Your Grade Point Average (GPA) can make you competitive but it will not entirely impress recruiters. An important factor to be aware of is that recruiters are interested in other skills that enhance an all-round person. GPA does not shed light on the hard and soft skills that a student has. Skills such as leadership skills, computer skills, communication skills, management skills are not reflected in the grade a student scores.
There are several reasons why recruiters want to know who you are beyond your GPA.
They entail the following:
The need to assess leadership abilities
An excellent GPA is not the ultimate road to a successful career. It is only one of the parameters that facilitate success in job hunting. Other parameters such as leadership abilities are equally important. Recruiters strive to discover if a student has the potential to nurture change in an organization by being a role model for others to emulate. They focus on amassed leadership skills by checking a student’s professional resume. If the resume shows that a student has previously held leadership positions such as a chairperson for the students’ council in college, the student has better chances of getting a job.
Discover if a student has any relevant experience
A GPA hardly surpasses the devotion bestowed to experience by recruiters. Having relevant experience affirms that a student has the ability to execute work related tasks in a skilled manner. Therefore, possession of relevant experience by a university or college graduate is given more attention by recruiters as opposed to the grades attained. Relevant experience is evaluated in terms of internship programs a graduate has been involved in. Voluntary work undertaken by a student that is related to the job applied for is also considered as experience.
Find out the networks a student has developed
A GPA is not convincing enough for a student to earn the confidence of recruiters. It needs to be reinforced through networking. Networking is a skill students must attempt to perfect. Networking helps demonstrate a student’s strengths which can be exercised to increase productivity in an organization. Recruiters are also concerned about networking to assess if a student can market and connect an organization with new partners facilitating growth and success milestones.
Evaluate critical thinking skills
A graduate with a great GPA but short of critical thinking skills has very few chances of being hired. A recruiter wants to know if an individual can solve a crisis or other organizational challenges using rational judgment. Critical thinking skills are demonstrated by a person’s ability to devise different approaches in solving a challenge.
Further, the person’s ability to only embrace the approach that works best shows great critical thinking skills.
For instance, a statement in a resume such as ‘created a marketing strategy that facilitated the sale of 1000 bottles of Ketchup’ displays a level of critical thinking.
In conclusion, whether you attained a high or low GPA, you can successfully win the hearts of recruiters and be awarded a job opportunity. Still, a high GPA can work to the advantage of a student looking for employment. A student should bear in mind that the key aim of recruiters is to understand how the student will add value to their institutions. Recruiters are inclined towards experience accrued and skills possessed by a student. They also focus on the professional networks a student has built. Students should not only attain a high GPA but also ensure they realize the expectations of recruiters.
