poor GPA - can I still get a job after graduation?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I'm a cal student studying Industrial Engineering and I'm looking to get a decent job after graduation. It seems, however, that all the offerings are really competitive, especially with big companies like P&G, Genentech, Boeing, etc... They have these leadership/operations development programs often, but how many positions are they offering and what do you think the average GPA is?</p>

<p>My GPA is 3.23 with good extra curriculars (not exemplary, just good). </p>

<p>What are my chances of landing a real operations/logistics/supply chain job? Is there anything I can do to increase my chances? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Your chances are very high. A 3.23 will not hold you back from any of the positions you’re talking about. The same firms recruit here at Purdue and a 3.23 GPA is well within the range of people who land jobs at them. I don’t know about cal, but a 3.23 in IE here would not be considered poor by any stretch of the imagination - definitely not going to get you the job by itself, but quite easy to work with. Touch up on your interviewing skills and you’ll be fine.</p>

3

<p>A 3.23 seems pretty good to me. Ive heard most companies have a cutoff of 3.0. So since you have above that, I would think as long as you interview well, you shouldn’t have a problem.</p>

4

<p>thank you guys SO much!</p>

5

<p>I’m told a 3.23 would actually be considered good here… Not the same there?</p>

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<p>Generally, companies like to have a semi-strict cutoff around 3.0. There are exceptions, but not a whole lot of them. A 3.23 is a good GPA for getting into industry in a quality job. However, you mentioned those leadership and operations development programs, which are definitely more competitive than just normal jobs. I have a very limited experience in that area, and have only seen the trend at one or two companies, but it seems like those have higher average GPAs (3.5-ish) or have interned/co-oped at that company before, so they have an in. Now, this might not be true of ALL companies, but it is just what I have seen in my experience.</p>

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<p>3.23 is a good GPA and should get you a quality job.</p>

<p>From my experience:</p>

<p>3.0 is the cut off for most companies
3.2+: recommended for larger companies
3.5+: mainly for leadership/special program
3.75+ Only saw it a couple of times but was for Hedge Funds and consulting firms.</p>

8

<p>Then what other options a graduate with a GPA lower than 3.0 look into?</p>

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<p>Depends on how low.</p>

<p>With a 2.9 you still got a decent chance of landing a job and probably a better chance then a non-technical major. If you are borderline you can still qualify for interviews and what not however if you are sub 2.5 (academic probation for most schools) you’ll have some serious problems finding a job.</p>

10

<p>A 3.23 is not a poor GPA in engineering, even when talking about grad school chances. Getting a entry level job is really more about your social skills, and if you know/have worked with engineers within said company.</p>

11

<p>A 3.23 IS a poor GPA when talking about grad school unless you have some outstanding other credentials. You need great GREs, letters, research in order to overcome a GPA lower than about 3.4 for a top grad school, and preferably several of the above.</p>

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<p>So a person with high gpa (3.8+) and poor interview skills won’t land a job?</p>

13

<p>Well they might land a job if they get lucky at the interview or if the company wants to take a chance on them anyway, but they may not advance far after being hired if they don’t develop some interpersonal skills pronto.</p>

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<p>I’ve known people get into the engineering grad school you are currently attending with less. I would call A&M a good grad school…</p>

<p>Poor is a strong word. While it may not be a competitive GPA, with other credentials, it’ll get you where you need to go.</p>

15

<p>Ive never met a 2.5+ not able to get a good job. Sure a 2.7 may not get paid as much starting out or may have to look slightly longer, but they will get a job none the less.</p>

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<p>I find that hard to believe. Most engineering companies have atleast 3.0 GPA cutoffs, including the one I work at currently.</p>

17

<p>Not every company can be ultra selective. A 2.7 could be the median GPA at some schools. It wasn’t far from the median GPA at my school long ago.</p>

<p>There are, believe it or not, employers who look at more than GPA also.</p>

18

<p>2.7 isn’t too far from the median GPA nationally for engineers, but a lot of engineers nationally end up working for small, local companies that don’t appeal to everyone. That magical 3.0 cutoff is more in relation to the big, national companies that everyone wants to work for. You can get a good job at a smaller, more regional company with lower credentials.</p>

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<p>The 3.0 cut off can also be just a filter for their computers and what not. Well it isn’t unheard of, I have seen a few sub 3.0 graduates get pretty solid jobs. Of course they were able to network with the recruiter and really push their resume and story through.</p>

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<p>Yeah if you have a sub-3.0 GPA and want a job at a competitive, national company like Lockheed or Boeing or something, you really need to know how to schmooze the recruiters because your resume isn’t getting through the computer filter otherwise.</p>