<p>Have a S that will “hopefully” graduate in May (a yr. late) with a less than stellar gpa. We (H & I) have been dealing w/ a lot of issues w/ him. He actually spent his senior yr. on a medical leave. He is currently in counseling. He attended a semester at our local state school last spring and achieved a 4.0. He went back to his college and we expected him to graduate in Dec., but it did not happen. So now he is taking one course at our local state, transferring it back, and will graduate in May.</p>
<p>Assuming he gets a C or better in the computer programming class he is taking now, he will graduate in the spring from a top ranked LAC. His major is physics and he has a minor in math. As I said, his gpa is not great. However, he never failed a course and was never on probation. </p>
<p>He is really smart. He just has other issues–no ambition, motivation. As said, he is in counseling. He is graduating from a well respected school w/ a physics/ math degree. His SAT I & II’s in math and physics were very high 700s. Would have probably been perfect if he gave a crap and studied. </p>
<p>So the question is-----How do you explain a less than stellar gpa in a job interview when you are actually a very smart person?</p>
<p>Physics is a hard major to get fabulous grades in. I should know–I have a physics major D who graduated from a top ranked college and I certainly wouldn’t want to try to explain her GPA in an interview. </p>
<p>Here’s what happened: her grades never came up in an interview! If there is not a GPA cutoff for applications and if you get an interview, the interviewer is interested in you as a person and what you could bring to the company. Are you engaging? Do you sound ambitious? Do you sound passionate? What did you do in those classes that might have some relevance to the job at hand? Will you fit in with the group?</p>
<p>I can only assume that the mindset of the interviewers was: Oh, you graduated from XXX College. That’s good enough for me. Moving on to more important things…</p>
<p>If asked, I’d say that I love the study of physics and math, but they turned out to be very difficult subjects to get an A in. No matter how hard I worked there were people in my class who were absolute geniuses in the subjects. I could have switched to a different major where it would have been easier to get better grades–but I really do like physics and math. So I decided to do the best that I could in the subjects and be satisfied with that. [The answer that the physics-loving son of one of my friends gave his parents when they asked him if he shouldn’t major in something other than physics.]</p>
<p>I wouldn’t get in to a big discussion about how I could have done better but I had a prior lack of motivation and ambition and needed to take a medical leave. THAT’s a deal killer explanation!</p>
<p>ellemenope–I like your suggestion and will pass it along to him. What is the job your D has?</p>
<p>My S is kind of lost and does not know what he wants to do. We live in a small town with not a lot of options. Plus w/ the poor economy, I’m not sure what kind of job he could get.</p>
<p>Morrismm, is DS only looking for jobs in your area? It’s pretty commom for kids to go to where the jobs are. Of course that’s difficult right now but there are jobs out there, especially if he has programming skills. It may really be a negative to him moving forward if he stays home where employment using his skills is unlikely.</p>
<p>My DS’s friend with engineering/CS majors are getting jobs all over the Country and finding that in places like Huston and Charlotte there are many jobs to be had. And in that arena, GPA doesn’t seem to be a key factor.</p>
<p>hmom5–S is home right now because he is finishing up one course–the computer programming course–at our local state school. He will transfer it back to his school and graduate in May. After that, he is willing to relocate but I know he does not know how to go about finding a job in companies hundreds of miles away. And his lack of motivation and ambition is still a big problem.</p>
<p>morrismm- Has he been in touch with the Career Center (or equivalent) at his school? They should be able to help him to handle the process, but he will need to find the motivation and follow-through to make that work for him.</p>
<p>Agree that he should check the resources of the Career Center at his LAC and the state school where he is taking a course. Attend job fairs at the school(s). See which companies interview/recruit at those schools and sign up. Prior to that, avail himself of practice interview and resume design help from the Career Center(s).</p>
<p>My S is in a field (Engineering) where it is customary (expected? required?) to put your GPA on your resume. But your S could omit that and see how it goes. Numerous companies have their job application process online. S got an internship interview purely via submitting his resume online, and held that internship for 2 summers.</p>
<p>OP’s S should also use the Career Center(s) and/or Alumni Directory to id alums currently working at companies that might interest him. Contact them for informational and/or job interviews. Much of this is done via email these days.</p>
<p>S applied for post-graduation jobs using Career Services and eventually had two offers. He did not limit himself geographically.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, one of the reasons his gpa is low is because he was not attending class or doing the work. (As I mentioned in opening thread–we have been dealing w/ a lot of issues) We could not get him to attend class let alone the Career Center. Although we did try to get him to go to the Career Center. It was hell getting him to complete his senior physics project/thesis. That had to be done in residence, so that is where our energy was focused last semester.</p>
<p>He is currently auditing a 5 week class at our state school that is titled Career Prep. They are working on resumes, cover letters and mock interviews. At least this is forcing him to get this done.</p>
<p>The alum connection is a great idea if he would act on it. His frat at his school has a career expo every year in NYC. He always says he is going to go and then doesn’t.</p>
<p>I know that we are dealing w/ many issues. He may have a lot of explaining to do–not great gpa, 5 yrs. to graduate–and I was just wondering if there were suggestions on how to deal with it.</p>
<p>You really have your hands full! The thing that runs through my mind is that him living at home in a small town with not many jobs in his field might be the worst possible thing for all. </p>
<p>Does he have friends who are moving to cities after graduation? Would it be possible for you to help him a bit to join some friends in one of these places? He can probably work temp jobs or get a basic job while he’s looking for a real one.</p>
<p>Getting out into the world with kids in the same position might be just the thing to get him going.</p>
<p>I hire scientists and engineers at a major aerospace company. For the most part, we care about grades only for new graduates. My advice is that he get a job related to his field of major - any job. (It just complicates matters trying to explain working in a movie theater when you are trained for physics.) Go prove that he has the work ethic that might not be evident in his undergraduate record and then shoot for the high road. </p>
<p>We have a some great performers who did not do so well in college because they were not mature enough, they didn’t handle the transition to college well or they just made some mistakes. I know small companies, universities, and non-profits who will listen to a job applicant in an interview and be willing to give them a chance. He needs to be honest about his past and genuine about a willingness to go the extra mile. He may need to offer to work for lower pay on a probationary status. If he is willing to really buckle down and prove himself there are those who will give him a break. After that first job, we care most about their work life and college is just a check in the block.</p>
<p>morrismm–my D’s title is “software design engineer”–she is a programmer. She took 3 computer classes in her senior year…not with the idea of becoming a software programmer. But the job was there and she was able to talk her way into it, even though she wasn’t a CS major.</p>
<p>hmom5–I agree that there are not many options here in our small city. (It is called a city but has a population of under 15,000.) However, my H and I are concerned that he might pull the same thing w/ a job, ie not getting up and going to work. Our S likes to stay up very late and sleep all day. We do not allow him to do this when he is home.</p>
<p>Our S is a really nice guy, doesn’t appear to be immature and is very smart. His behavior is a mystery. He is seeing a psychiatrist. </p>
<p>I do not expect any of you to have answers. But if any of you have similar situations, could shed some light or have suggestions (and thanks for the great ones already given), it would be appreciated.</p>
<p>He sounds a whole lot like my nephew. He went home after college and did nothing. Sister and BIL figured out that they couldn’t be in charge of his life, pushed him out of the nest, he stumbled a bit and hacked around in some menial jobs before he grew up and took responsibility for his life. He got a real job for 2 years and is now in law school.</p>
<p>Can you DH and DS sit down with a counselor and form a plan? This is what my sister and family did. They helped him with a couple of months rent to move in with friends and find a job.</p>
<p>As you seem to acknowledge, the problem lies more with his motivation than with his college gpa. I cannot play amateur psychologist, but that seems to be what he needs to resolve. I know that one thing which is a great challenge to employers is the work attitudes many 20-somethings have.</p>
<p>In todays work environment the keys to success are competence, self-iniative, attitude, social-teamwork skills and a willingness to work harder than ones peers. The college name on the diploma will not matter in the long run for individuals lacking these assets.</p>
<p>Because you son is graduating from a top ranked LAC it seems likely that he was reasonably motivated in hs so the question to be answered is what has happened to change things for him. And if he is hesitant to take a job in a distant city what emotional issues is he dealing with? </p>
<p>My only advice would be to urge him to continue counseling to get to the root cause of his issues.</p>