[qxzw]

How important is GPA?

I will soon get my Master's degree in CS, but it is via the path of least resistence. Therefore GPA is not shiny. I decided that spending my finite time and energy can be better, so I concentrated on coding (my own projects) and socializing, sports and games etc.

When I studied for exams, at point where I knew that I was going to pass, I shifted to other projects.

Next year when I join the workforce and start looking for jobs, will low GPA bite me?

[steev]

It will likely have a negative impact on your initial job search; however, once you get a job it will become irrelevant. A lot of times HR systems filter out candidates below a certain GPA threshold. As a hiring manager, the low GPA would signal to me either lack of ability or lack of focus, though I'd be more concerned about the focus/work ethic issues than ability issues.

My advice: whatever you do, don't make any excuses about why your GPA is low. If asked, I'd just stick with the side-projects comment, but don't treat it as a good thing (i.e., you probably should have spent less time on side-project and more time focusing on studies, etc.). I would also make sure those side-projects are extremely impressive.

[consp]

In my experience there are three types. Note: We don't have GPA, but some companies look at study grades (some only masters, others bachelors grades) and some even go further back to high school/middle school which would be sort of GPA.

The types I've met (companies/recruiters alike):

1) Don't care, look at what you think you can do and your motivation for that assessment. They usually also give some form of shorter first contract or traineeship with reduced pay while in training but at least you will get a chance. On the other end, they hire you simply because you have the relevant skill set and show good work ethics (e.g. can work on your own, which is somewhat deducible from your curriculum).

2) Select solely on bachelors/masters grades and don't care about GPA/High school. In my experience this dies out as soon as you have +3 years of work experience. There are so many levels in this category from only looking at relevant fields or looking at all even non relevant.

3) Look at GPA/High/middle/etc school grades and everything else to 'properly select' their employees. They pay good though and usually wear suits, most of them to hide their incompetence in the field they should excel in (I'm not claiming they aren't any good, but usually not in what they are supposed to do).

[mikebenfield]

> Look at GPA/High/middle/etc school grades

Really? There is a possibility that this is my lack of industry experience talking, but I find the idea that a company looks at high school grades very difficult to believe. As for middle school... I would seriously wonder about the basic competence (and sanity) of someone who asked me about middle school grades.

[positr0n]

No I have never heard of a company asking for grades below college. And after a few jobs plenty of people leave their GPA off their resume completely.

This is in the US. From OP's comment history they are somewhere in Europe.

[wolco]

I haven't been ask for those but proud to show my gym marks.

[flor1s]

It depends (TM)

Some companies value GPA a lot, others do not value it so much at all. See https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-GPA-matter-when-applying...

[amyjess]

The question is: does it ever matter past the first job? Sure, for your first job, you have no work experience, so your education is all a potential employer has to go on, but I'm wondering if I should remove the GPA from my resume since it's been over a decade since I graduated and have a ton of work experience since.