Any engineers in here do poorly with undergrad grades...

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
TBH I don't think GPA should matter. 90% of the time the 4.0 students got tests/homework/etc from friends/greek house/previous students and don't actually know the material, they just manage to memorize.

This is exactly what someone would say who did poorly and can't get over it.

 

[Deeko]

GPA is a poor indicator of talent/ability. Some companies do use it to screen candidates, but many do not. It obviously can only help you to have a higher GPA, but having a lower one doesn't always hurt. Especially if you got lower grades because you spent your time doing useful things in college, like working (relevant) jobs or being involved on campus.

To directly answer the question posed in the OP, I graduated with a 2.87 in computer science (college of engineering at my school), and I certainly had no trouble finding a job...I got offers from all but one company I interviewed with (MS, who is still offering me interviews), and no, my "lack of studying" has not affected my ability to do my job in the slightest.

 

[Imdmn04]

GPA matters for some companies.

Many Fortune 500 companies will care, some will not. Having a good GPA can't hurt your chances, where have a crappy GPA will POSSIBLY hurt your chances.

 

[Kirby64]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
TBH I don't think GPA should matter. 90% of the time the 4.0 students got tests/homework/etc from friends/greek house/previous students and don't actually know the material, they just manage to memorize.

This is exactly what someone would say who did poorly and can't get over it.

Too true

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
It's hard to get the interview with a low GPA (I received a resume where the person had a 2.3 GPA and tried to explain that by saying he worked 20 hours a week...immediately scrapped). Personally, if I see in the interview that you have excellent problem solving skills and are dependable, I don't care what your GPA is. I'll take an excellent problem solver with a 2.0 GPA over someone with shitty problem solving skills and a 4.0GPA.

of course, on the other hand, if you have a 4.0 GPA it's likely you're a good problem solver.

Not necessarily. I said that because we hired a PE recently who had a 2.7GPA over one who had a 3.8 GPA because the guy with the 2.7 was a much better problem solver than the guy with the 3.8.

Just because you can get the grades doesn't mean you are an effective problem solver on the job.

Just wondering how you determined he was a better problem solver.

I'm really wondering how people will view my grades. I'm only at a 3.2 GPA, but I'll be graduating with 2 hard majors in the 4 year period, several non-trivial minors, and have over a year of research experience so far (and likely over 2 years of it by the time I graduate).

 

[LongCoolMother]

I think its silly how people can claim that GPA does or doesn't matter. As with all things, it DOES matter, but to an extent. I can point to many job listings from large employers that state minimum and preferred GPAs. That alone shows that GPA does matter.

But to claim that GPA is everything (which nobody in this thread seems to claim) is also silly. It's like with any other quality in a candidate. Does it help to be polite? It's not everything, but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter. People who say "GPA only helps in securing the interview." Well, then, there you have it, GPA does matter.

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: josh0099

Originally posted by: MasterOfKtulu109
most companies want to see a 3.0+

and any company will train you. they just see your grades as a reflection of your ability to think critically and work efficiently.

Eh other then top end companies thats not really true...The demand for engineers are pretty high and they are willing to take what they get for the most part...

I didn't find any companies that didn't at least say a 3.0 was recommended. Most of the time 3.0 was required.

Originally posted by: oiprocs
Well, I'm Structural Engineering, which if you ask all the other engineers, is the easiest of the majors. Hand in hand with Civil I suppose.

It's not just that I'm worried about my engineering grades, but rather what came before it. My first three years resulted in a GPA of <2.0, mainly because I didn't care about what I studied so I just kept switching majors every time classes got difficult.

I'm concerned that I'll have to maintain an A- average to show employers that I can be a productive worker, that once I found a major that interested me, my grades were a lot better. I was born with soft skills, the ability to talk, communicate easily, write well, etc., so I'm worried that technically I won't be up to snuff.

You might have more trouble but you should still be able to find a job. Realize that you might have to bust your ass to get it though. Apply EVERYWHERE, OFTEN.

Originally posted by: BrownTown

Originally posted by: LS21

Originally posted by: oiprocs
I was born with soft skills, the ability to talk, communicate easily, write well, etc., so I'm worried that technically I won't be up to snuff.

these skills are essential! you'll need to be able to talk yourself out of blame when your bridge fails and kill 80 people!!!!

LOL, but seriously, those are the skills that 80% of engineers DON'T have, so on one hand that will be very desireable, on the other hand if you are good at those and not at engineering classes then maybe you should go into buisness instead of engineering? Although if you do become an engineer and have those skills it won't really matter how good your engineering is because in a few years you'll be a manager and not have to worry about designing things. Or you could just go be an engineering salesperson, that way you don't design stuff you just pitch your companies designs to customers and stuff.

There is much truth to this.

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
I think its silly how people can claim that GPA does or doesn't matter. As with all things, it DOES matter, but to an extent. I can point to many job listings from large employers that state minimum and preferred GPAs. That alone shows that GPA does matter.

But to claim that GPA is everything (which nobody in this thread seems to claim) is also silly. It's like with any other quality in a candidate. Does it help to be polite? It's not everything, but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter. People who say "GPA only helps in securing the interview." Well, then, there you have it, GPA does matter.

This is very solid info as well.

<- grad with EE may 2007.

 

[BarneyFife]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
TBH I don't think GPA should matter. 90% of the time the 4.0 students got tests/homework/etc from friends/greek house/previous students and don't actually know the material, they just manage to memorize.

This is exactly what someone would say who did poorly and can't get over it.

The majority of people that I know that got 4.0 worked their ass off and knew the stuff inside out. Amazing dedication.

 

[villageidiot111]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
TBH I don't think GPA should matter. 90% of the time the 4.0 students got tests/homework/etc from friends/greek house/previous students and don't actually know the material, they just manage to memorize.

This is exactly what someone would say who did poorly and can't get over it.

The majority of people that I know that got 4.0 worked their ass off and knew the stuff inside out. Amazing dedication.

I don't know anybody who managed to pull off a 4.0 without putting a lot of work into it. Sure people cheat, but its still extremely hard to cheat to the extent of getting a 4.0.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother
hence the likely

Well, you can say that it's likely, but I don't believe that it is likely. I used to be a strong proponent of GPA being a great classifier of ability (as Deeko can attest to), but I've shifted far away from that opinion when I got into the recruiting of engineers.

Well, I go to an engineering school, and the people with perfect/close to perfect GPAs know their shit. And when I say know their shit, I mean it.

 

[maxcaleb]

I graduated in CompSci with <2.7, and am a successful Software Engineer in Silicon Valley.

Some companies care, some don't, it's that simple. A good GPA certainly won't hurt though, so it's a matter of priorities. If I could go back I wouldn't do anything differently.

 

[josh0099]

Originally posted by: thepd7

Originally posted by: josh0099

Originally posted by: MasterOfKtulu109
most companies want to see a 3.0+

and any company will train you. they just see your grades as a reflection of your ability to think critically and work efficiently.

Eh other then top end companies thats not really true...The demand for engineers are pretty high and they are willing to take what they get for the most part...

I didn't find any companies that didn't at least say a 3.0 was recommended. Most of the time 3.0 was required.

You must of not looked very hard or things must of changed vastly over the last year, obviously I am not talking about NVIDA or Intel, etc...but the vast majority of electrical engineering jobs anyway that I see do not require a 3.0. Usually there is no mentioned of a recommended GPA even, not saying you shouldn't strive for a high GPA, but I know people that have good jobs this year without having a 3.0+. It seems like the ATOT elite crowd has taken over on a lot of this and I don't see the normal person represented very well.

Here is a job in Dallas, Texas saw in your profile that you were from Texas, but I don't know the state very well so it might be far away but none the less no mention of GPA or a recommended GPA.

Text

So just to say not having a 3.0 GPA is not the end of the world in engineering.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
It's hard to get the interview with a low GPA (I received a resume where the person had a 2.3 GPA and tried to explain that by saying he worked 20 hours a week...immediately scrapped). Personally, if I see in the interview that you have excellent problem solving skills and are dependable, I don't care what your GPA is. I'll take an excellent problem solver with a 2.0 GPA over someone with shitty problem solving skills and a 4.0GPA.

of course, on the other hand, if you have a 4.0 GPA it's likely you're a good problem solver.

Not necessarily. I said that because we hired a PE recently who had a 2.7GPA over one who had a 3.8 GPA because the guy with the 2.7 was a much better problem solver than the guy with the 3.8.

Just because you can get the grades doesn't mean you are an effective problem solver on the job.

It could be that you misinterpreted their different levels of "problem solving skills" on the day of the interview. Did you even consider that? It may take weeks of working with someone before you really know how effective they are as a "problem solver"

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
TBH I don't think GPA should matter. 90% of the time the 4.0 students got tests/homework/etc from friends/greek house/previous students and don't actually know the material, they just manage to memorize.

OTOH though, most companies look at the GPA as a reflection of your work ethic so I would say if you are worried about having poor grades you might want to look into another degree. Not even a non-eng field, just go from say Electrical>Mechanical may be more of what you understand and comprehend easier (making it easier to do the work and get good grades)

That's a problem with the education system, not the GPA system - professors shouldn't be using the same tests/homework every year. I make it a point to never give tests that are even similar to the previous years' exams. The undergrads hate it that they have to actually work and know the material.

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
I can point to many job listings from large employers that state minimum and preferred GPAs. That alone shows that GPA does matter.

OBVIOUSLY, a higher gpa will help ones chances of landing a job. gpa is used by some company as a screening tool, to reduce a large pool of candidates. everything ELSE being equal, why wouldnt one prefer a candidate with better qualifications in any category -- grades, in this case.

the claim is not that bad grades = better chances of landing job.... it is that grades != indicative of performance AT job (whatever it may be)

 

[TecHNooB]

I'm just hoping my gpa will get me a higher starting salary

 

[bonkers325]

Originally posted by: oiprocs
...and didn't have any problems at their first job? Did the lack of studying (or whatever cause) result in an inability to do your job efficiently?

work for a big firm: you can hide behind other engineers and get away with incompetency

work for a small firm: you will get crushed by your incompetency

edit:
and GPA is definitely not an indicator of intelligence or talent. your interviewer will figure out how intelligent you are in the first 5 seconds of the interview, and your talent will be evaluated through technical exercises. GPA is an indicator of work ethic. people with high GPA's are much better and are generally more efficient workers than their lower-GPA counterparts

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
It's hard to get the interview with a low GPA (I received a resume where the person had a 2.3 GPA and tried to explain that by saying he worked 20 hours a week...immediately scrapped). Personally, if I see in the interview that you have excellent problem solving skills and are dependable, I don't care what your GPA is. I'll take an excellent problem solver with a 2.0 GPA over someone with shitty problem solving skills and a 4.0GPA.

of course, on the other hand, if you have a 4.0 GPA it's likely you're a good problem solver.

Not necessarily. I said that because we hired a PE recently who had a 2.7GPA over one who had a 3.8 GPA because the guy with the 2.7 was a much better problem solver than the guy with the 3.8.

Just because you can get the grades doesn't mean you are an effective problem solver on the job.

So you asked two PE's for their college GPA's?

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: bonkers325

Originally posted by: oiprocs
...and didn't have any problems at their first job? Did the lack of studying (or whatever cause) result in an inability to do your job efficiently?

work for a big firm: you can hide behind other engineers and get away with incompetency

work for a small firm: you will get crushed by your incompetency

edit:
and GPA is definitely not an indicator of intelligence or talent. your interviewer will figure out how intelligent you are in the first 5 seconds of the interview, and your talent will be evaluated through technical exercises. GPA is an indicator of work ethic. people with high GPA's are much better and are generally more efficient workers than their lower-GPA counterparts

smarter people are usually more work efficient than stupid people. And yes, smarter people tend to get better grades than stupider people.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

I'm midway through my last term and you really have to give up or not give a shit to do "poorly" (i.e. sub 70%-ish).

Yikes, that almost implies that Engineering is an easy major ?

Don't know about anyone else, but my undergrad degree came from an Engineering school where 75 was the fail/pass mark and you had to write a thesis as well.

re: the importance/relevance of GPA. While I would tend to say it is as much an indicator of effort as overall intelligence, I would bet that's also the line of thinking of the hiring companies/recruiters.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: MasterOfKtulu109
most companies want to see a 3.0+

and any company will train you. they just see your grades as a reflection of your ability to think critically and work efficiently.

Can't say grades are too good of an idicator of the former.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother
hence the likely

Well, you can say that it's likely, but I don't believe that it is likely. I used to be a strong proponent of GPA being a great classifier of ability (as Deeko can attest to), but I've shifted far away from that opinion when I got into the recruiting of engineers.

That's what I've always suspected.
It's unfortunate that more people does not realize this.
The problem is that too much of these science classes are taught through route memorization of arcane terms and facts rather than reasoning, analyzing, critical thinking, and problem solving.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Originally posted by: astroidea

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother
hence the likely

Well, you can say that it's likely, but I don't believe that it is likely. I used to be a strong proponent of GPA being a great classifier of ability (as Deeko can attest to), but I've shifted far away from that opinion when I got into the recruiting of engineers.

That's what I've always suspected.
It's unfortunate that more people does not realize this.
The problem is that too much of these science classes are taught through route memorization of arcane terms and facts rather than reasoning, analyzing, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Obviously you didn't go to the same school I did!! :shocked:

 

[Gamingphreek]

I am a Sophomore in Comp Sci and I have a 2.65 GPA right now.

There are a couple things that I have heard that can help:
1. I go to a very well respected Engineering School in VT
2. Grades are typically low for Freshman year due to weed out classes (Physics, Chemistry, Engineering Education)
3. I was headed towards Computer Engineering when I decided to switch to Computer Science
4. As soon as I can get some Comp Sci courses under my belt, I can report my in major GPA (Which will be very high ~3.5) instead of my cumulative GPA.

Right now I want to work for the CIA, NSA, or DoD doing Network Security and Counter-Security. They want a 3.0+ GPA so right now I have to get my GPA up as a whole (Even though I will be reporting in Major GPA most of the time-- MultiVariable I had a bad teacher as with Physics and Calc-- Diff Eq though is going great )

-Kevin