Does getting excellent grades really matter to employers?

1. 77

   phillippeengelposted 12 years ago

   Does getting excellent grades really matter to employers?
   
   I just found out that some employers, including one that sells roast pork, requires employees who are highly educated - which means they have completed tertiary education. I guess barbequing pork is a job that anyone, as long as they have the right disposition and willingness to learn, can do? Why are they so fastidious?

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2. 61

   katielroseposted 12 years ago

   For lower-skill jobs that anyone could potentially do employers are looking to narrow-down the pool of applicants in this high-unemployment economy. On the other hand, I've heard of a few companies who hire high-skill positions (engineering and computer science most often) who prefer to hire someone who has the appropriate degrees, but prefer B/C students over straight A students for various reasons - they tend to be more well rounded and so on. It all depends on the employer.

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      Steel Engineerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      As an engineer, science type, I can tell you: A's are not easy in science. Those who get them are very often socially inept. Great people, yes. Able to reassure a client, or think on their feet to resolve an issue in the field... don't count on it.

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3. 60

   Ivan Ivanovposted 12 years ago

   It doesn't matter. What matters is to be highly educated ... Don't think about school like it won't teach you anything .. It does ... I've just finished High School and I can tell you that, yes log(x) + n^2 still hasn't helped me in life; however math helped my ability to solve problems and find my mistakes; literature helped me developed my creativity skills ... Biology well it helped me a lot trying to understand everything around me and of course myself and others (anatomy) ... Geography thought me about the world and History thought me about human nature and how it hasn't changed ...
   
   So yeah, good grades aren't important ... But actually learning is!

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      Steel Engineerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ivan, yes we learn many abstract abilities. However, the system of 300 years ago, on the job training, apprenticeships, midshipman positions, and etcetera also taught people skills, abilities, and abstract qualities. Working TAUGHT them.

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4. 67

   Mommymayposted 12 years ago

   I am a hospitality recruiter so can speak towards hiring chefs, managers, and company leaders. I have never had a client ask a candidate about grades. I do have concepts (even barbeque concepts) who do like to see a culinary degree. My feeling is that they look for this because it shows your dedication to the career. In hospitality/culinary fields, many people will take a position and then make it through training only to find that it was not for them. Believe it or not it will cost a company $3,000 to train a chef/cook in wages, mishandled products, trainers, etc. THE BRIGHT SIDE--most of my clients (depending on position) would prefer to see someone with hands on experience and with a solid track record of success within past employers OVER a culinary degree. If you are truly passionate about a career path- start small! Get your foot in the door and prove yourself in your dedication, passion, and hunger for knowledge. Once you have that---NETWORK! A great review from someone goes a LONG way. Don't beg or always be on the hunt for a new career but be involved and engaged in your career community. Good luck!

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   1. 81

      Steel Engineerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is a great answer.

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   2. 77

      phillippeengelposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I certainly agree with your viewpoint, but a culinary degree comes only after primary and secondary schooling. Students will have to swot for innumerable examinations throughout  the ten years (or thereabouts) of intense preparation and drilling.

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5. 0

   Casimiroposted 12 years ago

   I was often picked as the hiring manager for groups that I worked in when I was still in the hi-tech industry. Very few resumes would actually list grades, though some degrees may list that it was earned summa cum laude, etc.
   
   Even when the economy was booming, you might be surprised how many applicants there were for a single opening. You have to whittle the pile down to a manageable level somehow. Grade point average was part of the equation, but way down the list of criteria. In today's economy, employers have even more applications to sift through.
   
   Bottom line: for a technical field, grades are important, but not paramount. For service jobs, I would think that high grades could actually hurt your chances, since when the economy picks up, the smart ones will leave first!

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6. 81

   Steel Engineerposted 12 years ago

   There are many short answers. Fact is, the CIA now hires out of high school. Corporate training is superior to that of colleges. BA holders often outperform MBAs in business management professions (most of the time, actually)- if these managers are simply trained for 3 months by the company hiring them.
   
   So, why do corporations require degrees?
   
   A: simple- they want people to go to college. But, not just to college, they want them to be mentally and socially reconditioned.
   
   Explanation: Colleges teach debauchery and loose morals. Many programs now require an "ethics" class. The class I took basically taught there are no such things as ethics, it is all arbitrary, and changes culture to culture. So, just obey the law. This displaces God with government, basically. Additionally, every text I had in my BUSINESS courses included at least one reference to Darwin, using his name. Yes, even in both my accounting courses.
   
   GPA has been shown to have ZERO correlation to career success as measured by income and position in the company.
   
   Only 2% of Americans are actually financially independent. Virtually ALL of these ran their own business, or were skilled investors. They also all did what the Bible said is required to succeed in business- they worked hard.
   
   School teaches people to be two things:
   1. To be employees
   2. To believe and follow standards of man, replacing God's standards and commandments.

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