sakky

I think what you mean to say is that without the grades, you won't even get the interview at all.

However, let me point out that grades only matter for getting your first job, and then they don't matter as much as some people think they do. I agree that grades may matter for certain employers. But you don't have to work for those employers, at least not for your first job. I see nothing wrong with working for an unprestigious company for a couple of years. And after those couple of years are over, nobody is going to care about what grades you had in undergrad, all they're going to care about is how well you've been doing your job.

I'll give you an example. I know a guy who almost flunked out of Berkeley chemical engineering, and graduated with a terrible GPA. Not only that, but he was not an American citizen (he was from India), so he had to find an employer who was willing to sponsor his work visa. So poor grades coupled with needing a visa - looks bleak, doesn't it? Nevertheless, he got into a quite prestigious financial firm in San Francisco doing equity research for biotech companies. Sure, he had to do a lot of legwork to find that job. But he got it.

lanky

bump an old thread with good points

Was searching google and ran across this thread. I was in the exact same position as OP a couple of years ago when I graduated. Only a top 20 Cpr Engr department. My GPA was garbage, around 2.6 when it was all said and done. I struggled year after year for a internship or co-op or just any related summer job and NEVER had luck, only plenty of interviews. Once graduation time came, I literally applied to hundreds of jobs across the country weekly. HUNDREDS, bagged a few interviews but no offers.

NEVER GIVE UP!

I settled with the first thing that walked in front of me. A quik cash company, sad I know and the customers asked about my background and was shocked like deer in headlights. "You work here and have what from where!" The job was dead end as a bill collector and I was fueled to get out. From there, I only listed my 'major'GPA and talked my way into a position at a research center of a university, (probably bottom 20 Cpr Engr department). Took classes while I was there, took advantage of the ease of a unranked school, bagged a high GPA for a M.S (only took 16mo) and re-flared my search at career fairs. Now I'm work for a Fortune 100/Dow Industrial company with a significant salary since I got that M.S from the sorry school. Of course, planning on another graduate degree, MBA probably.

Having a high GPA in engineering only provides the luxury of being able to click on a few websites or print off a few resumes and sit back while the offers roll in. Anything under a 3.0 and most likely you're have to hustle hard.

What did I learn after all of this. School Ranks DO NOT MATTER in INDUSTRY. I know what we all think and what is perceived but from my experience, GA Tech = Kennesaw college. I do, however, have some of the best interview and resume skills, I perfect every aspect of an interview and know immediately (from the handshake) if they're interested or not. Now, grad school is a different story. Doing my repeat season earlier, I also applied to PhD programs and was accepted based on my undergrad experience I believe.

boomer01

what was ur major GPA? Also you got into PhD program straight from undergrad with a 2.6?

311Griff

Another quick truth--which has little to do with the GPA side of discussion--to throw into this thread is from a handout my school's career center gives with a packet of information for finding internships/jobs. The handout is entitled "The A,B,C's of Job Hunting", and the very first tip reads"Always assume a job hunt will take months, not days or weeks, and plan accordingly."

lanky

My major GPA was 3.10. No, not accepted right after undergrad. I mentioned that I worked for a university and grabed a M.S with a 3.7(probably ~3.2 to a good school), then applied/accepted to PhD programs.

But don't assume it's not possible. I have friends in the physical sciences who have been accepted to graduate programs straight out of undergrad with less than steller GPAs and GRE scores. If you have a firm research plan and pick the right people for reconmmedations (maybe an alumnus for the particular school) with the strength of a well writter personal statement, miracles can happen.

js44

hey,

I completely agree with what u guys said. However I am currently in my sophomore year and i have 3.2. I do have a decent internship lined up though. I am a chemical engineering major. The pay in my internship is great ( about $21/hour) and chemEs in my University get paid a lot. The thing is gpa is falling and i am getting straight B and Cs throughout in my core courses. Do u guys think I'll have a decent chance of gettting a job after i graduate. I go to drexel university by the way. Not the top 20. but its consistently ranked as one of the most stressful engineering colleges in the country due to the extra hard course work.

Thanks
JS

sakky

Well, no, I can't agree that school ranks do not matter in industry. There really are engineering companies out there who place a tremendous premium on the school you went to - Google perhaps being the preeminent example.

"For the most part, it takes a degree from an Ivy League school, or MIT, Stanford, CalTech, or Carnegie Mellon--America's top engineering schools--even to get invited to interview. Brin and Page still keep a hand in all the hiring, from executives to administrative assistants. And to them, work experience counts far less than where you went to school, how you did on your SATs, and your grade-point average. "If you've been at Cisco for 20 years, they don't want you," says an employee. "

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu...5116/index.htm

The truth is, schools like MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley and the like really do get an edge when it comes to engineering recruiting. Schools like that really do give you some instant credibility both in the interview and while you're on the job. Furthermore, there are some companies out there that really will only recruit at the very best schools. You can still get into these companies if you don't go to these schools, but it's harder because you have to fight just to get the interview, whereas if you go to one of those schools, you just sign up for the interview.

However, I also agree that school prestige is far from decisive, and personal skills and knowledge matter more, especially in the long run. School prestige gets your foot in the door. But it won't land you the job by itself.

dallas808

From my own experience, the school prestige helps most during the first few years of your career, especially that first job. Beyond that, what count most is the most recent professional experience, i.e. what have you done for me lately.

I have been on the recruiter side myself. From my perspective, the GPA is the *only* indicator of how well one can master technical subjects. Given that most engineers have to constantly keep up with latest development in their respective fields, recruiters are more inclined to hire those who have already demonstrated that ability. I personally view "3.0" as the middle ground. The yard stick is also frequently used as the cutoff point for campus interview.

Reputable programs tend to attract more recruiters to campus. Ask yourself: if you were to recruit in Texas for a day, where would you most likely go to maximize your yield?

My advise for those don't have the minimum GPA: Develop and focus on your speciality skills. Some recruiters look for a specific skill/experience and are willing to look past the GPA.

bigbossdogg

Me too, Im from UMich with a 2.6 GPA in my junior year. I am a computer engineering major and really had no solid internship. I was thinking about getting into financial analysis from here but it looks reall bleak. The only thing I can look to do now is pray for a decent software company t hire me.

dleray

job opportunities guide in engineering:


Tier I Opps: Google, Microsoft, Video game design, I-Banking, MG Consulting, etc. "Dream Jobs"
Tier II Opps: GE, Boeing, Raytheon, UTC, Govt. Labs, etc. Solid pay, good career aspects..just not quite a "dream" job
Tier III Opps: "Lesser" Fortune 500's, engineering roles.
Tier IV Opps: Entry-level opps in business etc with other college grads or engineering work at Joe's Engineering outfit down the st.

4.0 level, T1 School: Good chance at Tier I opps
3.5 level T1=4.0 T2 School: Small chance at Tier I, Good chance at Tier II
3.0 level T1=3.5 T2 School: Small chance at Tier II, Good chance at Tier III
2.5 level T1=3.0 T2 School: Small chance at Tier III, Good chance at Tier IV
<2.5 at T1, <3 at T2: Very tough chance of a job

so it seems. I would say its alot easier to score a 3.5 at a T2 school than a 3.0 at a T1 school though, so choose carefully!

For a reasonably smart student I think T2 is the better option. If you truly excel, you can still have a chance (albeit a small one) at the "dream" jobs and definitely will get a good job.

bsbllallstr8

meh a friend got a job w/ microsoft with under a 3.4 ....

naff

this is hilarious... Michigan is not top 5 at all. HYPMS is top 5.

Simple reason.... you are competing with people like my sister, who went to UMichigan and got a 3.87. Prestigious colleges are not overrated...it's your all about your GPA.

moondogguy

I too graduated from a top 5 engineering college with a fairly low (close to the original posters') GPA. I found a very good job though with little effort. The trick was to identify a nitch that certain employers would really find appealing for their area, but not many students focus on. Has been many years since I graduated college, but as someone who now frequently recruites engineers for his employer I can safely say the concept still applies. For example, I am employed in the nuclear power industry. When recruiting electrical engineers at a college, it's amazing how many students are focused on the exciting, state of the art fields such as communications (as in cell phones), computers, etc. They are a dime a dozen. But just try to find someone who is truly interested in the decades old tried and true field of electrical distribution (circuit breakers, switchgear, breaker and load coordination, fault protection, power transformers, etc.), especially if they have taken a few courses on those topics demonstrating real interest. They are worth their weight in gold. Plus much of this equipment is being updated in the plants with new technology. Makes the field not quite so outdated. If I am lucky enough to find an engineering student that fits the bill, I jump at the chance regardless of the GPA. (I take that back. I suppose if it were less than a 2.5, I still might have some reservations.)

quicksilver40133

Hey, now, just because an engineering school isn't in the top 5 doesn't make it a "bad" school. Any ABET-accredited institution isn't half bad, and employers know it. If you can't muster a major GPA of 3.0 or better (forget classes like English, history, etc) then perhaps the employers are justified? I know this will be an unpopular post, but accreditation boards exist for a reason... to ensure graduates know enough about a core set of information. Ideally, if you know as much as your buddies who went to less-well-ranked schools, you should have the same gpa in major courses. Of course, in the real world, classes might be a little more demanding at the nicer unis, but you sort of brought that on yourself, no? Employers like ambition, but they prefer people who can follow through on it.

Mr100%

had i read this thread last year, i probably would have switched major. i'm also from UMich, junior (class standing) with a borderline 3 GPA in engin. OP's situation is totally depressing. most desirable internships have a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 or higher. looks like i'll most likely end up with some less desirable company or even being unemployed after graduation.

wow, after all this grief...graduation might just become the beginning of unemployment.