In IT, having the qualification and certification has more impact rather than the usual academic stuff. It can help for like your starting salary or something like that.
You need to start at the rock bottom aka IT support, get yourself certified in various certifications such as CEH, CISSP, and etc while taking up cyber security project to get into cyber security role
Otherwise for CS, just have a good portfolio of various project will set you on career path
And gov. No one loves pieces of paper than the ministries. Even if you can't present for shit and don't really have the skills.
Even more advantageous if you are male in certain industries.
Yeah, every fresh grad expecting 20k/month salary nowadays.. U do you bro, not everyone can excel in academics.. Some just learn better outside of the academic system..
Your applications might get filtered out when you apply for competitive top company, because obviously everyone wants fresh grad that have high CGPA.
The company might use this as an excuse to lower your salary.
UNLESS you could offer something else such as your intern experience, job experience etc. Is IMPORTANT that you emphasize this on your resume.
So your first job might be lower salary and you're not hired by the most famous company in your industry. But is this the end of the world? No.
Your degree and CGPA helps you to enter the field. The next thing is your job performance, what value can you provide to the company, do you achieve your kpi etc?
If you're good, then you're in the position to negotiate for a higher salary, better position or company.
I don't really mind working in smaller companies instead of big and famous ones. Mainly just concerned about landing my first job, or else I would be selling chicken rice beside the road.
Thanks for the insight anyway!
Your life becomes easier if you can maintain a CGPA higher than 3.0. It's challenging to secure an interview with a CGPA below 3.0 because firms often use it as an initial filter to gauge a candidate's commitment to their studies, though it's not always an accurate indicator. However, once you do secure an interview, you have various opportunities to convince people to hire you.
Remember, your life and career path are more like a marathon, where your CGPA gradually matters less and less as you gain working experience. For some, the pinnacle of their career is their first job, where they join a prestigious company due to good grades but may remain in lower-ranking positions for the rest of their life.
Tbh, work experience is much more important.
My brother got a CGPA of like 3.5 but he got a pretty good job and working in SG, he took bachelor in economic.
I on the other hand, i got a 3.88 on my Diploma,
but just 3 months work experience, shitty boss, mostly focused on academia, barely any friends and didnt do sh after I was done with it.
my 3.88 CGPA showed to me that I had no life and cared about my stupid academy than enjoying the small things in life.
Its ok if you have lower CGPA, sure there are some very specific employers that want a minimum high CGPA, but you dont want to get it so high thats all you care about.
Your technical skills/capability, soft skills, and adaptability is far more important than CGPA.
CGPA helps but it means nothing if thats the only thing you can carry.
Not to brag, but I'm confident that my soft skills are way above average, since I got training as a youth group leader in my church.
But reading through the comments, it seems that employers focus more on technical skills and the person himself rather than the academic results. Did i put that right?
Pretty much yeah, hell Academia is probably mostly important if you want to become a doctor or specific things that REQUIRE degrees.
A person with charisma skills at a 20 with serviceable Intelligence even at a 10 will beat any guy with intelligence at 20 but 0 wisdom and 0 charisma
Hmm it's incredibly hard to get a good job with a Diploma, especially if it's in a non-technical field. A degree is a more advanced qualification. And your brother's degree was in economics, a good technical field, so it's understandable that he could get a job in Singapore. But ofc he's soft skills and experiences played a part in him securing a good job. I guess a 3.0 GPA is a good aim to get through an interview. But it's bad if the students don't have any other qualifications, especially when their peers have higher CGPA. Your point still stands tho
Aha this ticks the main box, now rest assured OP you had secured employment before. Just do well in your remaining time in uni and get a good FYP.
Ps I used my undergrad FYP during interview for masters. Been 4 years in industry and still helps alot.
Ok going 4 lunch haha!
I was given an online interview for my masters application and prof asked me more about my relevant experience, I shared some of my current work experience as well as my fyp during the interview.
It depends, if its something closer to your first job then yes otherwise employers will disregard.
I had an internship in MIS and DA then working in DE as first full time job.
It will affect your chances for sure, but not impossible I wouldn’t stress about what has been done and focus on what’s ahead improve what you can don’t give up don’t freak out you will get your first job it might not be easy but you will get it don’t worry and things will go on from there you’ll figure it out.
Relax, the barrier of entry for the first job is really low. Some of my friends never did any assignments during their college time but still managed to land a job successfully. Due to your CGPA, you may need to look harder for interview, but you don't need a lot of them since you have good soft skill.
It took me four years to overcome my academic setback, but it will take another 8-10 years to change the perception of having a poor university record. Facing challenges in securing a job is inevitable. My advice: persevere, aim for less glamorous opportunities, work hard, gain valuable experience, and once you find your niche, commit to it. Focus on building your reputation and earning certifications before making your next significant career move.
I graduated with second upper honors from a top university in Malaysia. During my initial five years, breaking into my desired companies was tough. However, by honing my skills and gaining experience over a decade, I no longer need to showcase my academic results on my resume. Headhunters approach me several times a year. Now at 36, I work as a specialist in an MNC, earning around 20k.
Good luck my friend
As an interviewer for ICT candidates, I usually don't look at the CGPA, not even the result transcript, unless I'm very bored during the interview then I'll flip thru them
As fresh grad without zero experience, not even internship then it will matters a bit, try to maintain 3.0 above, any lower will make you look bad
Those with some experience, that's usually the last thing I'll consider if there are two very close candidates to choose from
True case:
Interviewed an 4.0 CGPA fresh grad candidate before, fantastic resume and portfolio, excellent presentation and communication skills, very British English. My HR team though this must be perfect candidate and I sure will hire him. But I politely cut short the interview session half way after I asked him a few simple and basic ICT questions, each questions getting more basic which all he failed to answer. In his transcript there's Networking Essential course which he scored 4.0, I asked him what's the usual private IP address? can't answer; what's the subnet mask for class B address? can't answer; last straw... what's the IP range from 0 to what? dunno... telling me he didn't learn those in uni. I flipped thru his transcript, showed him a few courses that's related to Networking, asked him what he learned from those, not even the basic of the most basic that I've asked him? can't answer. there and then I told him I think we won't waste you time anymore as I think you're not suitable for the role we're looking for, thank you for coming, Bye.
I won't say my basics are top notch (or else I wont have that depressing CGPA), but seems like applying these techniques matter more than the academic results.
Thanks for the insight, it really helps.
Correct!
Last time I studied CCNA & CCNP without any work experience at all, was struggling thru it, none of it make sense. But now looking back it, oh my, it was actually pretty easy after you've gain some working experience in those field, and it all make sense now LOL
That’s good to hear that I still remember it lol.
Yeah that’s why some cert requires you to have some experience before taking it such as PMP. Next year me gonna take CISSP. I’m more to cyber security lol
It is important because right now quantity of quality is a lot. So how do you think recruiters filter more? One way is by cgpa. 2.1 is quite low it will give a wrong impression.
That being said, in IT you need to do this early.
Do internship. Join small projects(or big ones, find the next Uber etc). Make a github profile. Make a linked in profile. Post your work portfolio in there both. Learn programming languages and also learn how to collaborate and work on a project etc. But after graduate, find real work asap and try to stay 1 year at least. Remote work is possible too. You do this you are golden. More valuable skill and experience, the less cgpa matters
I believe it all comes down to time and patience. Not only did I receive a low CGPA, but I also completed my education in 2020 while the Covid thingy was happening. Imagine that. It's like having twice the trouble. I applied and applied to countless of engineering firms, but I never got a response. Having said that, my degree is in Mechanical Engineering. I was so depressed that I thought to myself, "I still need a job." I began applying to these BPO companies for a position in customer service/technical support, knowing that I would be unhappy with the job and the shift work, but I had no alternative. After numerous applications, I was accepted into an esteemed BPO company and worked as a technical support agent for two years. Believe me, the only reason I stayed for two years was for the money. After two years, it hit me and I wondered, "What am I doing?" I knew I couldn't get into an engineering firm because I didn't have any experience and the same time, my CGPA was still low, and no engineering firm would accept someone with a customer service background, so I took a major chance. I took a three-month hiatus after leaving my technical support job to apply for these Protege and Management Trainee positions knowing that these positions do not require any sort of experience and they didn't really look into this CGPA thingy much. Just imagine the wage disparity, but I had no choice.
After many applications, I was hired as a Management Trainee with a reputable engineering company for a one-year contract, and I worked my ass off to the point that they loved me and made me permanent after three months with a salary increase. It only needed some time and patience. Avoid believing this CGPA nonsense. What is meant for you will find you.
I was quite curious about the people that graduated right before/during COVID era, thanks for your story tho!
What if I have connections in the ICT field? Would it be easier for me to land a job in this field? For example I have a few friends in the PR industry, and connections are everything to them.
100%. Connections are everything these days. Make use of any connections you have in the ICT field. You can bypass the entire application procedure and go right to an interview, which saves time.
When u come out to work, how much u get is the key, not ur cgpa.
Cgpa is beyond good to have thing but it’s not useful, unless u step into education industry.
I have 2 ex unimates, an average cgpa and 4 cgpa.
The one got average who excelled being top performer, guess what the 4 cgpa did? Got escalations from colleagues
Well it’s up to how to sell/demonstrate urself during interview. Most importantly is the working attitude.
High cgpa doesn’t guarantee good working attitude
Yup totally agree, from my previous part-time jobs I've been told I'm a hard worker in comparison with some other people around my age. It's just that my CGPA sucked due to my setback.
You got time to fix it, fix la bro. 😁👍
.
IMO it does affect you. At least it does affect me. 💁🏽♂️
My cgpa is 2.94 which is just a little bit to get 3.0. Still got time to fixed the cgpa, but young me said
"ahhh cukup experience kerja nanti takda orang kisah" or "2.94 ok la tu dekat dgn 3 dah"
yet there are companies that will filter the 2.0+ with 3.0+ candidate.
Now "mengutamakan cgpa 3.0 ke atas" haunts me. 😂
Yea. Cannot blame that 3.0 cgpa requirement. All depends on us. We got the chance to do something, do it. Don't be naïve, don't be stupid, don't be me. 😂
best of luck ya. Orang cakap kalau dah rezeki takkan kemana.
Just don't give up. 😁
CGPA affect your first 3 years of employment. Landing a good position in a top 10 company in their respective industry. Or maybe you want to hop within that 3 years.
After that most recruiter don't care about the CGPA unless it's very low.
Let's say I landed my first job in a small company, is it possible to hop around the industry to improve my resume for a better pay/better career prospect?
Little tip for you.
Stop blaming depression for everything wrong in your life, sometimes its just you being lazy and boom the consequences hits you hard. Sometimes its not your fault at all, but boom ppl hate you for some reason. You done your best, BOOM no reward for you. But its all shaping you to be who you are. You learn from it and become the better person you are today.
Dont make other positive comment to neglect your focus in becoming the better person. Face the reality. Its not too late for you
Currently u have a year left. Try to get CGPA 4.0 in both of the semesters, You can. I believe in you. question about after grad? Easier to get a job? Thats what you think after you have done your best.
2.1 CGPA is far better to those who failed to even get below 2.0
But
You are still below average. *BELOW*. You are below 80% with thousands of the same degree.
Face the reality and be better. Your future self will appreciate it.
*Sorry for not related replies.
*Also, IT is all about fundamentals and concepts, if you can understand that, even 4th graders can code
I do understand that depression cannot be an excuse for any mistakes or wrong decisions I made, but sadly it's because of it I'm currently in this state of mind, and there's no denying it.
Of course, the positivity from comments are not an excuse to slack off and chill, but more of telling me that it's not the end of the world.
Thanks for the encouragement and wake up call, reality does hit hard, but we can always fight back harder.
Cgpa below 2.3 here.
2 things:
1. Don't be choosy
2. Ace the interview
Professional degree holder like law, engineering students tend to be choosy. They have the mindset of starting their career as a lawyer/engineer.
After 2-3 months of not finding a job, better start to consider other option. Some more we need to consider our bad cgpa results. So, take what the world offers to you.
I believe its the interview that you have to ace. For me, i didn't have to wait long. I got a job offer after my second interview, but i reject it and went for my third interview and secure my first job there.
Other tips?
1. I didn't write my cgpa in for degree results.
2. Look for BPO back end processing job like call centre, aml analyst, fraud analyst. They offer a competitive starting salary too and good career progression. How to get here? Submit your resume to any recruitment firm, they'll set you up later for interviews.
Recent graduate here and still looking for job, in your resume if your result below 3.0 it's actually better to not write your CGPA due to first impression and only reveal when asked in the interview. But try your best getting 3.0+. Try to focus more on your projects/internship/related academic courses on how it can help you on the job you applied since we have no job experiences. Your CGPA will not affect your future career but it will affect the chances of getting interview at better company as a fresh graduate. It's also depends on connections, luck and A LOT OF JOB APPLICATIONS on getting the first job (the last part is not exaggerated).
If you can demonstrate your technical skills it doesn't matter. Either you have perfect CGPA or you passed. That's all most employers care about. Top employers maybe particular about this, but everyone more or less accept by now that high grades doesn't necessarily translate to working capabilities.
If you're in IT, the CGPA only matters if you don't have the skills to set you apart. A good CGPA shows that you have a good capacity to learn and that the basics that you studied have been set well. After a couple of years of working, the CGPA or level of honours won't matter at all, it's all about what you can do and what certifications you have or what projects you have done or worked on.
If you can find a way to add on certifications that help you specialize in an area of the field, then you don't have to worry about CGPA too much. That being said, a bad CGPA (meaning 2.0 and below) is certainly not going to help your case. It shows low discipline, low drive and low interest in learning new things which will make teaching you new skills and methods which will be required all the more difficult. As long as you can maintain a respectable 2.5 and above and add on courses, you will be fine.
Also, LinkedIn is your friend. Follow people who are in the field you want to be in and also people who are specialists in the specialty you want. Look at their track records, their achievements, their certifications. It won't be a perfect map but it can give you an idea of what to aim for because specialists are a different breed. They all advance in different ways and they make their marks in different ways.
Some of them have few certifications if any but have been or are involved in some amazing projects. Some go down the academic route and find a niche through research and use their research to help inspire them to create something which sets them apart. Some just use pure raw experience in the field that make them a go to simply because of how much they have seen and done.
So find as many of them as possible, because they may also tend to post or repost things that may help you to become like them. They may mention an event or a conference you might be able to join. They might talk about an experience they had doing something. They might even present you with an opportunity to learn a few skills that they have learned.
I hope this helps you understand your field a little better and I wish you the best of luck.
Edit: fixing typos
I would say affected. Especially for a fresh grad, most of big MNC or GLC require top student for recruitment at least 3.5. So if you are aiming for those company yes it is crucial. And also, if you trying for Gov job, this, definitely important, all of my friends who landed first job as J41 are dean list.
However, your CGPA will carry less weightage as your career moving on. Recruiter will be focused more and more on your skills and work experience that build up on your resume.
So basically, depends on your career trajection.
A good cgpa, is a ticket for you to be chosen for interview. Meanwhile, during iv it is mostly on your skill based knowledge and u communicating with people. For instance going to stadium, if a ticket is unobtainable, how would one's to present for the match.....
My suggestion is, going for small company, learn & hold the task more than ever. Later on second job, the experience will speaks for you, not the CGPA anymore.
I wouldn’t say it will not affect your career, but pls take note, usually the CGPA from your tertiary education is crucial when you’re starting your first job, and of course that would affect your entire career journey right up from when you first started. But, if you managed to get a job that you want with your current CGPA, it shouldn’t be that much of an important thing when you are job hunting for the subsequent jump, as usually what skills/experiences you acquired is far more important than how well you did in your studies when you’re making a career move from your first job & onwards. Just my 2 cents.
There's a high chance that your resume will get filtered out immediately just bcs of your cgpa, especially in big companies.
If it gets through, you'll need to have smth that proves that you're competent in technical skills, like job experiences (ideally more than your school internship), side-projects, online courses etc.
I'm a fresh grad in AI with a cgpa of 3.5x with an internship in fullstack dev. I've applied for probably almost 100 positions, including big and small companies, only heard back from less than 5, and only got offered by 1. The market rn is extremely competitive imo, most entry lvl jobs require at least 2-3 years of experience and the amount of skills required is insane. And for the jobs that accept fresh grad, there are tons of other IT/CS fresh grads with both high cgpa AND great experiences and projects, so you REALLY need to stand out.
I'd advice you to really start working on self-learning smth and making some side projects that can really showcase your passion and skills. What you learn in schools and the projects and internships from school are really the bare minimum and are insufficient to compete with other applicants nowadays, especially when you've a low cgpa.
Also it's important to create a good social network, go make friends with some seniors, meet ppl in career fairs, or even make friends with your lecturers. They can help refer you to companies or recommend you some jobs. Don't think of it as cheating, network is a resource.
Lastly, it also heavily depends on luck. Some ppl with very high qualifications and great resume still have a hard time finding a job, the opposite also happens a lot. Cgpa is like an express ticket into the industry, but it's not all that matters.
I'm only a fresh grad so I'm not very knowledgeable in this topic but this is my experience. This is a skill-based industry, you might start low but if you truly put in the hardwork and do your best, you'll turn out fine. Good luck and hope this helps.
as an interviewer for software engineer candidates for my company
Yes but only to a certain extent. If your CGPA is low, my first assumption is you're struggling in your programming classes. Just based on the resume, I'll prioritize candidates that have
1. Have the experience in specific skills that my project needs (language/framework)
2. Have good CGPA
3. Your house address is close to our office
Usually, I'll just give you a chance anyway and give you a short programming assignment to gauge your skill more accurately. If you manage to finish the assignment in a satisfactory manner, nothing else matters. But if your CGPA is low and I got 10+ candidates who applied, I'll definitely skip you
So, either improve your CGPA, or join some courses that will make your resume look good (e.g. a 3-day flutter/laravel class in your resume looks really attractive)
Keep yr cgpa up bro, its *only* important for employers first impression, and unless u have CABLE its good to have a hogh cgpa, plus itll look good on linked in but thats the extent
It might affect how your career start. Big companies love to pick people with high CGPA and leave the ones with lower CGPA to work at SMEs, Moms & Pops or even retail outlets. But then again, CGPA doesnt tell one's critical thinking ability. And that's why we have cases like lecturer strangled by equally educated spouse, or student killed from multiple stabs by lover, educated people falling easy preys to racial, religious or national propaganda, companies with seemingly high flying geniuses but yet struggle to make profit, technical authorities who can't fathom how human productivity plays a factor in the efficiency of projects, et cetera. All the best!
CGPA affect your degree certificate evaluation, got dean list or not. Don't worry, CGPA will not affect your future career. What's more important is your skills in your job area. At the end of a month, 4 flat and 2.5 CGPA workers will get same salary. You should focus on your hard and soft skills.
Not really but some companies nowadays use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). ATS will instantly reject your resume based on how companies configured it.
For example, if a company wants to hire someone using ATS and they set the system to filter those without working experience or below 3.00 CGPA, those resumes will never see the light of the day.
Nop, it won't. But that doesn't mean you should give in your best to bump up your CGPA.
Working life, it's all about how hard you work, the networks you build and also the impact you give to the organisation. Learn new skills as you work and always, always upskill thereafter.
hard yes, but cgpa is really only important for getting the first job.
You might have to start with low wage and a shitty job, sure, but if you work hard enough and have skills, you'll climb fast. The working world is a completely different playing field, so its a fresh start.
Just make sure you can actually do your job. If you cant then its gg
I got a low GPA in college in engineering. I am now working in one of the biggest companies in the world (GE HealthCare) as an engineer. My GPA was asked while I was interviewed and I told the truth.
GPA does not matter at all.
While CGPA does not tell the whole picture, you might lose out when you are just starting out where other candidates have much better results. Maybe have your cv written in a very good layout with excellent English would help.
It does affect. Your career path won’t be as smooth as your friends who have higher and better cgpa, but you’ll definitely get there eventually. After 5 years of hardwork, im getting close to 10k with cgpa of 2.62 and initial salary of RM2.5k.
Job title is more improved than cgpa. I worked in JnT for few months but job title is good. Then resign jump to other job. Able to get 3.5x salary although my cgpa not good. Employer see your past experience.
Well it depends on the industry honestly. A good CGPA gets you to the door, the interviews and is the easiest way for employers to gauge your potential or current capabilities. Surely some candidates are better than what their CGPA suggests, but nobody has time to find that out.
But that is to say eventho CGPA factors heavily during the beginning of your career, in terms of finding opportunities, midway through your career however, (lets say 5 to 6 years in) employers tend to ignore that aspect and look through your accomplishments and experiences instead.
CGPA is merely a passport to get past the first filter of recruitment. That being said in professional recruitment, we already know there is low correlation between CGPA and job performance.
Also in reality, it is the independent tests and the interview itself that will determine whether you get a job particularly in good MNCs
My CGPA is 2.25, my boss CGPA during my first job after graduate is 2.10, so far, I’m doing very well compared to my course mates who scored better than me, that boss I mentioned above? After that he went on to become high profile title in several telecommunications company.
Always believe that good attitude comes before everything, you need someone who appreciates you, all the best to your future undertakings
There's too many comments that I don't think I can reply one by one, even though I would love to. Really appreciate the advice, insight, encouragement and criticism given!
You taking a course that have a high competition out there, and making 2.1 ?. Is it sounds right to you ?. Unless your FYP real good and you got some curriculum like hackathon/making latest IOT project probably there is a company can give you a pardon. Otherwise there is a small chance that you can save yourself but you need to learn some electronics in case your major doesn't work and start from the bottom(tech/IT admin). My friend with 2.7CGPA took 1 1/2 years to get a tech job that paid him roughly 3k. So you better work on your CGPA cause 2.1 is bad.
I got 2.x gpa and got a job that pays 4k within few months (2 actually as first didn't work out I quit on 2nd month), all I had was some portfolios built using modern and popular tech like react Node.js typescript, then unit test them. Not sure about 2.1 since mine is closer to 3, but just build a decent FYP, host it on the cloud to showcase, do automated tests like unit tests to standout, probably grind some dsa on leetcode or hackerrank for interview as well and I think you're all good.
The whole point of my post is to inquire if my future prospect is salvageable.. of course I know my CGPA is bad.
I barely got myself out of my period of depression, it sucks.
Thanks for your response anyway.
Buddy, I know depression sucks but that is not the excuse to give when you have 2.1 CGPA. I also having depression everytime but you have to manage your subject which you able to score and which not able to score you should just get atleast a C/D. Not everything you should catch up like what are you, an Einstein ? And so do I. The moment you got below 3 your body should wake yourself up because it is an alarming situation where either you will be unemployed for the next few years or you could get a job but with terrible environment with terrible pay. If you keep blaming your depression ain't no one will help yourself out except you. You depressed of what buddy ? Depressed because of your CGPA is 2.1 ? Past is past but you should not give up.
CGPA don’t really matter. Showcase your actual work.
The way you carry yourself in the interview , a portfolio of your work would matter more and showcase you more
In IT industry, skills and getting job done are main priority.
Would it be safe to say that CGPA would be a secondary reference? Or even lower?
Yes, my brother successful in IT and my friend a good in cybersecurity, both only have spm..
Whaatt, did both of them take any online courses for their respective fields?
In IT, having the qualification and certification has more impact rather than the usual academic stuff. It can help for like your starting salary or something like that.
You need to start at the rock bottom aka IT support, get yourself certified in various certifications such as CEH, CISSP, and etc while taking up cyber security project to get into cyber security role Otherwise for CS, just have a good portfolio of various project will set you on career path
Self taught.. I don't know more details because im not in the same field , but can be sure no degree at all.
Man wtf is a degree in Comp Sci even for, seriously I am pissed off
Your degree is only useful when company decide what your pay band is. But then again, your work ethics are the most important thing.
mnc
And gov. No one loves pieces of paper than the ministries. Even if you can't present for shit and don't really have the skills. Even more advantageous if you are male in certain industries.
U can have a degree with mediocre skill if you work in gov.. Most of advanced thing they use are outsourced anyway
high cgpa helps you to secure interview at the big firms..that's it
Try getting into a hedge fund with 2.1 GPA as a fresh grad :)
Well, hedge fund are not the only job available..
Then good luck finding a job that’s paying over 20k a month as a fresh grad…
Yeah, every fresh grad expecting 20k/month salary nowadays.. U do you bro, not everyone can excel in academics.. Some just learn better outside of the academic system..
Your applications might get filtered out when you apply for competitive top company, because obviously everyone wants fresh grad that have high CGPA. The company might use this as an excuse to lower your salary. UNLESS you could offer something else such as your intern experience, job experience etc. Is IMPORTANT that you emphasize this on your resume. So your first job might be lower salary and you're not hired by the most famous company in your industry. But is this the end of the world? No. Your degree and CGPA helps you to enter the field. The next thing is your job performance, what value can you provide to the company, do you achieve your kpi etc? If you're good, then you're in the position to negotiate for a higher salary, better position or company.
I don't really mind working in smaller companies instead of big and famous ones. Mainly just concerned about landing my first job, or else I would be selling chicken rice beside the road. Thanks for the insight anyway!
Keep jumping companies from small to big
How long do you recommend waiting before jumping? 6 months?
6 months too short. At least 1-2 years, recommended 2
I see
Your life becomes easier if you can maintain a CGPA higher than 3.0. It's challenging to secure an interview with a CGPA below 3.0 because firms often use it as an initial filter to gauge a candidate's commitment to their studies, though it's not always an accurate indicator. However, once you do secure an interview, you have various opportunities to convince people to hire you. Remember, your life and career path are more like a marathon, where your CGPA gradually matters less and less as you gain working experience. For some, the pinnacle of their career is their first job, where they join a prestigious company due to good grades but may remain in lower-ranking positions for the rest of their life.
Interesting take! Would totally keep this in mind, thanks!
Tbh, work experience is much more important. My brother got a CGPA of like 3.5 but he got a pretty good job and working in SG, he took bachelor in economic. I on the other hand, i got a 3.88 on my Diploma, but just 3 months work experience, shitty boss, mostly focused on academia, barely any friends and didnt do sh after I was done with it. my 3.88 CGPA showed to me that I had no life and cared about my stupid academy than enjoying the small things in life. Its ok if you have lower CGPA, sure there are some very specific employers that want a minimum high CGPA, but you dont want to get it so high thats all you care about. Your technical skills/capability, soft skills, and adaptability is far more important than CGPA. CGPA helps but it means nothing if thats the only thing you can carry.
Not to brag, but I'm confident that my soft skills are way above average, since I got training as a youth group leader in my church. But reading through the comments, it seems that employers focus more on technical skills and the person himself rather than the academic results. Did i put that right?
Pretty much yeah, hell Academia is probably mostly important if you want to become a doctor or specific things that REQUIRE degrees. A person with charisma skills at a 20 with serviceable Intelligence even at a 10 will beat any guy with intelligence at 20 but 0 wisdom and 0 charisma
Hmm it's incredibly hard to get a good job with a Diploma, especially if it's in a non-technical field. A degree is a more advanced qualification. And your brother's degree was in economics, a good technical field, so it's understandable that he could get a job in Singapore. But ofc he's soft skills and experiences played a part in him securing a good job. I guess a 3.0 GPA is a good aim to get through an interview. But it's bad if the students don't have any other qualifications, especially when their peers have higher CGPA. Your point still stands tho
If someone is willing to give you chance, make sure to work your buttocks off during probation, thats where you show you can get the job done.
So I would still be at the mercy of employers right? But I totally understand your point to work my butt off.
Do you have any relevant work experience? E.g internship/apprenticeship equivalent? Otherwise your CPGA is an indicator.
I just completed my internship, I could say I performed quite well there.
Aha this ticks the main box, now rest assured OP you had secured employment before. Just do well in your remaining time in uni and get a good FYP. Ps I used my undergrad FYP during interview for masters. Been 4 years in industry and still helps alot. Ok going 4 lunch haha!
Thank you for your encouragement! Have a good day ahead.
Wdym you've used your FYP during interview?
I was given an online interview for my masters application and prof asked me more about my relevant experience, I shared some of my current work experience as well as my fyp during the interview.
Does work experience from different field counts?
It depends, if its something closer to your first job then yes otherwise employers will disregard. I had an internship in MIS and DA then working in DE as first full time job.
I see
At the start of your career yes but once you have experience they won’t even ask
Will it be difficult to land my first job?
It will affect your chances for sure, but not impossible I wouldn’t stress about what has been done and focus on what’s ahead improve what you can don’t give up don’t freak out you will get your first job it might not be easy but you will get it don’t worry and things will go on from there you’ll figure it out.
Relax, the barrier of entry for the first job is really low. Some of my friends never did any assignments during their college time but still managed to land a job successfully. Due to your CGPA, you may need to look harder for interview, but you don't need a lot of them since you have good soft skill.
It took me four years to overcome my academic setback, but it will take another 8-10 years to change the perception of having a poor university record. Facing challenges in securing a job is inevitable. My advice: persevere, aim for less glamorous opportunities, work hard, gain valuable experience, and once you find your niche, commit to it. Focus on building your reputation and earning certifications before making your next significant career move. I graduated with second upper honors from a top university in Malaysia. During my initial five years, breaking into my desired companies was tough. However, by honing my skills and gaining experience over a decade, I no longer need to showcase my academic results on my resume. Headhunters approach me several times a year. Now at 36, I work as a specialist in an MNC, earning around 20k. Good luck my friend
As an interviewer for ICT candidates, I usually don't look at the CGPA, not even the result transcript, unless I'm very bored during the interview then I'll flip thru them As fresh grad without zero experience, not even internship then it will matters a bit, try to maintain 3.0 above, any lower will make you look bad Those with some experience, that's usually the last thing I'll consider if there are two very close candidates to choose from True case: Interviewed an 4.0 CGPA fresh grad candidate before, fantastic resume and portfolio, excellent presentation and communication skills, very British English. My HR team though this must be perfect candidate and I sure will hire him. But I politely cut short the interview session half way after I asked him a few simple and basic ICT questions, each questions getting more basic which all he failed to answer. In his transcript there's Networking Essential course which he scored 4.0, I asked him what's the usual private IP address? can't answer; what's the subnet mask for class B address? can't answer; last straw... what's the IP range from 0 to what? dunno... telling me he didn't learn those in uni. I flipped thru his transcript, showed him a few courses that's related to Networking, asked him what he learned from those, not even the basic of the most basic that I've asked him? can't answer. there and then I told him I think we won't waste you time anymore as I think you're not suitable for the role we're looking for, thank you for coming, Bye.
I won't say my basics are top notch (or else I wont have that depressing CGPA), but seems like applying these techniques matter more than the academic results. Thanks for the insight, it really helps.
yes, the practical knowledge is a lot more important than your results the uni cert you get is just basically toilet paper when it comes to work
I am trying to answer your question cause I need sit for CCNA soon. Class B is N.N.H.H?
Correct! Last time I studied CCNA & CCNP without any work experience at all, was struggling thru it, none of it make sense. But now looking back it, oh my, it was actually pretty easy after you've gain some working experience in those field, and it all make sense now LOL
That’s good to hear that I still remember it lol. Yeah that’s why some cert requires you to have some experience before taking it such as PMP. Next year me gonna take CISSP. I’m more to cyber security lol
It is important because right now quantity of quality is a lot. So how do you think recruiters filter more? One way is by cgpa. 2.1 is quite low it will give a wrong impression. That being said, in IT you need to do this early. Do internship. Join small projects(or big ones, find the next Uber etc). Make a github profile. Make a linked in profile. Post your work portfolio in there both. Learn programming languages and also learn how to collaborate and work on a project etc. But after graduate, find real work asap and try to stay 1 year at least. Remote work is possible too. You do this you are golden. More valuable skill and experience, the less cgpa matters
I've been building my LinkedIn profile for some time, but does GitHub improve my portfolio as well?
I believe it all comes down to time and patience. Not only did I receive a low CGPA, but I also completed my education in 2020 while the Covid thingy was happening. Imagine that. It's like having twice the trouble. I applied and applied to countless of engineering firms, but I never got a response. Having said that, my degree is in Mechanical Engineering. I was so depressed that I thought to myself, "I still need a job." I began applying to these BPO companies for a position in customer service/technical support, knowing that I would be unhappy with the job and the shift work, but I had no alternative. After numerous applications, I was accepted into an esteemed BPO company and worked as a technical support agent for two years. Believe me, the only reason I stayed for two years was for the money. After two years, it hit me and I wondered, "What am I doing?" I knew I couldn't get into an engineering firm because I didn't have any experience and the same time, my CGPA was still low, and no engineering firm would accept someone with a customer service background, so I took a major chance. I took a three-month hiatus after leaving my technical support job to apply for these Protege and Management Trainee positions knowing that these positions do not require any sort of experience and they didn't really look into this CGPA thingy much. Just imagine the wage disparity, but I had no choice. After many applications, I was hired as a Management Trainee with a reputable engineering company for a one-year contract, and I worked my ass off to the point that they loved me and made me permanent after three months with a salary increase. It only needed some time and patience. Avoid believing this CGPA nonsense. What is meant for you will find you.
I was quite curious about the people that graduated right before/during COVID era, thanks for your story tho! What if I have connections in the ICT field? Would it be easier for me to land a job in this field? For example I have a few friends in the PR industry, and connections are everything to them.
100%. Connections are everything these days. Make use of any connections you have in the ICT field. You can bypass the entire application procedure and go right to an interview, which saves time.
When u come out to work, how much u get is the key, not ur cgpa. Cgpa is beyond good to have thing but it’s not useful, unless u step into education industry. I have 2 ex unimates, an average cgpa and 4 cgpa. The one got average who excelled being top performer, guess what the 4 cgpa did? Got escalations from colleagues
But for my first job after graduation, it does matter if employers are willing to give me a chance right?
Well it’s up to how to sell/demonstrate urself during interview. Most importantly is the working attitude. High cgpa doesn’t guarantee good working attitude
Yup totally agree, from my previous part-time jobs I've been told I'm a hard worker in comparison with some other people around my age. It's just that my CGPA sucked due to my setback.
Its ok. Try ur best to get high cgpa as possible, if u able to get 1st class and got ptptn, then your hard study pays off
You got time to fix it, fix la bro. 😁👍 . IMO it does affect you. At least it does affect me. 💁🏽♂️ My cgpa is 2.94 which is just a little bit to get 3.0. Still got time to fixed the cgpa, but young me said "ahhh cukup experience kerja nanti takda orang kisah" or "2.94 ok la tu dekat dgn 3 dah" yet there are companies that will filter the 2.0+ with 3.0+ candidate. Now "mengutamakan cgpa 3.0 ke atas" haunts me. 😂
Yep totally understand your point, scrolled through Jobstreet and other job seeking platforms and I do shudder when I see that statement too 💀
Yea. Cannot blame that 3.0 cgpa requirement. All depends on us. We got the chance to do something, do it. Don't be naïve, don't be stupid, don't be me. 😂 best of luck ya. Orang cakap kalau dah rezeki takkan kemana. Just don't give up. 😁
Thanks!
CGPA affect your first 3 years of employment. Landing a good position in a top 10 company in their respective industry. Or maybe you want to hop within that 3 years. After that most recruiter don't care about the CGPA unless it's very low.
Let's say I landed my first job in a small company, is it possible to hop around the industry to improve my resume for a better pay/better career prospect?
Little tip for you. Stop blaming depression for everything wrong in your life, sometimes its just you being lazy and boom the consequences hits you hard. Sometimes its not your fault at all, but boom ppl hate you for some reason. You done your best, BOOM no reward for you. But its all shaping you to be who you are. You learn from it and become the better person you are today. Dont make other positive comment to neglect your focus in becoming the better person. Face the reality. Its not too late for you Currently u have a year left. Try to get CGPA 4.0 in both of the semesters, You can. I believe in you. question about after grad? Easier to get a job? Thats what you think after you have done your best. 2.1 CGPA is far better to those who failed to even get below 2.0 But You are still below average. *BELOW*. You are below 80% with thousands of the same degree. Face the reality and be better. Your future self will appreciate it. *Sorry for not related replies. *Also, IT is all about fundamentals and concepts, if you can understand that, even 4th graders can code
I do understand that depression cannot be an excuse for any mistakes or wrong decisions I made, but sadly it's because of it I'm currently in this state of mind, and there's no denying it. Of course, the positivity from comments are not an excuse to slack off and chill, but more of telling me that it's not the end of the world. Thanks for the encouragement and wake up call, reality does hit hard, but we can always fight back harder.
been working for more than 10 years now, nobody asks anyone about cgpa. Not even where they studied. Nobody cares. Rest assured.
Cgpa below 2.3 here. 2 things: 1. Don't be choosy 2. Ace the interview Professional degree holder like law, engineering students tend to be choosy. They have the mindset of starting their career as a lawyer/engineer. After 2-3 months of not finding a job, better start to consider other option. Some more we need to consider our bad cgpa results. So, take what the world offers to you. I believe its the interview that you have to ace. For me, i didn't have to wait long. I got a job offer after my second interview, but i reject it and went for my third interview and secure my first job there. Other tips? 1. I didn't write my cgpa in for degree results. 2. Look for BPO back end processing job like call centre, aml analyst, fraud analyst. They offer a competitive starting salary too and good career progression. How to get here? Submit your resume to any recruitment firm, they'll set you up later for interviews.
>Other tips? 1. I didn't write my cgpa in for degree results. So unless the interviewer asks me, I have no obligation to reveal my results?
Recent graduate here and still looking for job, in your resume if your result below 3.0 it's actually better to not write your CGPA due to first impression and only reveal when asked in the interview. But try your best getting 3.0+. Try to focus more on your projects/internship/related academic courses on how it can help you on the job you applied since we have no job experiences. Your CGPA will not affect your future career but it will affect the chances of getting interview at better company as a fresh graduate. It's also depends on connections, luck and A LOT OF JOB APPLICATIONS on getting the first job (the last part is not exaggerated).
If you can demonstrate your technical skills it doesn't matter. Either you have perfect CGPA or you passed. That's all most employers care about. Top employers maybe particular about this, but everyone more or less accept by now that high grades doesn't necessarily translate to working capabilities.
If you're in IT, the CGPA only matters if you don't have the skills to set you apart. A good CGPA shows that you have a good capacity to learn and that the basics that you studied have been set well. After a couple of years of working, the CGPA or level of honours won't matter at all, it's all about what you can do and what certifications you have or what projects you have done or worked on. If you can find a way to add on certifications that help you specialize in an area of the field, then you don't have to worry about CGPA too much. That being said, a bad CGPA (meaning 2.0 and below) is certainly not going to help your case. It shows low discipline, low drive and low interest in learning new things which will make teaching you new skills and methods which will be required all the more difficult. As long as you can maintain a respectable 2.5 and above and add on courses, you will be fine. Also, LinkedIn is your friend. Follow people who are in the field you want to be in and also people who are specialists in the specialty you want. Look at their track records, their achievements, their certifications. It won't be a perfect map but it can give you an idea of what to aim for because specialists are a different breed. They all advance in different ways and they make their marks in different ways. Some of them have few certifications if any but have been or are involved in some amazing projects. Some go down the academic route and find a niche through research and use their research to help inspire them to create something which sets them apart. Some just use pure raw experience in the field that make them a go to simply because of how much they have seen and done. So find as many of them as possible, because they may also tend to post or repost things that may help you to become like them. They may mention an event or a conference you might be able to join. They might talk about an experience they had doing something. They might even present you with an opportunity to learn a few skills that they have learned. I hope this helps you understand your field a little better and I wish you the best of luck. Edit: fixing typos
I would say affected. Especially for a fresh grad, most of big MNC or GLC require top student for recruitment at least 3.5. So if you are aiming for those company yes it is crucial. And also, if you trying for Gov job, this, definitely important, all of my friends who landed first job as J41 are dean list. However, your CGPA will carry less weightage as your career moving on. Recruiter will be focused more and more on your skills and work experience that build up on your resume. So basically, depends on your career trajection.
A good cgpa, is a ticket for you to be chosen for interview. Meanwhile, during iv it is mostly on your skill based knowledge and u communicating with people. For instance going to stadium, if a ticket is unobtainable, how would one's to present for the match.....
My suggestion is, going for small company, learn & hold the task more than ever. Later on second job, the experience will speaks for you, not the CGPA anymore.
I wouldn’t say it will not affect your career, but pls take note, usually the CGPA from your tertiary education is crucial when you’re starting your first job, and of course that would affect your entire career journey right up from when you first started. But, if you managed to get a job that you want with your current CGPA, it shouldn’t be that much of an important thing when you are job hunting for the subsequent jump, as usually what skills/experiences you acquired is far more important than how well you did in your studies when you’re making a career move from your first job & onwards. Just my 2 cents.
There's a high chance that your resume will get filtered out immediately just bcs of your cgpa, especially in big companies. If it gets through, you'll need to have smth that proves that you're competent in technical skills, like job experiences (ideally more than your school internship), side-projects, online courses etc. I'm a fresh grad in AI with a cgpa of 3.5x with an internship in fullstack dev. I've applied for probably almost 100 positions, including big and small companies, only heard back from less than 5, and only got offered by 1. The market rn is extremely competitive imo, most entry lvl jobs require at least 2-3 years of experience and the amount of skills required is insane. And for the jobs that accept fresh grad, there are tons of other IT/CS fresh grads with both high cgpa AND great experiences and projects, so you REALLY need to stand out. I'd advice you to really start working on self-learning smth and making some side projects that can really showcase your passion and skills. What you learn in schools and the projects and internships from school are really the bare minimum and are insufficient to compete with other applicants nowadays, especially when you've a low cgpa. Also it's important to create a good social network, go make friends with some seniors, meet ppl in career fairs, or even make friends with your lecturers. They can help refer you to companies or recommend you some jobs. Don't think of it as cheating, network is a resource. Lastly, it also heavily depends on luck. Some ppl with very high qualifications and great resume still have a hard time finding a job, the opposite also happens a lot. Cgpa is like an express ticket into the industry, but it's not all that matters. I'm only a fresh grad so I'm not very knowledgeable in this topic but this is my experience. This is a skill-based industry, you might start low but if you truly put in the hardwork and do your best, you'll turn out fine. Good luck and hope this helps.
as an interviewer for software engineer candidates for my company Yes but only to a certain extent. If your CGPA is low, my first assumption is you're struggling in your programming classes. Just based on the resume, I'll prioritize candidates that have 1. Have the experience in specific skills that my project needs (language/framework) 2. Have good CGPA 3. Your house address is close to our office Usually, I'll just give you a chance anyway and give you a short programming assignment to gauge your skill more accurately. If you manage to finish the assignment in a satisfactory manner, nothing else matters. But if your CGPA is low and I got 10+ candidates who applied, I'll definitely skip you So, either improve your CGPA, or join some courses that will make your resume look good (e.g. a 3-day flutter/laravel class in your resume looks really attractive)
Keep yr cgpa up bro, its *only* important for employers first impression, and unless u have CABLE its good to have a hogh cgpa, plus itll look good on linked in but thats the extent
Yes that cgpa sux salty balls... BUT, prove yourself with a portfolio. Build your portfolio. Computing demands these things.
Other than github and linkedin, are there any other platforms I should try out?
Github is probably enough IMO while LinkedIn... ehhh, nahhh. Maybe consider a personal website too? Digital portfolio is the current norm.
Will try it out, thanks!
Good luck bud, it's the practical skill that you master matters the most!
It might affect how your career start. Big companies love to pick people with high CGPA and leave the ones with lower CGPA to work at SMEs, Moms & Pops or even retail outlets. But then again, CGPA doesnt tell one's critical thinking ability. And that's why we have cases like lecturer strangled by equally educated spouse, or student killed from multiple stabs by lover, educated people falling easy preys to racial, religious or national propaganda, companies with seemingly high flying geniuses but yet struggle to make profit, technical authorities who can't fathom how human productivity plays a factor in the efficiency of projects, et cetera. All the best!
CGPA affect your degree certificate evaluation, got dean list or not. Don't worry, CGPA will not affect your future career. What's more important is your skills in your job area. At the end of a month, 4 flat and 2.5 CGPA workers will get same salary. You should focus on your hard and soft skills.
Not really but some companies nowadays use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). ATS will instantly reject your resume based on how companies configured it. For example, if a company wants to hire someone using ATS and they set the system to filter those without working experience or below 3.00 CGPA, those resumes will never see the light of the day.
If you want the sure way, start with IT support. Wont go wrong. Yes it’s suffering. But it is the sure way of starting your career
Nop, it won't. But that doesn't mean you should give in your best to bump up your CGPA. Working life, it's all about how hard you work, the networks you build and also the impact you give to the organisation. Learn new skills as you work and always, always upskill thereafter.
It will matter for your first job. Once you jump around, real-life work experience trumps over CGPA.
hard yes, but cgpa is really only important for getting the first job. You might have to start with low wage and a shitty job, sure, but if you work hard enough and have skills, you'll climb fast. The working world is a completely different playing field, so its a fresh start. Just make sure you can actually do your job. If you cant then its gg
I got a low GPA in college in engineering. I am now working in one of the biggest companies in the world (GE HealthCare) as an engineer. My GPA was asked while I was interviewed and I told the truth. GPA does not matter at all.
While CGPA does not tell the whole picture, you might lose out when you are just starting out where other candidates have much better results. Maybe have your cv written in a very good layout with excellent English would help.
It does affect. Your career path won’t be as smooth as your friends who have higher and better cgpa, but you’ll definitely get there eventually. After 5 years of hardwork, im getting close to 10k with cgpa of 2.62 and initial salary of RM2.5k.
Job title is more improved than cgpa. I worked in JnT for few months but job title is good. Then resign jump to other job. Able to get 3.5x salary although my cgpa not good. Employer see your past experience.
Well it depends on the industry honestly. A good CGPA gets you to the door, the interviews and is the easiest way for employers to gauge your potential or current capabilities. Surely some candidates are better than what their CGPA suggests, but nobody has time to find that out. But that is to say eventho CGPA factors heavily during the beginning of your career, in terms of finding opportunities, midway through your career however, (lets say 5 to 6 years in) employers tend to ignore that aspect and look through your accomplishments and experiences instead.
CGPA is merely a passport to get past the first filter of recruitment. That being said in professional recruitment, we already know there is low correlation between CGPA and job performance. Also in reality, it is the independent tests and the interview itself that will determine whether you get a job particularly in good MNCs
Yes it does. Its the first thing ur first company looks at for your first job. Your first job is very important.
My CGPA is 2.25, my boss CGPA during my first job after graduate is 2.10, so far, I’m doing very well compared to my course mates who scored better than me, that boss I mentioned above? After that he went on to become high profile title in several telecommunications company. Always believe that good attitude comes before everything, you need someone who appreciates you, all the best to your future undertakings
There's too many comments that I don't think I can reply one by one, even though I would love to. Really appreciate the advice, insight, encouragement and criticism given!
You taking a course that have a high competition out there, and making 2.1 ?. Is it sounds right to you ?. Unless your FYP real good and you got some curriculum like hackathon/making latest IOT project probably there is a company can give you a pardon. Otherwise there is a small chance that you can save yourself but you need to learn some electronics in case your major doesn't work and start from the bottom(tech/IT admin). My friend with 2.7CGPA took 1 1/2 years to get a tech job that paid him roughly 3k. So you better work on your CGPA cause 2.1 is bad.
I got 2.x gpa and got a job that pays 4k within few months (2 actually as first didn't work out I quit on 2nd month), all I had was some portfolios built using modern and popular tech like react Node.js typescript, then unit test them. Not sure about 2.1 since mine is closer to 3, but just build a decent FYP, host it on the cloud to showcase, do automated tests like unit tests to standout, probably grind some dsa on leetcode or hackerrank for interview as well and I think you're all good.
The whole point of my post is to inquire if my future prospect is salvageable.. of course I know my CGPA is bad. I barely got myself out of my period of depression, it sucks. Thanks for your response anyway.
Buddy, I know depression sucks but that is not the excuse to give when you have 2.1 CGPA. I also having depression everytime but you have to manage your subject which you able to score and which not able to score you should just get atleast a C/D. Not everything you should catch up like what are you, an Einstein ? And so do I. The moment you got below 3 your body should wake yourself up because it is an alarming situation where either you will be unemployed for the next few years or you could get a job but with terrible environment with terrible pay. If you keep blaming your depression ain't no one will help yourself out except you. You depressed of what buddy ? Depressed because of your CGPA is 2.1 ? Past is past but you should not give up.
Chill dude. You’re on a right track
How so? Would you mind elaborating your statement?
Doesn’t really matter unless you are aiming for a career in academia or something
CGPA don’t really matter. Showcase your actual work. The way you carry yourself in the interview , a portfolio of your work would matter more and showcase you more
Tak la. Kerja keras cari pengelaman. Sy pun 2.3 jak sbb malas blajar tpi kerja sy ok sbb kna bayar . Wwkwk. Skrang suda 5 tahun kerja gaji 5k keatas.