Employers don't care where you went to school, nor about your GPA...Atlantic article.

[rebel100]

Caught this on Yahoo this morning. The article makes the argument that where you went to school (school reputation), GPA, and specific courses taken don't tend to matter much to hiring managers. It makes the case rather that the things you do outside of college matter a lot more. Internships (paid or unpaid), jobs held while in school, volunteering, and extracurricular have disproportionate importance once the basic's are covered (having a regionally accredited degree).


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/thing-empl...00059.html

""When employers do hire from college, the evidence suggests that academic skills are not their primary concern," says Peter Cappelli, a Wharton professor and the author of a new paper on job skills. "Work experience is the crucial attribute that employers want even for students who have yet to work full-time."

Before you retreat to the comment section and scream at me for saying that school, classes, and grades don't matter, let me say: I don't think this should be interpreted as a sign that schools, classes, and grades don't matter. Employers might not crave academic skills. But students often qualify for the "right" internships by getting good grades in relevant classes at challenging schools. In this calculation, a strong academic record buys you a strong experience record, so when an employer is evaluating your internships, he's indirectly evaluating your academic achievements, too."

[sanantone]

When I was researching accounting internships for someone else, I found that they usually require a GPA of 3.0 or higher. It is difficult to get a job in accounting without an internship if you don't already have experience in bookkeeping or some other lower-level accounting job.

The school's reputation comes more into play with networking and using the school's career services. Large companies tend to recruit from the prestigious private schools and large state universities.

[rebel100]

When I was researching accounting internships for someone else, I found that they usually require a GPA of 3.0 or higher. It is difficult to get a job in accounting without an internship if you don't already have experience in bookkeeping or some other lower-level accounting job.

The school's reputation comes more into play with networking and using the school's career services. Large companies tend to recruit from the prestigious private schools and large state universities.

Oh there is no doubt it matters within specific jobs, I think engineering is another vocation that values both GPA and school reputation. But for the vast majority of us the importance is overblown.

My paramedic program required an 80% average or they would give you the boot from the program, attrition was high. GPA mattered a great deal and I saw folks leave the program over as little as 1/10 of a percent. You certainly need to know what your getting yourself into.

I posted this thinking of the folks that question the validity of a Big 3 degree or the lack of a GPA...for the vast majority assembled on this board these are largely moot points I suspect.

[sanantone]

If you already have experience and just need a "checkbox" degree, then GPA won't matter. As the article says, employers are indirectly measuring academic performance by looking at internship experience. The employers might not be looking at GPAs for regular job openings, but internships often do look at GPAs.

[LaterBloomer]

A judge once said to me, "law school students with A's become professors, law school students with B's become judges, and law school students with C's become rich partners in law firms."

Are there times when a good GPA matters? Yes. Are there times when a degree from a "good" school matters? Yes. Both, however, are probably a lot less relevant than many people think.

[soliloquy]

A judge once said to me, "law school students with A's become professors, law school students with B's become judges, and law school students with C's become rich partners in law firms."

Are there times when a good GPA matters? Yes. Are there times when a degree from a "good" school matters? Yes. Both, however, are probably a lot less relevant than many people think.

Witty but that sounds like a gross generalization. Besides judges are lawyers before they are judges so how did they graduate with C's and then later end up with B's after the fact?

LOL

I know...I know you are making a point.

[Johann]

...judges are lawyers before they are judges so how did they graduate with C's and then later end up with B's after the fact?

They didn't. I think this is how it works: The lawyers with B's move on to become judges. The lawyers with C's stay in the law firms, become long-term partners and get rich. Hey, isn't this on a CLEP somewhere? Or LSAT maybe? I'll take that grain of truth with a grain of salt, please...

Johann

[LaterBloomer]

If that judge were still alive, I suspect it would go something like, "law school students with A's become professors, law school students with B's become judges, and law school students with C's spend the rest of their lives paying off a useless degree."

Also, he was a judge. If he was perfect, there wouldn't be there wouldn't be appeal courts.

[soliloquy]

They didn't. I think this is how it works: The lawyers with B's move on to become judges. The lawyers with C's stay in the law firms, become long-term partners and get rich. Hey, isn't this on a CLEP somewhere? Or LSAT maybe? I'll take that grain of truth with a grain of salt, please...

Johann

I might believe that if I didn't spend so much time with Judges. I'm still skeptical that some of them have legitimate JD's. lol

[sanantone]

The professors with As are living the cushy life. They are some of the highest paid professors making around 6 figures. They may not be making over $200k like a very successful lawyer, but most lawyers aren't. At a research university, you can get away with teaching two courses per semester instead of spending 60-70 hours a week as a lawyer. I'd say they're smart. Judges also have a more cushy job than lawyers.