"I don't care what your GPA is"
About 6 months before I graduated with a degree in CIS I was interviewing for a position at a company just a few blocks from my university.
After I got the job offer I kind of chuckled and said: "You know, you don't even know what my GPA is!"
The hiring manager simply replied "I don't care what your GPA is."
I was dumbfounded. How did I pull that off?
It was simple. I wasn't the sharpest kid in my class. I wasn't the most eloquent, nor was I very connected. But I proved my skills, and my ability to perform in a corporate environment. I had been an intern at a multi-billion dollar company for the last year and had worked on some awesome projects.
Fortunately my internship boss allowed me to bring the hiring manager into the office and show him the projects that I did, from start to finish, on the corporate intranet. And that was enough to impress him.
And I got the job.
Work on your GPA and be smart in school. But figure out ways to develop and quantify your personal brand outside of school. It will make a huge difference when you are interviewing against a dozen other students that don't have internship experience. And the hiring manager just might say to you, "I don't care what your GPA is."
Jason Alba
CEO - JibberJobber.com
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