Believe it or not, there are several things that are more important than your GPA. I used to be a person that would freak out if I got anything less than an A. But after talking to several CEOs and Vice Presidents of different companies I now know that the grades you got in college aren’t the most important thing that companies are looking at. So cheer up and read these 7 things that are more important than your GPA!
Companies believe that time management is one of the things that are more important than your GPA. Even if you have a decent GPA nobody will want you to work for them if you can’t manage your time. Companies want you to handle several projects at one time and usually have strict deadlines. If it is impossible for you to get things in on time, then you probably won’t keep your job for long even if you had a 4.0 in college.
Previous work experience is important to companies because they think that you already know a lot about a field of work because you’ve already worked in it. You can only learn so much in school. You learn about 80% of your work skills from actually being in the field.
Clubs and volunteer work show that you are willing to go the extra mile to improve yourself and the world around you. If you volunteer, it shows that you have good character and you are willing to make the world a better place. Clubs show that you want to get involved and that you want to learn what a classroom can’t teach you. A person could get straight A’s in all of their classes, but that could be all they ever do.
Writing skills are a huge part working in the real world. I know a lot of people that have fantastic GPAs, but they can’t write a basic email to someone, or they don’t know how to write a resume. If companies look at something that you composed and you did a mediocre job on it, they will view you as illiterate no matter how high your GPA is.
My public speaking teacher was right when he said that speaking skills would take you far in the corporate world. The way you speak is a way to show how you carry yourself, and if you can’t speak well in front of a group, companies won’t think that you will be able to hold the attention of groups when giving a presentation, or even simply talking to a customer.
In today’s world, it’s all about who you know. Talk to everyone in your family and see who they are connected to. Ask for business cards from different people. Email everyone you know. You have a better change at landing a job if people know you exist. You could have a good GPA but nobody will know that if you don’t talk to anyone.
How you carry yourself is probably one of the most important things you can have. You could be the smartest person on earth, but nobody will care if you can’t carry yourself the right way. Be respectful, speak well, and act appropriately and you will have a pretty good shot at landing a great career for yourself.
In the vicious job market of today you might think that it’s impossible to get a decent career without a 4.0 GPA. But all of the things listed in this article are things that companies value more than a grade you got in school. What are things that you think are more important than your GPA?