You might want to include your GPA in your resume, but you do not have to. The sections below will help you decide your best option. Also, explore which GPA you should highlight (yes, you have options!)
If you are deciding whether or not you should include your GPA first make a quick analysis of your GPA performance. If your GPA falls below 3.0, then it is in the lower percentile range. A GPA above 3.0 is considered good, if you are above 3.5, then your GPA is considered to be excellent. Finally, if you are well above 3.5 and close to 4.0 (or a perfect 4.0) then it is very impressive.
Learn more about what is a good GPA with this post: What is a good GPA? What to aim for?
Are you a new grad?
If you are a new grad, it is recommended to include your GPA. If your GPA is anywhere above 3.0 I would recommend including it. It will definitely not harm you since it shows satisfactory performance. And if your GPA is very high, then it will speak highly of you. However, if your GPA is low, below 3.0, then you can think of a few options.
First, calculate your major GPA. Take only the courses that relate to your major and calculate a GPA. For example, if you are an engineer, you would include all engineering, programming, and STEM-related courses. You do not need to include English, history, or courses not directly related to your field of study. If your major GPA is good (above 3.0 as a rule of thumb), then consider including it in your resume. List it as “Major GPA” to avoid future confusion. If you have a minor, then you can do something similar. Associate all minor related courses and calculate the GPA. If any of those GPAs are worth highlighting, then include them.
Also, just as an additional tips. Make sure your education section in your resume only includes upper education level programs. Even if you are a new grad, and you are very young, please leave all the highschool related information out of your resume. Employers won’t be interested in going so far back, and you are wasting space you could be using for more important information.
Are you an experienced professional?
Once you have been part of the workforce for a few years, you do not need to state your college GPA. As you gain more real-life experience, your past academic performance becomes less important. New grads usually struggle filling up a resume, because they do not have much experience, and really few things emphasize. Meanwhile, experienced professionals have a variety of roles to describe and expand on.
If you are an experienced professional but are proud of your university accomplishments, do not feel shy to include them in your resume. A GPA takes no space, if you had an exceptional GPA, please include it. The only advice would be to be concise when including university-level accomplishments such as scholarships, Dean’s list, etc. Always ask yourself, if at this point in your career an employer would be impressed with each item in your resume. Sometimes people tend to include too much information in their resume, the easiest way to clean it up and slim it down is to summarize older accomplishments.
What about Graduate school GPA?
During your undergraduate, your GPA seem to be very important. Achieving honors during graduation is definitely an accomplishment and many set GPA goals revolving around graduation awards. Once you enter graduate school, GPA might not be as critical. Many schools do not celebrate GPA awards during graduate school graduations. The well known Cum laude, Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude terms do not always apply for graduate school. Listing all your GPAs is definitely acceptable, but as you earn higher levels of education, it is less of a must.
What if Ithe interviewer asks my GPA?
It is definitely a possibility that an interviewer might just want to know how was your academic performance. If the interviewer asks you why didn’t you include it or what is your GPA. You should be straight up and have an already rehearsed type of answer. Make sure you know your GPA and give an intelligent explanation of your past academic performance. If your GPA is not present because of low grades, then you could explain the challenges you faced and how you overcome them.
