There’s a new way to beef up a resume! Raise your grade point average! Indeed, a growing number of schools are helping their graduates look better to the job market by indiscriminately upping GPA’s by a fixed amount (or by getting rid of the grading system altogether). Click here for the story.
Lessons for leaders:
- I haven’t believed resumes for years. It’s not just that there are outright lies on them. Resumes are marketing documents. In a world of unprecendented access to information about people on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, there are many sources to learn more about people than what is simply included on their resumes. Learn how to much more effectively separate the wheat from the chaff through better research and interviewing.
- I just don’t remember the last time I made a hiring or promotion decision based on GPA. It’s been a weak measure at best, and based on the article, even weaker now. In the vast majority of cases, it’s not the smartest one who wins. According to Dale Carnegie, only 15% of our success results from our professional knowledge. The remaining is dependent on our ability to lead and influence.
Focus on your ability lead and influence. Intentionally develop those skills. And if you’re still having trouble getting a job, perhaps it’s worth calling your school to see if they can do some rounding up on your GPA!
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