Graduating from post secondary

[Jiggy]

I am going to be graduating from UBC in May. Lets just say I've been enjoying this semester a lot, my marks are not as great as previous semesters. When applying for jobs, do companies want to see your transcripts? If so, how much do they take it into consideration? Just looking for some insight!

Thanks

[KTrain]

The majority of companies won't ask for your transcripts. Those that do will typically ask for them in them in the job posting. I wouldn't even put your GPA on your resume unless perhaps you're in a more technical field (computer science, engineering, etc.)

Most companies that ask for degrees when seeking employees are typically looking more at the dedication that it takes to follow-through and compete the degree than with your grades (and in many cases even what degree you get).

I'm sure a lot of people with post secondary education on CP aren't even using their degree in the job/career they're in right now.

[keenan87]

what is your degree in

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by KTrain

The majority of companies won't ask for your transcripts. Those that do will typically ask for them in them in the job posting. I wouldn't even put your GPA on your resume unless perhaps you're in a more technical field (computer science, engineering, etc.).

Yes, for engineering, I get asked flat out what my GPA is every time. In a few instances, I was asked specifically what I got in individual classes, which coarses I my lowest marks and what those marks were. (One guy went through my transcript and went "what happened here? and here? and here?" for every single mark that wasn't an A- and A. After roasting me and making me feel like crap for the hour-long interview, he offered me the job; I wanted to say no, but I was too scared to, so I said I wanted to think about him and let him know - when I got home, I emailed him and turned it down.

[VladtheImpaler]

The only time I've seen GPA be relevant is for law firms hiring articling students. I'm guessing it might be the same for accountants. Otherwise, as per KTrain. Also, if your grades were good up to the last semester, just include the grades up to December/08 - once they hire you based on those, they couldn't care less what grades you got the last 4 months.

[AaronSJ]

Marks can be important in competitive job markets. In my experience, most professional services firms want to see your marks, as they are looking to hire to best and brightest -- consulting, accounting, engineering, finance, large multinationals (GE, P&G, etc.) all historically ask for your grades. They are also important if you are considering graduate school at some point....

However, it seems that the majority of employers are willing to evaulate you according to their own criteria -- behavioural interviews, company fit... that sort of thing. My company looks at transcripts as part of the overall picture, but we also hire our fair share of B and C students.... how you interview and fit with our culture is far more important.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Unless the position you're applying for requires you to be a freaking rocket scientist, I've always felt that marks were a silly way to filter out candidates.

If I recall correctly, IBM is a company that asks for grades.

[Rathji]

The only real good trick I know of to make your grades less important when it comes to the weeding out procedures companies do, is by getting published, especially as an undergrad.

Your grades matter in terms of getting your foot in the door over someone else, simple fact of hiring is the more qualified person will be chosen first if all other things are equal.

[CaptainCrunch]

They don't care about taxi drivers academic achievements.

[CGYTransplant]

In my experience, yes, companies ask for transcripts. I'm 5 years out of school, and have never NOT been asked to provide one. I suspect it will become more and more common, as more grads/recent grads apply for fewer spots...it will be used as a tool to weed people out.

Edited to add- I work in O&G

[Shazam]

Congratulations, you now have about 5% of the knowledge you need to survive the real world.

[mots]

I got a double degree (Entreprenuership/IT), and ive had 4 jobs since school, and many interviews, and have never been asked for Transcripts.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

Unless the position you're applying for requires you to be a freaking rocket scientist, I've always felt that marks were a silly way to filter out candidates.

If I recall correctly, IBM is a company that asks for grades.

Pretty much any high-tech company will ask you for grades, guerenteed. Some, like Cisco, actually have you write a written test when they call you in for an interview (for engineering).

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Pretty much any high-tech company will ask you for grades, guerenteed. Some, like Cisco, actually have you write a written test when they call you in for an interview (for engineering).

Well then, that explains the crappiness of their products.

[TangerZ]

On a somewhat related note, my sister hires for a major law firm in Calgary, and every potential articling student submits grades. However, there are some students that have been hired after revealing only their law school transcripts, as opposed to including their undergrad grades (a bit of a different scenario, but...) As one poster mentioned, I suppose sometimes one can get away with selectively revealing their grades (ie. leaving out your last semster grades, and covering for it magnificently in your interview).

[FurnaceFace]

Business and IT grad from a while back, but I don't recall being asked for transcripts...perhaps for co-op jobs of all things.

Grades, except for some very specific positions, are useless in my mind. If I'm hiring between two people, one has a big average but was a mushroom throughout university where all they did was go to class, study, eat, and sleep while the other has a lower average but did work for the student clubs/societies, I'm hiring the second person in the vast majority of cases.

The business world is built so heavily on communication I think it's vital a new grad comes out of school with this ability. Someone who has participated in club activities where they've had to run projects or communicate with the business community is much further ahead in my view. I'm not talking of the beer drinking clubs, I'm thinking of the student organizations like AIESEC who actually do something meaningful and get students out talking to the business community. I'd also include someone who has held down a service job (please leave the BP and KFC jobs for the other thread) because they will have learned to talk and market themselves.

The other advice I'd have for a recent grad is to go have fun for a year. Go backpacking with a friend, see the world, volunteer for some position in a developing country, do whatever your biggest dream is now because once you actually start your "real life" it becomes that much harder.

[octothorp]

Never been asked for a transcript in the maybe 8 interviews that I've done since graduating. But I'm in an industry where a lot of people don't even have degrees, so transcripts aren't really useful.
It's a good thing too, because I never bothered to return my ceremonial robe following graduation, and I seem to recall something about how if you don't return your robe, the college won't release your transcript.

[Tyler]

Never been asked for a transcript.

I lived a precarious - 'D' is for Degree lifestyle in university that allowed me to get a degree without much work and still secure a good job.

[fatso]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Congratulations, you now have about 5% of the knowledge you need to survive the real world.

Unhelpful AND unfunny?!? A unique skill like that must surely distinguish you in the employment market.

As for the OP - in my limited experience grades are secondary. It seems like they're really only used to help distinguish you from other candidates when you're just an anonymous applicant. As such, publications and even more importantly connections can get you farther and compensate for poor grades. I suppose it's all industry and position specific though.

One thing that can be helpful if you have reference letters, is to have a referee speak to why you might have had a poor semester. That can help contextualize your grades for the prospective employer, it gets the bad grades out on the table, and allows you the opportunity in an interview or whatever to show you're better than that.

Good luck!

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by fatso

Unhelpful AND unfunny?!? A unique skill like that must surely distinguish you in the employment market.

New grads are so naive, they think grades actually matter.