As the title says, I’m going to graduate with a degree in mathematics at the end of this semester, probably with a 2.8 gpa. My major gpa isn’t much better at just a smidge above 3.0 and I have no internships to really offset the relatively low gpa on my resume. My main difficulty wasn’t so much the classes but just working full time since freshman year of college while attempting to take care of my father, for the past two years, at home who recently passed. To me, this reasoning for a low gpa seems petty and the people flipping through resumes won’t think twice about tossing mine after seeing the gpa, if I choose to include it.
So, advice? Best, and really only, thing I have going for me is I’ve worked as an Assistant Manager and been with the company for five years. Would I yield a better shot at interviews if I left the gpa off my resume? Does my situation with full time work and my attempt of at home hospice for my father warrant any mercy from the guy that’s reading resumes/interviewing me? Graduate school isn’t really an option for me, just from academic fatigue; let alone the poor gpa. Ideally, I get a job pertaining to my major.
Any constructive feedback and opinions are appreciated.
You don’t need to put your GPA on your resumes. I would concentrate on getting really good at interviewing. Work with your career office to practice and hone your skills. A good interview, personality, work ethic, leadership and teamwork is what counts in the real world. You will be fine. I am very sorry to hear about your father.
I also think you are smart to work before considering graduate school. Experience and maturity will help you know what you want to do with your future. You are about to enter a whole new world. In the work world people look at a very different skill set than GPAs in the academic environment. Breathe…you’re fine. If you have a degree in math, remember, most people can’t even do half the math you can! Pat yourself on the back…you made it! (or just about) You will get into grad school too one day if you decide to go that route. No worries.
@ijustwantfoodman If you think you are screwed, you have a better chance of being screwed. Attitude not aptitude will determine your altitude, and a 2.8 GPA may not be MIT Ph.d in mathematics, but you sure have tremendous aptitude to apply for any job, particularly those that value MSFT Excel and mathematics skills: Insurance or actuarial science, options trading, stock analysis, supply chain cost analysis, app development etc. If you like math, you are in a top 1% of the country that can easily figure out compound interest on a loan. And sooner rather than later, you can jump right back in and focus on something, anything. You’ll be a UT Graduate, one of the few from the elite institution, and in a discipline like mathematics no less! That’s impressive to anyone. How many communities in the USA or globally (how about a teaching adventure in Thailand or Morocco or Zimbabwe?) need mathematically competent teachers to train and inspire students?
If math doesn’t work out, you can open a taco truck. And may it be the best taco truck in Austin, Cambodia, Australia or wherever you choose to be the Longhorn you are. You don’t need to make excuses for being awesome. Just do it.