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When and How to Put your GPA on a Resume

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You’ve just graduated. You’re searching for your first job. With little or no relevant work experience, you start wondering: “ how to put my GPA on my resume ”? Don’t worry. This article will help you decide whether to cite your GPA, when to do it, and how to do it.


What is a GPA?

Your GPA, which stands for Grade Point Average, is a number that evaluates how well you did during the entirety of your degree program. It’s meant to put you on a GPA scale between 1.0 to 4.0 — with 4.0 being the perfect score. Average GPA is 2.8; however, only a value greater than 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is impressive enough to include on your resume.



There are some different types of GPAs; however, only two of them are relevant to your resume.

Overall GPA belongs to the overall grade from all the courses you took in college.

Major GPA considers only the grades you achieved in your declared major.



Simply pick the higher one. In addition, you should go for your Major GPA when it is more appropriate to the job you’re applying for. A GPA listed in the education segment of your resume can either help or harm your chance of getting an interview. Ensure you know when to include this information and when to leave it out.



When to Include a GPA on Your Resume

There is no definite rule about whether to keep or discard your GPA from your resume after college. However, the standard guideline is that it's OK to keep your GPA on your resume during the first year or two after college. This is particularly valid if you have a very high GPA—about a 3.5 or above. As a current college graduate with limited work experience, your GPA can be a crucial reflection of your work ethic, your skills, and your personal drive to succeed. In some cases, an employer might clearly ask for your GPA in the application or job posting. Make sure to list it when it's needed so that your application gets full consideration.



When Not to Include a GPA on Your Resume

Once you own 2-3 years of work experience, it is time to eliminate your GPA from your resume. Your work experience speaks more to your skills than your old GPA at this point in your career.

Let go of your past academic achievement, and use that extra space on your resume to give an example of more recent work success.



Also, make sure to leave out your high school GPA once you have been in university for a year or two. At this phase, you have a college GPA you can add instead. Another time you don’t want to add your GPA is when it is not very high. In particular, drop out your GPA if it is 3.0 or below.

Remember to comprehend the instructions on the job listing. If the employer demands your GPA, include it despite how high or low it is.



Tips for Including (or Not Including) Your GPA on Your Resume

It’s important to know “How to put GPA on Resume”, here are some useful tips:



1. Put it in the education segment of your resume. Your GPA should go in the education segment of your resume. This segment will also include where you went to school and what degrees you got. You can also specify any academic awards and honors in this section.



2. Consider adding your GPA for your major. If your GPA for your major is greater than your overall GPA, you can include that instead of your overall GPA. If both are high, you can add both.



3. Highlight other academic achievements. Include other academic achievements along with your GPA to show that you are a hardworking, well-rounded person.

If your GPA was not high, you got some other awards, including those honors, but leave out your GPA. You can place this information in a subsection of your education segment, titled “Awards and Honors” or something similar.



4. Don’t lie. While it is okay not to include your GPA, it is not okay to lie about your GPA on your resume. It is very easy for a company to verify your GPA by looking at your transcript. If you lie, you might miss a chance of getting the job, or (if you are already selected), you risk being fired.


To get your dream job, you need to create a top-notch resume. With limited work experience, you’ll have to prove your ability by penning the perfect cover letter and figuring out “how to put your gpa on your resume”. For some, sharing your GPA might give your resume a boost!

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