Should I Put GPA on Resume?
Should I Put GPA on Resume?
To get your resume done, you need to concentrate on format, grammar, design, and valuable details. You may have heard about professional CV writing services that can also be helpful. However, if you need some job resume examples to produce a resume yourself, feel free to check them for guidance.
There are four main cases when putting your GPA on a resume makes pretty good sense:
- when so is required in the job posting;
- when you are a recent graduate (1-2 years off college) and need to make up for the lack of experience, show your work ethic, skills, and so on;
- when you are applying for your first job ever;
- when your GPA is very high (about 3.5 or above).
Example:
Education
Bachelor in Computer Science
2013-2017
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- Overall GPA 4.0
- Major GPA 3.8
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude
- Favorite field of study: artificial intelligence
If you’re wondering when to include a GPA on a resume, here are the cases when you should NOT do it:
- if you’ve been in college for a year or more, don’t include your high school GPA;
- if your GPA isn’t too high to impress the recruiter (e.g. under 3.5), you’d better leave it out;
- when you have already gained a minimum of 2 years of experience. Then, it’s wiser to move the focus towards your experience.
Example:
Education
Bachelor in Computer Science
2013-2017
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude
- Favorite field of study: artificial intelligence
Here are some key tips on what you should and shouldn’t do when putting your GPA on a resume:
- study the job description and include your GPA if it’s required;
- include it in the Education section;
- include either your overall GPA or major GPA (depending on which one is higher) or both;
- be honest about your GPA;
- don’t round it, just leave it the way it is;
- don’t forget to specify other academic accomplishments.
Example:
Education
Bachelor in Journalism and Communication
2016-2020
Wartburg College, Waverly, IA
- Graduated with honors
- Senior editor in the school’s newspaper
- Wrote a popular weekly column