How your grades effect your income

**LuckY** · 12-06-2004

With all this talk about careers and such, I'm curious if you graduates with jobs can tell me something that I've until now only speculated about. I work my buns off to get an A in every class I take. This semester it looks like there is a good chance that I will end up getting a B in a math class (statistics) because I've got a high B, but little understanding in the material that will be on the final. Anyway I've strived to maintain an extremely high GPA and such because I've always been under the impression that it will be very helpful getting a job right out of college (really, only then and not any later). This was reinforced by one of my instructors a couple of years ago who actually offered me a job with a company he worked at (I turned him down) who said that his company offered another student all kinds of goodies to work for them because he was graduating Suma Cum Laude (or some such thing), but he ended up taking an undesireable job for higher pay from a company who bought him a house in Hawaii and allowed him to work from home.

I'm curious what your experience or knowledge is on the subject. It's not to say that everyone's grades directly effect how much they get paid, but that if you get very good grades does it tend to cause potential employers to look more closely at you and cause them to be more willing to pay someone like you more than another?

If I end up getting a B in this math class I don't want it to destroy my chances of being a billionaire right out of college.

**jlou** · 12-06-2004

I did not get very good grades. Granted, I was hired at a time when there were more jobs to go around, but my grades certainly did not prohibit me from receiving several offers out of school. It is quite possible, even probable, that I could have gotten better offers had I actually done better in school (my overall GPA was ~2.7 out of 4). I found that for some reason, the people who liked me did so because of other reasons. Maybe I exuded a certain confidence (odd because I was never a really confident person), maybe I appeared to be intelligent, maybe the skills I had were more obvious than those I lacked. All I know was that I was hired despite my grades (I even had to send an email "explanation" of why my grades were so poor).

I'd say keep getting good grades, and work as hard as you can to get them, they can only help. Once you're done with your classes, don't worry about whatever grades you've got, focus on how well you interview, how well you carry yourself, how well you show off your strengths. Ten minutes of showing your intelligence to an interviewer can outweigh five years of average grades.

**Govtcheez** · 12-06-2004

It's not what you know, it's who you know.

**ober** · 12-06-2004

I'm with Cheez on this one, to a degree. I don't think employers ignore your GPA, but they're far more concerned with what you've done to prove yourself and how you sound in the interview. There are a lot of really stupid smart people. Trust me.

**Salem** · 12-06-2004

> It's not what you know, it's who you know.
Nah, it's what you know about who you know that really counts

**Philandrew** · 12-06-2004

There are a lot of really stupid smart people.

Gotta agree with you. One person in my (high school) class lacks social skills cause he was in summer school till like grade 11....he may be super smart and a hard worker, but a lot of the time he simply can't communicate.
That said, he has gotten (a little) better this year.

**gcn_zelda** · 12-06-2004

That's true. I have like no self-discipline, but I'm one of the smartest kids in my class.

I'm working on it, though.

**sean** · 12-06-2004

Nah, it's what you know about who you know that really counts

Amen. I'm an idiot AND a social outcast.

**Frantic-** · 12-08-2004

if you have the skills, i dont think it should matter too much. Uusally when it comes down to two people, who seem equally talented, they may look at the ffort you put in during school. That could be a sign of your work ethic.

**LuckY** · 12-08-2004

It seems evident my original point has been missed by most. I'm not at all asking about getting hired for a job. I'm completely confident that with my knowledge and experience I won't have any trouble being hired for another job (should I elect to leave my current place of employment). What I'm really curious about is how much your grades may affect your pay. Were any of you employed right out of college? What were your grades? How much did they start paying you? Did you have any previous experience? I'm not necessarily looking for explicit answers to these questions, but just the general idea. Thanks.

**jlou** · 12-08-2004

I'd say my statement above also applies to salary. The better your grades, the more likely you will receive better offers, but other factors could be more important. I don't know anybody who specifically received higher or lower pay due solely to grades. They are just part of the equation.

**manofsteel972** · 12-08-2004

>If I end up getting a B in this math class I don't want it to destroy my chances of being a billionaire right out of college.

Hmm how many straight A students are billionaires?

I think it has more to do with attitude then a Letter they slap on your report. If you are really determined to be a billionare and that is your goal then I am sure you will achieve it no matter the difficulties you might face. MIght take you a while but that is up to you really.

>Amen. I'm an idiot AND a social outcast.
And I thought I was the only one that felt that way

>It's not what you know, it's who you know.
I agree with statement wholeheartedly. Networking with people can get you opportunities that straight brains alone won't. The right people have to know about you before they can want to hire you.

**Frantic-** · 12-08-2004

im 15, i get c's and b's, im CEO of a paintball field/pro shop. no, grades dont effect your pay. How you do your job effects it.

**LuckY** · 12-08-2004

Originally Posted by manofsteel972

>If I end up getting a B in this math class I don't want it to destroy my chances of being a billionaire right out of college.

Hmm how many straight A students are billionaires?

Perhaps I wasn't clear (or perhaps we both weren't), but I was being sarcastic. I do not expect to be a billionaire (not right out of college or any time before I die). I was in search of a conversation that apparently only jlou understood or has any meaningful comment on. Thanks anyway.

**Clyde** · 12-09-2004

I do not expect to be a billionaire (not right out of college or any time before I die)

You expect to be a billionaire after you die!?

I reckon there is some correlation between salary and grades, but i think there are bigger factors like how much you want money.

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