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Crucial question about GPA and Résumé

Joined
1/19/19
Messages
7
Points
13
I have recently been wondering about whether there is any one thing that might be handicapping my job-hunting efforts, and I have just realized a potential major one.

I recently graduated with a MFE, with my GPA ending just shy of 3.3, which I personally always thought was decent, but I am also aware that it is not above that magic *3.5* line. So, I have never put it on my résumé, hoping to not be automatically disqualified by someone thinking it is a bad GPA.

However, is this tactic by itself automatically disqualifying me from most "regular" quant positions? I would like to hear the advice of those with experience, or those aware of how résumés are analyzed, of whether there is a strong GPA cut-off, and whether not making my GPA visible automatically puts me in that pile.
 
Most banks have cut off of 3.3 or 3 but I don’t believe that you went through a whole mfe program without anyone telling you a 3.3 gpa is bad. Have you done any internships throughout your program? It’s gonna be tough to get a job with no summer internship
 
I tried getting a summer internship before I graduated, without any success, but I chalk that up to other mistakes I made during my job-hunting, which I have since fixed. I have gotten a minor Data Science role to tide me over, and pad my résumé, so I hope that is balancing a lower GPA out.

So are you saying that it is, indeed, better for me to not list my GPA on my résumé then?
 
According to the 2019 rankings, at one of the MFE programs between the 11th and 16th ranks. Does that narrow it down enough for the information you are asking for?
 
Your GPA shouldn't be an issue unless you are only applying to the highest paying, most stringently screening, positions. Your resume might be in a bad format, and your cover letters (when requested) could be poor as well. You can send either to me, and something you applied to, but didn't get, and I'll be able to give a better answer. (Redact or generalize what you need to in the resume).
 
Your GPA shouldn't be an issue unless you are only applying to the highest paying, most stringently screening, positions. Your resume might be in a bad format, and your cover letters (when requested) could be poor as well. You can send either to me, and something you applied to, but didn't get, and I'll be able to give a better answer. (Redact or generalize what you need to in the resume).

I would appreciate that, and will do so.

Though I do still want to ask, not impolitely I hope, what experience you have in the Quant world? Any experience is more than mine at this point, and will still be appreciated.
 
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I would appreciate that, and will do so.

Though I do still want to ask, not impolitely I hope, what experience you have in the Quant world? Any experience is more than mine at this point, and will still be appreciated.
PM on the way.
 
To put a close to this thread, with AppliedMath's help, my résumé and Cover Letter (though mostly the former) were improved, and I ended up getting a position, relatively soon after the latest post here, from a recruiter, and I am now at a top-5 US bank, in a Junior position : ) .

The fact I was contacted so soon by a recruiter after this thread, is completely coincidental, so I have to state the updated resume was not the primary reason the job was landed, but it was at least part of the process, was easy to read, and got no negative remarks during the extensive interview.
 
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