[soul24rage]

Hi

I was fortunate to be introduced to a recruiter of PWC and we ate dinner together. He’s an active recruiter at my school and he sent me an email that I should send him my resume by this week. The thing is that my GPA is really bad right now, it’s like 3.00 and I was hoping that I could send him my resume after this semester which I’m confident that it’ll boost my GPA. Do you guys think that I should send him my resume or not?

Cheers guys.

[ruggercpa2b]

You should send your resume. I think 3.0 is still a good GPA. I had a 2.6 for my undergrad and work at Big 4. I worked full time while going to school full time. I networked hard to get in front of the right people. You should go for it. Why hold yourself back.

AUD - NINJA in Training
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AUD - 1/6/18
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AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
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I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Anonymous]

Not sending your resume is a bad idea. I agree with rugger that 3.0 doesn't sound bad to me, but I am not in public accounting so I can't really speak as to what is good/bad for them. You have a window and sending your resume now is better than waiting. It would make you look uninterested, especially since you are talking about waiting 3-4 weeks until final grades are released. Networking is the key to getting your foot in the door somewhere. Use the connection.

[soyanks]

You should definitely send one (since he/she has asked for it). If it doesn't lead to anything, don't give up. Keep in touch with him periodically and after this semester is over, you can reach out to him/her again with an updated resume with (hopefully) a higher GPA.

FAR - 86
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AUD - 84

[Anonymous]

How are your grades in your Accounting classes? You could always add a GPA just for those classes on your resume. I would definitely send in your resume (if you want to work for one of the Big 4).

[Anonymous]

You should definitely reach out and send him your resume. It never hurts to put yourself out there.

And, like lots of people have said before, a 3.00 isn't that bad at all. And especially not if you have leadership experience, great interpersonal skills, etc.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

You could give the gpa you expect after the semester (3.1 or 3.2 or whatever). Since none of this is your final gpa, it's ok. By the time they ask for a transcript or look it up, if ever, the semester is over. Also, you could just say “gpa in major” as someone suggested; or even gpa in major using what you expect it to be.

[Anonymous]

Disregard EricT's comment.

Placing a ‘little white lie' on your resume is the worst thing you can do. It WILL get you fired if discovered.

Put the 3.0 in there and hope for the best. A 3.0 isn't a bad GPA.

You already met someone so you have an ear that's willing to listen. That's the hardest part for many.

[krschneids]

I agree. People seem to rag on 3.00 GPAs all the time, which is something I never understood as an undergrad. That's a B average, and to me, that means that you understood the material in class, but your life doesn't completely revolve around studying and nothing else.

I graduated with like a 3.10 or 3.20 and was once asked during an interview for an internship to explain my “low” GPA. I explained that, yes, I was in college to get a degree, but I was also involved in clubs, student orgs, and worked 2 jobs.

I think because of the fact that you've already networked pretty heavily with the recruiter and he seems to be interested, you should send it to him now!

AUD 79 (7/14)
FAR 78 (7/14)
REG 78 (8/14)
BEC 81 (10/14)

[Anonymous]

Putting a 3.1 or 3.2 as your gpa if you don't have it yet is not even a white lie, since you have already earned those points, especially if you really expect 3.3 after the semester. It's lying if that's not the score you'll get, but if you're 100% sure you'll get that score and will work your ass off to ensure it, then your just protecting yourself from bad timing. At worst it's being extremely confident.

You are being hired for after graduating, not after the previous semester.

In an interview I got called out on saying I graduated, when I still had just one online course I was taking, having left campus, though I had 150 credits. I still got the offer in spite of this “white lie.”

[Anonymous]

Sorry bro.

When your GPA IS a 3.0 and you SAY its a 3.2 because your going to work really hard and you THINK it will be a 3.2 later, you still have a 3.0 and your resume says it's a 3.2.

Those are two different numbers. The only explanations that I could think of for the variance would be lying or carelessness, both of which are unacceptable in the profession. Now being that we went ahead and did this on purpose, we can go ahead and call it a lie.

Lying on a resume can get your offer revoked.

This guys better off handing in a resume with a 3.0 and explaining that he had some hardship or whatever and that he believes it will be a 3.2 at the end of the semester.

I'm glad it worked out for you with the graduation flub and all, but lying is no way to get or keep a job.

[Anonymous]

Well, you heard both points of view. So if you know that your gpa is definitely higher than a certain amount and don't just think it, especially since the semester is about to end and you basically do know your gpa at this point, then it's ok, especially since it more accurately reflects your grade.

Bill is right that lying about something on your resume can really hurt your future, so don't make up an experience you didn't do or deny something that is true, but giving a better estimate of your ending gpa is not that kind of lie, unless you do it inaccurately or with poor judgment.

Anyways, billbrasskey and I are both random idiots on the internet, and you can take what we say with a grain of salt, but just hear our ideas and decide for yourself.

What you could do, alternatively, is just put gpa in major. By the time of your interview, you will have your new semester grade, and then you can give them the updated grade.

[Anonymous]

I'm definitely a random idiot on the Internet.

It's a good thing I'm smart when not on the Internet. I'm still random, though.

[Anonymous]

Out of the big 4 recruiters in my state Pwc had the highest gpa requirement. It was 3.5 or 3.6. I was told gpa isn't everything. Which I agree it isn't. You can have a 4.0 but be a total loser that nobody wants to work with. If the recruiter went to dinner with you and asked you to send him/her your resume they are obviously interested and enjoyed your company. Send in your resume and see what happens. If they question your gpa you can say your current semester is going very well and you expect your gpa to go up to X after the current semester.

[soul24rage]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the support and love. After reading all your posts, I think I'm going to send him my resume before the semester is over. He actually added me on Linkedin which could only be a good thing. I still have one more question. I met with my career counselor today and she suggested to me that I should just send him my resume without putting my GPA in it. I was wondering what are your thoughts on that?

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

I guess I would taker her advice- she is the professional career counselor.

If you really, REALLY think your GPA will go up after the next semester, you may want to consider cpa8488's advice about how its going very well and you expect to have a 3.XX next semester- but run that by your counselor before you do it.

Don't be afraid to put your career center to work. Your tuition pays their bills.

[Author]

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