Will a 2.5 GPA in college seriously hamper my chances of getting a CS/IS/IT job?

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: Platypus
It won't matter after your first job.. just go somewhere that's desperate for a warm body and do well there.

this.
my grades weren't that great in college. in my major they were pretty good, but overall i had a 2.8 or so.

Not that I'm a model of success or anything, but I took a job in a small town, put in my two years there and the next job came with a 50% pay raise.

so basically get a first job, get experience and that will trump everything.

 

[imported_inspire]

Yeah it will for entry level positions. Once you get some experience though, it'll be cool, but given the current economy....

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: thepd7

Originally posted by: Deeko
I graduated with a 2.82 and I've done just fine.

when did you get hired again?

Right out of college, 2007, Lockheed Martin - ironically, they were the only company I interviewed with that even asked me what my GPA was.

 

[Legendary]

I graduated Math and CS with a cumulative GPA of 2.9 and a major GPA of 3.1 - neither GPAs are listed on my resume.
Didn't have any trouble finding a job twice since May 2007.

 

[alkemyst]

I'd worry more about not realizing your 'PC' is not the monitor (no need to link all in one units).

 

[Brainonska511]

Didn't you just enter college?

Why don't you sit your ass down and learn material instead of trying to figure out what the minimum is to squeak through?

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: thepd7

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: Deeko

If it comes down to an interview, I'd hope the interviewer is capable of asking more relevant questions than "what was your GPA".

Also, OP, get an internship. Someone with a decent internship and a 2.5 will be by far a more productive than someone with no internship and a 3.5. Virtually every time.

You forget that in this job market, HR shifts through a stack of resumes just to narrow it down to who they are even going to interview.

Well, that's why I clarified "if it comes down to an interview"

I graduated June 2007 - and have gotten a new job twice since then. I just don't list my GPA. Yes - my past internship experience and practical experience (senior design project won all kinds of awards) probably separate my resume from the standard 2.5 GPA + worked the Gap, but still. Hasn't been a problem for me.

You have to admit that most people with a 2.5 don't have all this.

Therefore, if the general question is, does a 2.5 matter? yes, you bet your ass for a first job out of school in this market (market wasn't bad in 2007, hell I got a job and I'm an idiot).

As I posted above - practical experience/internships are way more important. If you have the option of working a little harder on your schoolwork, or getting an internship - the internship WILL be more beneficial. Not only will you gain more useful skills, it will look better to employers.

 

[Modelworks]

If you are 2.5GPA or lower in college for your chosen career you might want to ask yourself if that is really the right career for you.

 

[Insomniator]

I really doubt it, though I may have a rare situation. Graduated with a 2.7 overall/3.5 IT at Rutgers. Did nothing for 2 months then interviewed to join a temp agency. An hour after that interview they had a guy call me for a ~2 month assignment. He didn't even ask me what my GPA was... all he asked was where I went to school and what my interests are. Hired 6 months later (about a month ago).

So depending on what you find, I really doubt the GPA will matter. The only time my GPA ever came up was when I interviewed for Goldman Sachs my senior year of school... they basically said wtf is with your GPA and I had no chance. Not sure how I even got that interview.

I did intern as an IT support member for Wiley publishing the summer after senior year though so that may have helped my resume. They didn't ask for my GPA there either though even though it was a giant 1200 employee headquarters in Hoboken.

 

[OCGuy]

Picking up dog shit for the city isnt that bad.

 

[LW07]

I'm just a freshman, so when would i get an internship or other experience?

Just took my first college tests today and didn't do so well on them, thats why I ask about the 2.5 GPA.

I'm supposed to graduate in 2013, so i don't know how the job market will be then.

Right now, the way i solve problems on my computer is to just google the problem and then ask for help on the tech-related forums here and then to just reformat and reinstall windows if need be. I get easily frustrated with malfunctioning computers/software, so should I reconsider my IT degree?

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: LW07
I'm just a freshman, so when would i get an internship or other experience?

Typically you would look for one in the last two years of your degree.

LW07, to be perfectly blunt, you need to get your shit together.

2.5 is just being lazy in my opinion, ESPECIALLY so early on in your schooling, it gets much harder. Buckle down and make the grades and you won't have to worry about working some dead-end helpdesk job making no money. I do not say this to sound like a hardass or to scold you but seriously pick your feet up.

 

[dr150]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I graduated with a 2.82 and I've done just fine.

Dude..........is working at the Geek Squad at Best Buy really doing "just fine"?

 

[slsmnaz]

never listed my gpa and it didn't hurt me. Been here almost 10yrs and still no one has asked about my college gpa. Weird huh?

 

[CrazyDe1]

Should it? No. Will it in practice? Yep. Do you even want to work at a company where it matters? That's debateable.

One of the the smartest engineers I know just graduated high school. He knows and can do things with multiple technologies (hardware, embedded software, back end and front end web development) that guys with 20 or 30 experience can't. At my last company we interviewed 30 guys brought to us by recruiters and this kid blows them all away. He works as an intern for my buddy at $18.00 an hour. The reason why? He doesn't have a college degree so he doesn't make it through the initial screening process at most companies.

What you'll find is companies willing to think out of the box and hire the best talent regardless of background (some of the best coders I know have physics and applied math degrees) are more pleasant to work for and you'll learn more. It'll be a more rewarding experience.

Of course, all this assumes that you're good at what you do

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: dr150

Originally posted by: Deeko
I graduated with a 2.82 and I've done just fine.

Dude..........is working at the Geek Squad at Best Buy really doing "just fine"?

Well, that's kinda close.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: LW07
I'm just a freshman, so when would i get an internship or other experience?

Just took my first college tests today and didn't do so well on them, thats why I ask about the 2.5 GPA.

I'm supposed to graduate in 2013, so i don't know how the job market will be then.

Right now, the way i solve problems on my computer is to just google the problem and then ask for help on the tech-related forums here and then to just reformat and reinstall windows if need be. I get easily frustrated with malfunctioning computers/software, so should I reconsider my IT degree?

What's you actual major? Being able to fix a problem with your computer has very little to do with a college education or what you'll do with a college degree. Unless you plan on working help desk the resk of your life, Nick Burns style.

Get internships early and often. My college is a 5 years program for a BS, with the middle 3 years being 6 months of class / 6 months of co-op.

 

[xchangx]

Originally posted by: LW07
I'm just a freshman, so when would i get an internship or other experience?

Just took my first college tests today and didn't do so well on them, thats why I ask about the 2.5 GPA.

I'm supposed to graduate in 2013, so i don't know how the job market will be then.

Right now, the way i solve problems on my computer is to just google the problem and then ask for help on the tech-related forums here and then to just reformat and reinstall windows if need be. I get easily frustrated with malfunctioning computers/software, so should I reconsider my IT degree?

I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. Wait a couple of years to see if that really what you want to do. You could try getting a job at best buy or your school's help desk.

 

[dmw16]

With a 2.5 how will you even graduate? My engineering program required better than 2.5 to even graduate.

 

[OCGuy]

Having to be a fluffer for ladyboy porn in Thailand isnt that bad.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: rdubbz420
you need college for an IT job?

Most decent IT positions will require it.

yeah ive kinda decided to suck it up and go for my BS after i finish my associates. i dont wanna do more school but, its like a teacher said to me..."youre used to being broke now, just as well get it over with"

also ill have work experience. im planning on that helping out a lot.

Originally posted by: LW07
I'm just a freshman, so when would i get an internship or other experience?

Just took my first college tests today and didn't do so well on them, thats why I ask about the 2.5 GPA.

buckle down and actually study some. i could get a 2.5 in my sleep, i study to keep a ~3.8 (i dont study maths so i cant be specific )

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: LW07
I'm just a freshman, so when would i get an internship or other experience?

Just took my first college tests today and didn't do so well on them, thats why I ask about the 2.5 GPA.

I'm supposed to graduate in 2013, so i don't know how the job market will be then.

Right now, the way i solve problems on my computer is to just google the problem and then ask for help on the tech-related forums here and then to just reformat and reinstall windows if need be. I get easily frustrated with malfunctioning computers/software, so should I reconsider my IT degree?

Do you actually enjoy the IT stuff you've done so far? If not, change it. If it's a case of you enjoying it but not being so great, I'd stick to it and work hard at least through the first semester of your second year. Like Platypus says, it gets much more difficult in second and third year. If you still feel like you're screwed after that semester, explore other options.

 

[LW07]

my main problem is my Calculus course, as the professor(as he himself admitted and i found out today) makes his tests EXTREMELY hard. I studied for it 3 hours the night before, not to mention my working on the homework, and still didn't do as well as I'd have liked.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: LW07
my main problem is my Calculus course, as the professor(as he himself admitted and i found out today) makes his tests EXTREMELY hard. I studied for it 3 hours the night before, not to mention my working on the homework, and still didn't do as well as I'd have liked.

I feel your pain on this one but you can always take classes again in college/university. I took the same Calculus/Statistics/Probability class 3 fucking times before I got a grade I wanted and I put hours and hours into it every night.

A big adjustment you might need to make, especially considering what your GPA is now, is that you can't just study the night before for something. You need to make a commitment to review and use the math daily. Think of it like a language.. if you're trying to learn German and you don't use it except the night before meeting someone, are you going to have a good grasp on it?

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: Deeko

If it comes down to an interview, I'd hope the interviewer is capable of asking more relevant questions than "what was your GPA".

Also, OP, get an internship. Someone with a decent internship and a 2.5 will be by far a more productive than someone with no internship and a 3.5. Virtually every time.

You forget that in this job market, HR shifts through a stack of resumes just to narrow it down to who they are even going to interview.

Yep. If you had asked me this question several years ago, I would have said nah, you'll be fine (IT, specifically though). These days, that GPA is going to carry some weight, especially with no experience.