimum they will ask you to leave.</p>
<p>Is it acceptable to not list your GPA? I figure that would be the best bet in my situation.</p>
<p>icanread,</p>
<p>The first thing my FA (he was the top producer at his location btw) told me was that he doesn’t care what my gpa is or what school i went to. He’s seen people from ivy league schools come and go and not able to make it. It’s all about you and how well you can do the job.</p>
<p>It is not acceptable to round your GPA up to the next whole number (i.e. a 3.999 to a 4.0 or a 2.999 to a 3.0). I have heard multiple stories of employers firing employees on their very first day of work because of this.</p>
<p>I think the two most important criteria an employer looks at when screening resumes for internships/full time positions are the cumulative GPA and previous work experience. One piece of advice I can give you is attaching a cover letter with your resume explaining Why firm X and Why your gpa is low. Once you get the interview it comes down to your soft skills such as are you a well rounded individual? are you a good fit for the company? etc… Take my advice with a grain of salt, I am still an undergraduate.</p>
<p>Actually I do not agree with rounding rule people are saying here. If your employer asks for GPA to the 1/100 accuracy then if you have 3.999 GPA, you should be able to round it to 4.00. If you have 3.994 then your GPA is 3.99. Most analyst internship require minimum 3.5 to apply. But if there is no such requirement then your work experience is more important. Last summer I hired an intern with 3.0 GPA. He worked out so well, I decided to keep him on part time while he is still in school. As his manager, I was on him with school work. This fall semester he ended up with close to 4.0 while working 20 hours a week. In his case, he had some personal problem freshman year and wasn’t as focused. While 3.0 is not a deal breaker, but there should be a good explaination.</p>
<p>Oh no guys, I was not planning on rounding my GPA! I know better…</p>
<p>college2007: That might be a good idea…but I always wondered if GPA > work experience or vice versa?</p>
<p>oldfort: Yeah no rounding of the GPAs. Tempting with mine being a 2.99, but nah. See, in my case it seems most comp sci jobs require a 3.0 minimum to apply and I am so close…</p>
<p>If you are looking for your CS work, list your CS major GPA separately from your overall GPA. Hopefully you’ve done well in your CS classes and your prospective employer will see that.</p>
<p>I also have this same problem…I have a 2.975 GPA in Journalism and looking for jobs in PR/Communications. A lot of applications say “applicant must have 3.0 GPA,” or something to that affect. Does this mean that when they see my GPA below a 3.0, they automatically throw it out?</p>
<p>I think with a sub-3.0 GPA but great intern experiences, networking will benefit you a whole lot. Usually when you talk to people in the industry, they won’t first ask for a GPA–they’ll want to know how well you could perform on the job. Use your past experience to tell people how you’d be great for positions. It’s all about selling yourself. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t explain away the GPA in a cover letter. It’s not a college application.</p>
<p>I ran across a job posting for a CS major in the Boston area looking for a 2.9 GPA or higher a few days ago. I also have a summer intern/spring or fall coop letter where GPA isn’t mentioned at all on my other monitor. They are looking for a list of skills and a good attitude and are paying $15-$20 an hour. There is stuff out there but you have to beat the bushes or be connected.</p>