I’m graduating from college soon, and I’m gearing up to start applying for technician level research jobs. My question is what, if anything, I should include for my GPA. My major GPA is respectable and worth noting (3.4), but my normal GPA is not so great (2.5). Some people have told me to just include the major GPA, but others have cautioned me about giving this number, since it doesn’t actually show up in any official capacity on my transcript.
Can I include the major GPA alone?
I would definitely include the Overall GPA here. It may not be great, but if you don’t have it, you’re bound to be asked for it.
For what’s it’s worth, I am also a soon-to-graduate college student and my resume includes 3 different GPAs.
In Major: Respectible. (3.25ish)
Overall: Not stellar but still pretty good (2.75ish)
Fall 2007: Respectible (3.25 ish) This one is higher than the overall thus showing improvement over earlier performance.
This might work for you if your recent grades have been above your average.
If you include your major GPA alone it begs the question what the overall is. I doubt anyone hiring you would be interested so don’t bring it up.
What kind of lab work?
I wouldn’t think of including any kind of GPA on a resume. Is that common practice?
Me neither.
Where are you? Expectations of what does and doesn’t belong on a resume differ from country to country. For example, in the US, you don’t put hobbies on your resume, in the UK and Australia, you do.
Not after you’ve been out of school a few years, but for a recent grad seeking a first post-college job I think it’s expected.
For current college students, it is essentially a requirement. Most prospective employers will ask about it if they can’t see it. Some employers have a minimum GPA before they’ll even consider a college student as a potential hire. (General Electric and the FBI, if memory serves, both require a 3.0.)
Once one has graduated, work history becomes more of the focus than education history so the GPA is typically not included.
As for location: This is how I was taught in Virginia, USA. It may differ by region, but my experience has backed this up.
Another thing just came to me. I believe that the field of studies may be relevant to whether or not to include a GPA on one’s resume.
A quick Googling found this link:
http://www.career.vt.edu/Jobsearc/Resumes/GPAFAQs.htm
So there’s another factor in the whole “to list or not to list” debate.
I recommend leaving it off unless the employer has a specific requirement to include it. A 2.5 is not a good overall GPA, there’s just no other way to slice it*. A resume is a tool to sell yourself, and by putting a weakness up there front and center, it sounds like you either don’t realize that a resume is a marketing tool or you don’t realize that a 2.5 GPA is not a plus. And putting the major GPA alone on there just points out a gaping hole that may make people wonder if the overall number is even worse than 2.5. If they ask in the interview, at least you can put a spin on it in person.
With that GPA, you probably aren’t marketable to some of the more cookie-cutter places that have a GPA cutoff (like **Lord Il Palazzo’s ** examples), at least not through their college recruiting channels. I recommend using your network (professors in your major, advisor, any extracurricular advisors) to get your first job, or at least some interviews. Since you did well in your major courses, some of them probably think well of you and can recommend you. Temp agency work is also a possibility (like Manpower Technical, or a university temporary service). I suggest taking something, anything related to your field ASAP.
Once you have had your first real job, no one will be interested in your GPA. My advice is to sell yourself like that from the beginning.
This is based on US HR experience. YKMMV (your kilometrage may vary outside the US 
)
Every graduate application I’ve seen has included a transcript of the applicant’s full university results. So even if the GPA is not stated anywhere on the resumé, it’s still easy to find (or calculate).
I’m about to finish up a BA in Biology in the US. Ideally, I’d like to find a job as a technician in a smaller academic lab, where I could be more involved in research.
However, I do plan on looking for other jobs, including industry research (probably pharmaceutical) and any other interesting science-related job that I’m qualified for. I’ll be tailoring my résumé for each, of course.
You probably know this-most people hiring for a lab tech position are going to pay attention to your lab experience and techniques.
I work in a pharmacology science department (I am staff & hate labs) and as far as admissions are concerned many faculty here do not care at all about GPA’s. I am sure they feel the same about the GPA of the tech’s they hire. Other situations may be different.
Application to graduate school? Or for post-university jobs? I’ve been asked for a transcript for a job only once, and it was probably because it was an employer who didn’t trust anyone.
For post-university jobs.