Myth #5: A high GPA leads to greater success.

Reality - A high GPA shows you’re good at studying and conscientious.  But, that doesn’t always translate into success.

One of the largest myths about college that keeps coming back around is that a high GPA leads to greater success after college. This is not the case at all!

Many employers see a student's GPA as simply one of the many factors in the application process. This is because your GPA is only a measure of how well you do in the classroom. A high GPA may show that you can study and perform well inside academia but it will not give any insight into how you perform in the real world.

The skills today's employers value are not being taught on college campuses. This unfortunate truth is the main reason companies won’t solely rely on GPA when making hiring decisions. This is also why it is super important to have a clear sense of what you want to do after college so you can build out your plan.

While in college, take inventory of what you enjoy doing and what you are good at. Your strengths and personality traits should drive you where you want to go.

Start looking into career options early so you have plenty of time to put together an idea of what careers interest you most. This will show you what skills are most important in the field so you can begin working on them in your spare time. In addition you’ll be in a great position when the internship search starts.

The most important thing employers look for is that you have relevant experience and the skills that come with it. You should start looking into internships as soon as you can to stay ahead of your peers and to perfect your applications. Starting early allows you to work on your resume and cover letters to see what works. Even better, you can change them up ad optimize them as you continue to apply, and by the height of the application process you will have your applications down to a science.

When looking for internships you should prioritize positions that give you the most hands-on experience. Not all internships are created equal so you need to look for opportunities that will allow you to work on projects that will give you real skills. Search for postings that lay out your responsibilities clearly, this is a great way to gauge the level of real work you’ll be doing with the company.

When it comes time for applying to jobs the work you’ve done will pay dividends. Your peers who focused entirely on the academic side will be in for a rude awakening during the application process since they will have no way to properly showcase their potential to hiring professionals. Employers would much rather see a well balanced resume than just a high GPA, so those internship skills you listed will do much more for you than an A+ in econometrics ever could.

The largest part of your resume is your past job experience, naturally that should be what you prioritize building upon when creating a plan. Don’t be like one of the many students who throw all their eggs into their GPA and are left without many options after graduation. Join PathMatch today.

Want all this help to fit in your pocket for on-the-go resources? Download our PathMatch app today! 

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