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GPA Inclusion on Resumes: A Guide

This resume guide addresses common questions about resume formatting and content. It recommends only including a GPA if the employer cares about it. For those without a college degree, it suggests focusing on technical and personal projects to fill space normally used for education. Even if no degree was earned, candidates should list the college attended without explaining graduation status. At least one previous job should be included if no related work experience exists. Start and end dates for education should generally be omitted to avoid indicating age. Relevant skills can be included even if unused professionally if the candidate is willing to learn. Certain companies do not require degrees. Certificates usually do not prove skill level without validation from an accredited institution. Work experience or projects should come first,

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William Richard
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10 views2 pages

GPA Inclusion on Resumes: A Guide

This resume guide addresses common questions about resume formatting and content. It recommends only including a GPA if the employer cares about it. For those without a college degree, it suggests focusing on technical and personal projects to fill space normally used for education. Even if no degree was earned, candidates should list the college attended without explaining graduation status. At least one previous job should be included if no related work experience exists. Start and end dates for education should generally be omitted to avoid indicating age. Relevant skills can be included even if unused professionally if the candidate is willing to learn. Certain companies do not require degrees. Certificates usually do not prove skill level without validation from an accredited institution. Work experience or projects should come first,

Uploaded by

William Richard
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Resume Guide & FAQ

1. Should I include my GPA?

a. Only include your GPA if you believe that the company cares about GPA.
In general most companies don’t care.

2. What if I didn’t go to college?

a. Close that empty space with technical and personal projects you’ve
worked on. Leave out the education section altogether.

3. What if I went to college but didn’t graduate?

a. Put college on your resume, and include the last date you were there. You
don’t need to explain if you graduated or not, you’ll do that in the interview.

4. What if I don’t have related work experience?

a. Try to keep at least one job on your resume so they know you’ve worked
in the past.

5. Why don’t I include my start and ending date for education?

a. You don’t want to put the start and end dates on your resume because it
can give away your age. If you went to college 20 years ago, they will be
able to see that and have some indication of your age. This helps to avoid
ageism in the application process.

6. When should I put a skill/technology on my resume?

a. If a skill is listed on the application and you haven’t used it, but think you
could learn it, put it on your resume and when you’re in the interview say ​‘I
haven’t had a chance to use it in a professional capacity but would
love an opportunity to dive in.’

7. Can I apply without a degree?

a. Yes, only certain companies care about degrees. In fact, Google and
Apple have both removed requirements for candidates to have degrees.
Your degree is only as valuable as it is to the person interviewing you.

8. Should I put my certificates on my resume?

a. In general, Udemy certificates and nano degrees don’t do much to prove


skill level. This is due to no auditing process from an accredited institution
to validate you did the work, understand it and retained it. Regardless,
there will still be a code test at most jobs. Some certificates related to IT
and networking can be useful for landing the job. For example, AWS /
CISCO / COMP TIA / A+ certifications hold value.

9. What do I show first - Experience or Projects?

a. If you have relative work experience put that first. An example being an
internship in the field you want to work. This would need to be put above
your technical projects showing that you have professional experience in
the field. If not, then skills and projects should always come first.

10. How many projects should I have on my resume?

a. Three projects is ideal. The project’s content doesn’t matter as much as


your ability to defend it. You will need to be able to explain why you made
it, and how the technology works together to make it function. For web
development CRUD applications are ideal.

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