Low GPA: How to make the best out of it to get a job

A very hard subject in a semester? A very strict grading professor? or just didn’t study hard enough? A low GPA can be because of a multitude of reasons. What is important is not what you have lost. Rather what you have is more important. So, if you think you have the skills necessary for a job or a position in a large company, do not let your GPA define your boundaries. Although, it does become harder for a person with a below par GPA to get a job in his desired domain, it is certainly not impossible.

Focus on your skills and justify your GPA

We would be lying if we say that a recruiter does not look at your GPA while judging your resume. But what could make him overlook it is how you present your skills and qualifications to him. Especially for freshers, the first thing that an HR recruiter looks for is your GPA. But what he needs for the position is your skills and experience with the job requirements. So, even though the numbers on the grading scale might not be satisfactory, their are ways you can divert a recruiters focus from them.

• Break down your GPA into subjects and identify if the ones where you scored low in were on the more complex side.

• If so, mention it as your separate coursework, as in, you learnt something important in that subject even though you didn’t score that well.

• Identify the subjects you scored well in and mention those too to drive the focus of the recruiter towards the individual high scores.

• Sometimes recruiters may forgive your low grades in a certain complex subject if it is mentioned in your resume.

• Dedicate more points to your skills and elaborate on them.

• Make sure only your relevant skills are mentioned and those too in the very beginning of your resume.

Divert focus from GPA to Non-academic achievements

Once the recruiter’s attention is diverted from your GPA, he will looks for reasons to hire you if not for the grades. This is where you need to have put in hard work in your non-academic part of college life.

• Make sure you have done ample internships, so that the recruiters knows you are somewhat experienced.

• An internship in the domain you are applying for can definitely improve your chances of getting the job.

• If you are already an intermediate and are looking for a domain change, mention your years of experience and what all you did in an elaborate fashion.

• Part time jobs also add to your employability aspect.

• If you have learnt some skills through academics that are relevant for the job, do mention whose in your resume.

• at the same time, if you have developed skills on a personal level, for example, online programming classes, etc. that also counts towards your knowledge of the domain.
• If you can get referrals for your application, that would definitely help as it makes the recruiter believe that even with a low GPA, this person is suitable for the job.

• Volunteer for NGOs and projects that can enhance your resume as well.

Be open about your strengths and weaknesses in the interview

Once your resume gets shortlisted and the recruiter has already overlooked your GPA based on your skills, it is still not the end. It is likely that the elephant in the room, that low GPA, is brought back up in the interview round. This is when your communication skills are put to test. How well you can prove your employability now comes down to how well to can justify your low GPA.

• Make sure you do not ignore the question or turn a blind eye to your low grades.

• If asked, address, with honesty, which sections you were unable to score on and why.

• Identify and explain the external factors, if any, like economic instability, health issues, etc. that would’ve caused your GPA to go down.

• Make sure you do not focus only on the GPA and try to bring the recruiter’s attention back to your achievements instead.

• Follow the general interview ethics like maintaining good posture, eye contact, clarity of voice, etc. to display your confidence and desperation for the job.

The Hireyy ATS package not only provides you help to portray your communication skills in your resume by experts but also gives you domain referrals and one on one mocks with industry veterans. Hireyy also provides 2800% more assured resume shortlisting, career support and 18 days average hiring from domain recruiters. Starting at Rs. 174 per month, the Hireyy ATS package can help you connect with alumni and partners at Deloitte, Microsoft, Google, etc. and get referrals from people in high positions. Connect with Hireyy on LinkedIn as well where you can further build connections with alumni and build a network of industry experts.

Also check out: How to train your communication skills for a job

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