How to Get Hired With a Low GPA

Your transcript last semester was brutal. Why did the hardest final of your life have to count for 60% of your grade?

We know that it might feel like your low GPA is going to make it tough for you to get hired. Many employers look at your GPA when reviewing your application to determine what kind of student you are — and by extension — how you will perform as an employee. You know that your grades don’t create a full picture of how great you are as a candidate…but how can you make employers realize that with a low GPA?

1. Play up your in-major GPA

Everyone plays up their strengths during the job search process and so should you. If your major GPA is higher than your overall GPA because you’re just so damn good at your field of study, then make sure to highlight it on your resume — especially if you’re applying to jobs that are related to your major. Don’t let that Intro to Computer Science class you took on freshman year drag you down!

If your major GPA isn’t higher, then that brings us to point #2…

2. Don’t place blame on anyone else.

One of the worst things you can do in an interview or on a resume is point fingers for the grades you earned. Maybe your French professor was the absolute worst and unfairly criticized every paper you wrote. Maybe you were dealing with issues outside of school that distracted you from your work, or maybe you took on so much for the semester that you realized halfway through that you bit off more than you could chew. Even if all of these things were true obstacles for you, they will come across as weak excuses and won’t make you look good during the job search process.

You can absolutely explain any valid reasons for why your schoolwork may have suffered to an employer, but the key is to take ownership of the consequences and talk about what you learned from the experience. Show the employer that you took the steps you needed to take to improve (or at the very least, identified areas for improvement in your academic life). You’ll come across as the type of person who is not only self-aware but also ready to get right back up after a fall.

3. Unless specifically asked, don’t include your GPA on your resume.

You should always, always be honest with employers, but because first impressions are so vital to the job search process – and because your resume will often be your first impression, leave your low GPA off your resume so that your other accomplishments stand out. (A good cut off point is below a 2.8.) You shouldn’t be discounted when you have so many other achievements that show what a great candidate you are.

On WayUp, we make it so that displaying your GPA on your public profile is optional, meaning that if you have a low GPA, you can easily hide it so that employers can focus more on all your incredible extracurriculars, related coursework and past work experience. If you are specifically asked to provide an employer with your GPA, be upfront and transparent right away.

As much as it may feel like your GPA is weighing you down, you will get hired. Good luck this semester and keep working hard! :).