As a recent graduate of a CS program, I am looking for my first job. My GPA was not above 3.0, but incredibly close. Should I still put my GPA on my resume, or is it best to leave it out?
Also, is it best to submit a resume as a PDF or a DOC file?
+2
A:
I agree with @jjnquy, the GPA is only a crude measure, and don't worry about it unless they ask. Go for pdf, though - most people won't care, and those who do care a lot will be more likely to be people who are annoyed with .doc.
Peter
2009-10-08 05:36:58
+1
A:
put your GPA in your resume. Be proud of it, you earned it.. Your resume should be in whichever format your prospective employer wants it. Keep a copy as PDF, DOC, HTML and printed out.
Andrew Keith
2009-10-08 05:36:59
+1
A:
My personal opinion is by leaving your GPA off, you are showing you have something to hide. I am currently about to graduate and have a GPA just BARELY under a 3.0. With that, I have been getting a lot of interview requests and such. I have got the occasional, we have a HARD 3.0 requirement but that has only happened with maybe two companies out of 20 or so I have spoke with. So I say, leave it on there. If possible, add in your CS GPA as well as your overall GPA. I did much better in my CS courses compared to the foreign language requirements and other classes of that nature that didn't directly relate.
I usually upload with a PDF as it usually means less chance for formatting to get messed up.
If you have experience and the right skills, that is all that matters. As others have commented, be proud of your GPA.
statikfx
2009-10-08 05:39:40
I have been leaving mine off. I have never heard, "What are you hiding from us?"
jjnguy
2009-10-08 05:42:47
Maybe hiding isn't the correct wording. Many of my attempts with internships in previous years resulted in the recruiter instantly asking me about my GPA before even continuing on with anything else. When they asked, I felt as if they were silently judging why I might not have put it on there. That is just my personal experience/opinion.
statikfx
2009-10-08 05:46:45
A:
On to PDF vs DOC subject... In my experience, if applying through a Recruitment Agency or a large company's HR department ALWAYS use .doc. Recruiters will sometimes want to edit your resume and remove contact details and the like before passing it on to their clients. Remember, a recruiter may get hundreds of resumes for any given opening, if they have trouble opening yours, or they can't edit it if they want to then it's no problem for them to simply throw it away and move onto the next one.
If you're applying for a job with an open source company you probably want to use a PDF (or OpenDocument) as they're more likely to be "annoyed" by a .doc file.
For everyone else it just doesn't seem to matter.
Jim.
Jim OHalloran
2009-10-08 06:06:21
+1
A:
"Don't think of a résumé as a way to get a job: think of it as a way to give some hiring manager an excuse to hit DELETE. At least technically, your résumé has to be perfect to survive."
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/ResumeRead.html
That advice would suggest that you not list your GPA if it might cause your resume to be screened out. As for PDF vs DOC I would always use PDF especially when submitting through a recruiter. A DOC is editable and the recruiter will mess up all your formatting, add their own advertisements and in extreme cases (yes I have had an interviewee claim this happened) add skills that you don't have.
You want to be in control of the document that gets delivered to the customer. Also, bring copies of your resume with you to any interview.
Andrew
2009-10-08 07:11:55
Any PDF can be edited as well, and or converted to .DOC and perverted as you describe. The format you submit has to be whatever the solicitation requires. If it doesn't, send it in plain-text: It's just as useful, and requires no special software to read.
Chris Kaminski
2009-10-08 17:47:57
A:
I have never once been asked my GPA in an interview and have never once put it on my resume.
HLGEM
2009-10-08 17:44:12