<p>Are the chances of finding a job difficult when one's gpa is in the B- range (2.6, 2.7, 2.8 etc.)?</p>
<p>How much does your gpa affect the chances of getting a good job after graduation?</p>
<p>-B range is 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, etc</p>
<p>my dynamics professor gave a shpiel on how anyone with an engineering degree will find a job whether it be a 2.0 or 3.5. There is always a place for you since engineers are always needed. Hell, even engineering technicans (HS degree or 2 yr tech training) make 45k a year easily. Imagine an "average" student with a 4 year degree.</p>
<p>If your around 2.8, i dont think you'll have a problem finding a good job. I know many companies advertise "minimum 3.0 GPA" but if you present yourself well, you can easily make up for it. Bare in mind, most real world engineering work isn't doing statics, dyanmics, thermo equations that you do in class. Computers do all of that. An average GPA says you understand the concepts behind the numbers your punching into the computer, and can concult with the rest of your engineering team members. Many companies look for personal quality. I can't speak for every company of course, but dont beat yourself up over your GPA. After a few years of work, your GPA wont even matter if you decide to change companies.</p>
<p>well, in my school:</p>
<p>4.00 A
3.67 A-</p>
<p>3.33 B+
3.00 B
2.67 B-</p>
<p>2.33 C+
2.00 C</p>
<p>1.00 D</p>
<p>you're fine</p>
<p>average gpa in my graduating class of ChemEs was 2.7 (mine was lower)</p>
<p>everyone is employed, and I have been enjoy a very interesting and lucritive career in biotech (which seems to be a place a lot of people want to be).</p>
<p>If you are at a school with a strong engineering reputation, it might not even make a difference.</p>
<p>My son got a BSEE from Rice. No one even asked him for a transcript.</p>
<p>I agree with the other posters...you're fine.</p>
<p>Check out the link below.
I personally know many engineers who graduated with almost perfect GPAs.
But they struggle and can't do the work.
GPA is just the number.</p>
<p>I would say bring it above a 3.0. You may find a job, but your pay will not be the best. It will be ** BELOW average **, if you're ok with that. Also, whatever major you are, you probably won't be getting a job with the best and biggest company, if reputation is what you're looking for. Those places are where students with higher GPAs, more involvement in campus activities, etc... apply to for full-time jobs. And remember, the GPA during your undergraduate years ONLY helps you get the first job. After that, you might not even have to put it on your resume, since the 2nd employer who wants to hire you will ask you about your responsibilities and duties at your first job. GPA - gets you the first (decent/well paying) job. </p>
<p>I had a friend who majored in EE and just graduated last year. He works for a TV station, doing bs work. He had a somewhere between a 2.5-2.7 GPA. I also have another friend who graduated with an EE degree, mid 2.5 GPA... he works at Staples, fulltime, stocking shelves in the office supplies department. He said that he applied to many companies, such as Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, and got called into their location. He left his GPA out of his resume. As soon as he got there for the first round interviews, they asked him his GPA, and when he told them, they basically said "No, thanks"... next.</p>
<p>Nowadays, employers are looking for students with strong understandings of the fundamentals. Your GPA is a good indicator of that. Remember, as much as companies like to diversify in talents, strengths, nationalities, etc... you need to be resourceful and intelligent to contribute to the success of the business. Because, ultimately, the company is there to make a profit, not to make sure you have a job. They can hire people from all over the US.</p>
<p>I wouldn't take all of the comments above to be an excuse to not to try hard... try hard to bring that GPA up. You should also join your engineering organizations, hold leadership positions, do some volunteer work, perhaps TA a course you did very well in, do an independent study (if you fulfill the requirements, you might get an A), or do some research with a professor. Doing one or more of those will take the employer's eyes off the GPA a little, and perhaps question you on those other things. </p>
<p>Remember, things are not over yet. Perhaps take some easy courses on the side to bring your overall GPA up, so at least they'll call you in and interview you. During/after the interview is up to you, if you perform well or not.</p>
<p>I don't want to sound harsh, but I'm telling it like it is. I don't want to give you false hope, because I think that would screw up your path even more.</p>
<p>What's your in-major GPA like? As long as you've got a high B or better in math, science, and engineering, they should forgive you your indiscretions in general core requirements. Otherwise... well, if you and a hundred other guys apply for a job, and 15 of them have better GPAs than you... then, ceteris paribus, the company's going to hire the ones with the better GPAs.</p>
<p>thanks for the info.</p>
<p>my gpa, right now is 3.43</p>
<p>but after 2-3 years it will probably go down....</p>
<p>If your in major GPA is higher you should put that on your resume (specifying it as such.) At any rate, you can still find a job as long as you have a passing degree. I was told that if you have a 3.5+ when you walk out of the doors you can basically pick your job, if you have a 3.0-3.5 you'll be able to get a very good job starting off, if you have a 2.5-3.0 you can probably land a pretty good job and if you have a 2.0-2.5 you might have to work at a slightly less desirable job for a year or two, but if you do good you'll move up fine.</p>
<p>Of course, if you've got good (relevant) internship/co-op experience and you can present yourself well you've always got a shot, the GPA will just help you if its high.</p>
<p>since we all goto different schools and different companies have different perspectives of different teir schools, it may be hard to give a definete answer.</p>
<p>Check out some career fairs at your school and talk to some of the representatives. The reason this is important is because you know for a fact that whatever company has a vendor booth at the fair will hire average to above average students from your school, other wise they wouldn't be investing the time and money into advertising at your school's career fair. </p>
<p>Your school's career center should have info on the next career fair if its not already advertised. The career center should also have a list of what companies will be attending. Make a list of companies that hire students from your major and try to talk to some of them at the event to get a taste of what type of stuff they look at and how they do their selection.</p>
<p>Also, you would be suprised at how little amount of students out of the whole school attend these fairs. Just the willingness and drive can make a difference in scoring a co-op or internship.</p>
<p>undefined,</p>
<p>just out of curiosity, where did your friends graduate from?</p>
<p>is it always better to graduate with a lower GPA from a top school than a high GPA from a no name school? if you have work experience and graduate from a top engin school (MIT, Stanford, UMich), would that make up for a less than perfect GPA?</p>
<p>
[quote]
I wouldn't take all of the comments above to be an excuse to not to try hard...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Way to read into the posts. </p>
<p>GPAs, in general, are lower for engineering student than they are for other majors. That is a fact. I had below a 3.0 and I tried very hard and I am a successful engineer in a very demanding field. The "comments above" are not intend to say "don't try" because if you do that then you will more likely fail than pass at all. Those comments only indicate not to give up, as it seems your friends working at Staples surely have.</p>
<p>He went to a decent-good engineering school which is heavily recruited upon by IBM, General Dynamics Electric Boat, Lockheed Martin, BAE, Microsoft, Universal Instruments.</p>
<p>Japher, I did read into the posts. If you tell him that engineering GPA's are lower (which is partially true), he will think that is the maximum he can attain, assuming he has a sub-par GPA. You never want to tell him "that's the highest GPA you can have as an engineering undergrad"... you're basically telling him "it's ok have to have a crappy GPA". You don't know his potential and what he's capable of.</p>
<p>And yes, my friend who tried seemed like he had to give up - because he had a terrible GPA. What else can he do if he can't even get his foot in the door? Now, I think his performance in school was dependent upon him ONLY and he chose not to succeed. That's what happens. He has tried to land many technician roles, hopefully working his way up to a engineer... not happening thus far.</p>
<p>I know people who have around 2.5-2.6 GPA'a who have gotten some really good summer internships (ie good pay, payed for $2000/month furnished studio apartments etc, interesting field work). Most of the time it was through someone they knew but the companies were interesting in hiring them when they graduated. So I guess try to get internships and network while you're still in school. I'm not sure how it is with different schools though but at my school the average in engineering is around a 2.6-2.7.</p>
<p>grades are important but in many cases, experience, and attitutde over rides it.</p>
<p>I was at a job fair at my school yesterday. I talked to many representatives of many different companies from Good year, to Amheiser Busch, to Northrop Grummen.</p>
<p>I had a conversation with a Locheed Martin Engineer and Hire Recruiter. I basically gave my same pitch to them as i did to any other recruiter. When I handed them my resume, i told them the only thing i left off was my GPA, which was a 2.7. I was a little anxious to see what he would say after i told him my GPA. To my suprise, he simply said, "It's not that important, GPA is just a number. It hardly measure anything". I was almost shocked to hear an engineer from Locheed Martin to say that. I would have expected them to be only looking for top of their class students, espeically at a job fair at a school that isn't (I dont think at least) a nationally reconized engineering school like VT.</p>
<p>I guess it really depends who is interviewing you.</p>