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BLUF: Include the GPA from a 2011 graduation from someone who's been working for 20+ years?

I know the Resume Workbook says "unless you have graduated in the last five years, do not incude your GFPA."  The premise being that your workplace accomplishments since graduating eclipse the GPA. I graduated in 2011 and I've been working (per my resume) since 1991. My GPA was 3.91 and I kind of want to leave it on there to show I was able to get a relatively high overall grade while working full-time with roles of increasing responsibility.

gehrhorn's picture
Licensee Badge

If you leave it on I don't think it's likely to hurt. If you want to leave it on I think it's ok.

Smacquarrie's picture

I too completed my degree work in 2012.
I choose to leave it off as it is NVA to the resume for me (employed since 1990) but makes a great comment for me to stress that I was able to to achieve a 3.56 going through both online and on-ground courses while working full time and traveling.
It will often come out through the interview process when they ask about time management or dealing with a crisis in the work place.
Mac

ashdenver's picture

Thanks for the feedback, gehrhorn and Smacquarrie - I haven't come to a firm decision yet. I revised my resume years ago following the broad-strokes of the MT recommendations.  Now I'm doing a ground-up overhaul, starting with a blank Microsoft document. You both make valid points.

mrreliable's picture

Perhaps off topic, but you mentioned a blank Microsoft document. When we engage in recruiting and hiring activities, I review a lot of resumes. Roughly half are placed in the discard pile. One issue that gives me a hint of annoyance is the number of resumes that use a standardized template. Out of any recruiting run, I'll have stacks of resumes that look exactly alike.

I always recommend getting help from a graphic design professional to produce an elegant, unique presentation with your resume. I strongly recommend against using any kind of standardized template, because chances are your resume will look exactly like several other applicants.

ashdenver's picture

One of the basics of the Career Tools foundation is the one-page MT resume. Yes, it's a basic template of sorts - what to include, how to format, etc. - but it's suggested for some very specific reasons that are covered in the Resume Workbook. I'd be interested to hear how M&M feel about "an elegant, unique presentation." 

I know that when I've screened resumes, I've discarded many that were overly formatted, lots of white space, too artsy, etc. because it said "I'm all show, no substance" or "I care more about how it looks than what's on it."   (To be fair, I've also rejected those that required me to read paragraphs of informational stuff about the job and their background as well as those that just don't have the minimum qualifications. I'm not nearly as capricious as it may have sounded.)  The truth is: many irrevocable screening decisions are made within ten seconds of viewing the resume.

If a person is applying to be a graphic designer, the MT resume is probably not a good fit (as acknowledged, I think, in the Resume Workbook.) But if someone is aiming for a management or executive level job, stunning visual presentation is probably a con more than a pro - just my guess.

mrreliable's picture

Just to set the record straight, when I referred to an "elegant, unique presentation," I wasn't talking about "overly formatted, too artsy, all show, no substance, care more about how it looks than what's on it." It sounds like perhaps you've been victimized by an out-of-control buzzed up graphic designer hack on acid. I've been blessed with working with graphic designers who are more likely to save people from visual catastrophes like that than to commit the atrocities themselves.

I also meant no slight to MT. I just think it's a good idea to run a resume past someone who has a lot of experience with visual presentation. And if they do get a wild look in their eye and pull out the Pantone Color Guide and reach for the glitter, step back slowly then turn around and run like heck.