Hey guys, I'm just wondering if you guys can give me some advice on my resume. I'm graduating this December with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. I don't plan on going for a MS or a PHD. My main question is the GPA, I have a 3.055 overall GPA (that could change a little after getting my grade for the summer class I took in China).

I am wondering if I should keep that on the resume, or if I should get rid of it? My father wasn't sure, and he said for a Business degree (which is what he has), he would drop it, but he doesn't know if a 3.055 is good enough to keep. I think it's a respectable GPA, but certainly not the highest. I obviously know people who have higher and lower GPAs than me. I also know there are some MEs on here, and I would like your input.

If anyone has anytime to look at my resume, I would really appreciate it. While some of the people in my family are great sources, none of them, with the exception of my grandfather, come from engineering backgrounds. If nobody wants to look at it, I would understand that as well.

I'm just beginning to look for a job for when I graduate, and I really would like a job lined up for when I do graduate.

Thank you.

7/12/2010 3:58:30 PM

Just say a 3.0 and go with it.

If you're looking for a job in the triangle, you should be fine as long as you have a personality.

7/12/2010 4:06:09 PM

I am looking for a job anywhere. I really am not picky when it comes to where I work, as long as I am happy with the job.

7/12/2010 4:12:01 PM

I wouldn't provide the GPA on your resume. You'll never get overlooked because it isn't there and if a company asks for it, most likely they will ask for a transcript and an interview as well... both which explain your GPA better than the number itself.

7/12/2010 4:36:55 PM

Most places don't care about GPA as long as you passed the FE and have a degree.

7/12/2010 4:42:37 PM

^^Not always. [what follows is general engineering career advice I've picked up from many graduates and speakers at job hunting seminars]

Companies will look for any reason to trash bin your resume when they have a stack of 300+ that they need to whittle down. GPA is one of those fast qualifiers that they can use to eliminate you as they sort through resumes. As a 3.0 its a good GPA that will get you past most qualifiers, as I understand 3.0+ is a general requirement. Of course, some companies just use it as a soft qualifier, in that they will consider you if you have under that by a small margin, but its hard to say.

It comes down to your personal preference and thought process. Maybe the employer will wonder why you don't have it on there? I have a friend with a 4.0 in CHE and he took it off of his resume because he didn't want companies to be automatically putting his resume into a track for 'up stream development' when he wanted to be down stream. Basically didn't want his GPA to be effecting where he could work.

The most important thing your resume needs to do is ensure you pass the first cut. Much more often than not you will get your job through networking and personal connections anyway, and at that point if you have a person sitting down to read your resume you may as well give as much info as possible so they can get a decent idea of who you are. In my opinion at least.

[Edited on July 12, 2010 at 4:51 PM. Reason : ^]

7/12/2010 4:50:18 PM

Dear merbig, EI

You got the job.

Thanks,
Employer

7/12/2010 4:54:01 PM

^^ I'm also going to do a cover letter. I saw a job posted for the Warren Robins Air Logistic Center. They're looking for an entry level ME. The job sounded pretty interesting, and I'm doing a cover letter. I'm going to try getting my father's help as well as my grandfather's help (he used to work for Grumman). I don't know if anyone would want to read that as well, as I've never really written a cover letter before. I did it for ENG331, but that hardly counts in my book.

And I haven't taken the FE yet. I wish I had taken it last April, but I didn't. Dumb choice on my part.

7/12/2010 5:05:43 PM

if you're writing a cover letter from scratch, my advice is to sign up on monster/careerbuilder and they have templates that basically write the letter and allow you to fill in the blanks and you can tweak things here and there as you see fit and it will still sound professional.

7/12/2010 5:12:51 PM

^ Thank you! I will definitely check that out.

7/12/2010 5:14:50 PM

i would include it

7/12/2010 5:15:16 PM

I am wondering if I should include my e-mail address? My father suggested leaving it out so that they are forced to call you, but even on his resume and cover letters, he has his e-mail listed, and most of the samples I have looked at also list their e-mail. I am thinking of including it.

7/12/2010 5:57:40 PM

^ put it in there

more ways to contact you = better...just don't put AIM screen name

7/12/2010 6:09:58 PM

BSME here as well; I'd put it on there as a 3.0. For an ME from a research/theory based school like NCSU, that's decent enough to warrant stating. Like others said, some of the larger companies and those in research are more interested if you are going to eventually get a PE or Masters for them so EI is always a big plus on there for entry level work. Don't forget to mention you'd like to get a PE eventually when you are in the interview, shows some motivation. List all forms of contact; do you really wanna risk an interview/job with someone who would prefer a quick email rather than waiting for a good time to call or voicemail for prescreening?

Forgot to add make sure you are a team player and expound upon that in detail on your projects. A 4.0GPA and numerous awards only go so far if you aren't socially prepared to work with the project or teams in the vast majority of companies out there.

[Edited on July 12, 2010 at 6:19 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2010 6:10:23 PM

while any job may do, warner robins sux balls for someone straight out of college. absolutely nothing to do.

7/12/2010 6:39:16 PM

Agreed. The whole area sucks. Need to go to Atlanta to do anything worthwhile and that's almost 2 hours away.

Since you're applying for a federal/military job, I would list the GPA. It'll get you past the initial "qualifier"...it'll be up to you to wow them after that.

7/12/2010 6:48:32 PM

I would omit it

7/12/2010 7:13:04 PM

With a degree in engineering you should list your gpa if its 3.0 or above. & yes, include your email address. wouldn't hurt to note that you're registered for the upcoming FE exam in october either.

7/12/2010 8:23:04 PM

Thanks guys. At this point, I don't have plans to get a Masters, but it's not something I would exactly tell them, and if they are willing to pay for it, or contribute towards paying for it, then that would definitely do a lot to change my mind. Although, I certainly wouldn't tell them that I don't plan to get a Masters.

I think I will keep the 3.0 on the resume. I also in my cover letter emphasized that I'm a team player, as well as tried to make it evident in my resume.

And I will keep the e-mail address as well.

Please keep the advice coming. I appreciate all of it.

7/12/2010 9:08:43 PM

what is your major gpa?

if its better, use it

7/12/2010 9:15:09 PM

My major GPA is worse by about 0.1. So it is below a 3.0.

7/12/2010 9:36:37 PM

rule of thumb if 3.0 or greater in a difficult major (not buisness or fitness or chass etc.) POST THAT MOFO.
if under leave it off. 2.9 or 2.0 barely makes a difference its not a b avg so you're a c so you're just avg.

7/12/2010 10:14:04 PM

good luck finding a job... it was rough when i was looking but i finally found one.

7/12/2010 10:25:09 PM

oops double post..

[Edited on July 12, 2010 at 10:26 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2010 10:25:09 PM

Quote :

"Thanks guys. At this point, I don't have plans to get a Masters, but it's not something I would exactly tell them, and if they are willing to pay for it, or contribute towards paying for it, then that would definitely do a lot to change my mind. Although, I certainly wouldn't tell them that I don't plan to get a Masters. "

I believe most Mechanical, and generic engineering jobs in general, don't want or need you to get an advanced degree assuming you stay in process management. With some positions you will hit a career cap if you don't have the advanced degree. I've heard several times that an employee will get high in the company only to realize that everyone above him has a Masters or PhD. The company will often pay for you to take online/Virtual courses if they deem the advanced degree necessary...which is what I'm aiming for.

Also, if they ask, saying that you are interested in pursuing a MS shows them that you're willing to grow into new directions with and for the company. They don't want a bum on a log who just wants to stagnate his career in the same sector for the next 20 years. Same kinda goes for if you ask "Does your company have programs for pursuing advanced degrees?", but then they may wonder if you're just going to immediately get them to pay your advanced degree and book it to the next company.

Mechanical, Civil and likely many other engineering disciplines place much, much more emphasis on the Professional Engineering certification. I know Chemical doesn't give two shits with 90% of the jobs, but it looks nice on a business card. I still took the FE though and will attempt to get the PE if possible, but its very hard to find PE Chemical Engineers from what I've heard. Plus, gotta show dat 190% initiative.

You cover letter needs to be written for each and every different company/job you apply to. Some parts may be the exact same (references to your past experiences) but you need to tailor them to the company. Its a good way to show that you put some thought into looking up the company and not just blindly sending your resume off with a generic CV. Stress not only your team abilities, but your leadership, initiative, and what you learned from each experience you have. Also, your resume does have a Objective right?

Definitely include your email address. The first step in a lot of job inquiries is to contact by email...and you're not the only candidate for the position. They likely send off several emails to all interested candidates to start setting up phone interviews, and if you don't have an email that will raise several negative questions already. Why doesn't he have email? Does he not know the internet? Does he not check his email? Is he hard to get in touch with? Is he a god damn hippy? I hate hippies. [trashbin]

7/13/2010 6:55:27 AM

Did you do any co-op or relevant summer work while in school? If so, put that before your education information. And don't list out all of your classes, they all know what you were required to take to pass your major. You may want to put something on there about your senior project if it was really cool, to give you a chance to start up a conversation if they ask about it.

You will quickly find that employers care more about experience than GPA. Past your first job, you'll probably never be asked for your GPA again.

7/13/2010 8:01:26 AM

Check out this link, helped me a ton when doing my resume.

http://www.career.vt.edu/jobsearc/resumes/formats.htm

7/13/2010 8:29:21 AM

I've heard you should only put a high GPA (3.5+) on a resume and omit anything less. I don't think 3.1 is a detriment, but it certainly isn't outstanding.

7/13/2010 10:18:20 AM

I did not do a Co-op, but this past summer, I did go to China on study abroad and we did a project for Caterpillar. I have counted that as experience.

7/13/2010 11:22:51 AM

Do you you have any relevant work experience like a co-op, internship, or maybe a TA position or something? If so, definitely include your GPA. Experience is more valuable to employers than GPA.

Quote :

"You may want to put something on there about your senior project if it was really cool, to give you a chance to start up a conversation if they ask about it."

Definitely do this. I'd recommend having an extra sheet (including contact info) on hand that has more detail about your design project with pictures and stuff.


Definitely include your email address.

7/13/2010 11:23:25 AM

The only relevant experience I can think of is the project Caterpillar.

And I have not started my senior project yet. I do it next semester.

Should I list classes that I have taken that I took as electives? To specify what I had chosen that goes beyond the standard curriculum.

7/13/2010 11:33:57 AM