One of the frequently asked question by fresh graduates is - how do I look for a job if I have low CGPA? Students with high CGPA definitely earn a fast track to be called for interview and land a job. What if you have a low CGPA? It is not impossible for you to land a job, however, you may require working harder compared to your peers who have high CGPA.
Here's what "work harder" means:
Get additional internship, part-time or contract jobs
With more work exposure, you are able to gain more experience through hands-on work. Your compulsory internship during your academic years is not sufficient to show your skills. Your future employer is looking for the "employability" skills from you that you are able to provide to them. Show your employability through the tasks you have done and the responsibility you have held on your resume on the "Work Experience" section.
Work on mini-projects that will bolster your skills/knowledge for the related jobs you would want to apply for
Are you pursuing a specific job field? If yes, you can work on the mini projects that will show your skills/knowledge. This tactic works mostly for creative line where you can work on some gigs (short movie, microsite, collaboration with other talents, etc.) to add in into your portfolio. However, non-creative work can also benefit from this unconventional way of landing a job. You can maintain a blog on topics related to your studies to boost your confidence and when a potential employer finds out about your side gigs, they would appreciate your effort. This will position you as an expert in the subject you are pursuing, which indirectly increases your "employability" points.
Rely on recommendation instead of direct application to the job
Truthfully speaking, resumes with low CGPA often get thrown into the rubbish bin. It is not because you are not worth it. It is because you are competing with a thousand other job seekers and the person screening through your resume simply do not have time to read a low-quality CV. The question you may have in mind is, "How the hell do I then land a job?" or "Do I ever get employed, like ever?!"
There are many ways of searching for a job and land an interview. Directly applying on the job through job portals or company websites will thinning your chance to be called for interview. Instead, try other approaches. Recommendations normally work better. This is because the person recommending you might have a certain influence the employer. Generally speaking, people will only recommend you if they know you are a good quality candidate.
Get connected to your friends who already found a job, your parents may have some friends who are hiring for their business, check out with the HR of the previous company you worked in, they might know some other companies that are hiring.
Tweak your resume
The way you present your resume speaks a lot about you. Don't let your CGPA looking so miserably shadowed by your low CGPA. What else can you offer?
Highlight your work experiences by describing your roles and responsibility clearly. This will give the reader an idea of what you are capable of and to let them judge if you are best suited for the job.
Include your final year project by briefly describing the project you have work on. It will help you shine as a problem-solver and what are your worth in handling a project
Attach your academic transcript to your resume
If you are bad at something, doesn't mean you are bad at everything. Let's say the culprit of your low CGPA is caused by a particular subject that you have no interests in, but you score pretty well in other subjects. Maybe the person hiring is looking for those quality in the subject you scored well.
A lot of people don't see the need to attach academic transcript because you've done with your studies and you think you don't need it anymore. The truth is, academic transcript is the only thing a future employer is able to judge your strength without having to know you first.
Submit a proposal
This method don't always work. But if you know the company you are pursuing at the back of your hand, maybe you can submit a proposal to further improve their business. Employers appreciate valuable staff who can bring their business to a higher level. Someone done this before and landed a job. Heard of the Nina 4 Airbnb resume? If you don't, check out this lady's impressive resume that landed her a job.
The resume isn't any ordinary resume where she states her profile. Instead, she pick one problem Airbnb is facing, analyze the problem and propose a possibility. She then ended her proposal with "Why I belong to Airbnb", that directly putting herself as a potential employee to the organization.
Increase your social media presence
People who are scouting for good talent always watch out for possible hire on social media. Use social media to your advantage. In between sharing your holiday photos and the food you eat, share articles related to your area of expertise. Remember to set those posts in public so that you can be seen as someone who is deeply interested in that subject matter. Also, putting up your resume publicly by posting it on your social media might work. For example, "I'm looking for job in Civil Engineering field. Appreciate it if anyone could click Share below so that my resume is seen across the internet (insert link to your resume)."
There could be a dozen ways to land a job despite poor academic results. The above are just some of it. If you are able to turn on your creative switch, anything is possible. Don't let your low CGPA affect your future. Create opportunity for yourself in every way possible.
Good luck. And remember, the team at Faculty of Career is here to help you. Submit your details <<here>> to join our Next Generation Talent club and let us reach out to you.
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