Something about RESUME

Q: Should I include my GPA on my resume?

A: The answer depends on your GPA, the career field you are pursuing, and the other qualifications in your background. In technical fields, employers tend to place high importance on GPA, they want to know it, and they are going to ask for it eventually. That's just a fact of life. In fields in which employers care about GPA, if you leave your GPA off, you risk employers assuming that it is very low. (If you have a 2.7 and leave it off, do you want an employer to guess that you have a 2.1?) In some career fields, GPA is not as important a factor in
employers' decisions. For graduate students, there is often an assumption that your undergraduate GPA must have been strong for you to be admitted to graduate school, and once in graduate school, strong academic performance is simply expected. If you are uncertain about including your GPA, ask a Career Services advisor for recommendations based on your individual circumstances. (Also see other GPA-related questions below.)

Q: Do I have to put an objective on my resume?

A: Usually yes. You don't want an employer to have to guess from your resume what type of position you are seeking. If you're not sure what kind of position you want, you'll need to do some research. It's not the role of the employer to be your career counselor. If you have more than one type of position you're pursuing, do alternate versions of your resume to support each objective. When you mail your resume to an employer with your cover letter, you can elaborate on the position you are seeking in your letter, and in that case could leave the objective off. However, be aware that your resume could be separated from your cover letter,
and again, you may be leaving someone to guess what you want to do.

Q: What GPA is too low to include on a resume?

A: There's not one number that's a magic cut-off point — the answer depends on several factors. Don't let anyone persuade you that you have to have a 3.0 GPA or better to include it on your resume. The answer will depend on several things. Are you looking for work in a career field in which GPA is (or is not) important? How competitive is the career field you plan to enter? What other credentials are in your background? Did you work during school to pay for your education? Did you hold leadership positions in school or community organizations? Do you have good experience related to your career goals? Did you start out in a difficult
major that hurt your GPA and then raise your grades significantly after changing into your current major? If you are unsure about including your overall GPA, your major GPA, or both, ask a Career Services advisor for advice based on your individual situation.

Q: Should I include two addresses on my resume: home and school?

A: Absolutely (unless your home and school addresses are one and the same). You want to make it easy for
employers to reach you. If you graduate, or go home for the summer, and are still looking for a job or summer position, an employer can't find you at your school address. If "home" is abroad and would be difficult or costly for an employer to telephone you there, indicate an alternate permanent address where you can be
contacted if you will leave Blacksburg for the summer.

Q: Should I include my in-major GPA? How do I find it out?

A: By the time you are a junior or senior, you have generally established an in-major GPA. Most students have a higher in-major GPA than overall GPA, so it can be helpful to include this — it lets the employer know your area of strength. If your overall GPA is very low and your major GPA is very strong, you could leave off your overall GPA and just include your major GPA. To find out your major GPA, contact your academic epartment. And again, if you are unsure about what to include, ask a Career Services advisor for recommendations based on your individual circumstances.