Heya EC. I guess this post is more directed at those who are/have been in post-secondary schooling, but whatever. A week or so ago, the residence department at my university sent out an e-mail outlining a couple of job opportunities, that in my personal opinion I think I am very well suited for. Now, under the list of job requirements, there's a certain academic average (about an 80%) that needs to be maintained in the upcoming term. The thing is, in my university career so far I've never obtained that average. I know I've made a lot of mistakes so far and that it doesn't necessarily excuse my results, but my sessional averages have been steadily increasing with each term (I think my highest was probably around a 76% or so, last full term). I think given the pattern of my marks slowly getting higher, coupled with the fact that now that I'm not dealing with coming out/have resolved some of my personal issues, I should theoretically be able to focus better and get the marks I need. But the thing is... what if I don't? I feel like that's not a question I should be asking the employers, but I mean... I'm sure it doesn't look good to be fired because my academics weren't high enough, even if I was amazing at the job. I guess the other thing I'm worried about is that even though I've solved some of my personal stuff, I'd still be taking harder courses this year, alongside my part-time job and potentially this job as well (even though it's only ~10h a week), which certainly leaves less time for academics. I fear that I'm overloading myself to the point it would jeopardize that job opportunity in the end. At the end of the day, it's not a big deal if I don't get it, but I figure if I'm really well-suited for it I should apply... right? I just don't want to let the opportunity pass me by. A little extra money and experience isn't really a bad thing. I dunno, does anyone have any experience with this?
As a person who makes hiring and firing decisions, I rarely look at acedemic achievement when considering a candidate for an open position. But, I also don't personally have any entry level positions in my staff - they're all staff/senior level openings. That said, I do set a standard up front when I bring a new person on board. The expectations of the job will be met or the associate will be terminated and replaced. So, if the qualification for the job has an 80% academic average expectation, for the entry / intern level position, I'd expect it to be enforced. Now, not all hiring managers, supervisors, or even companies are that strict with policy - that's usually why they fail (but that's a different conversation). All the same, personally, if I were interviewing for the job, I'd personally ensure that I was able to meet or exceed every expectation of me or I wouldn't apply. ---------- Post added 12th Aug 2012 at 04:13 PM ---------- I work in IT, BTW.
Hi there! I think one way to approach it is to weigh everything and to think about as to whether you can reach and then maintain an 80% average (taking into account that you will be taking harder classes plus all of your other commitments). Having worked with students, my suggestion to you would be to try concentrating on ensuring that you have enough time to study and complete your school work. If you are worried about overloading yourself, I'd take that into consideration. Does applying hurt? Nope. Maybe apply for it and see what happens. In the meantime you can still think about it. If you do get it, and feel that it could overload you, maybe try cutting back on your other part-time job, if you feel that the on-campus experience would be worth it and along the lines of what you would like to do later on. I wouldn't ask the question because you actually have already answered it. If you fall below the 80% after the first term, they will withdraw the offer and you will not be able to continue. One further suggestion I would have is perhaps to wait one term to learn how you manage the course load, your classes in addition to everything else that is going on in your life. Once you have a good sense of where things are at, then apply for a position that you like thus ensuring you can manage it all, and not having to worry about the what ifs.
I wouldn't obsess over it, but I would still definitely try to make the mark and you should definitely still apply and just hope for the best. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to score an internship somewhere because of my cumulative GPA, but I ultimately scored two of them. I was originally double-majoring in toxicology and DNA serology my freshman year which was way too much work, my grades sagged and I failed a class for the first time in my life, and my cumulative GPA still hasn't recovered and I'm going to be a senior in a week. I've spent a good chunk of the time since then comfortably on the Dean's List too. I guess it really depends, like cscipio said, on how strictly it's enforced. In my own experience it's much more about who you know than what you know, as sad as it is to say that, it's the truth. Once you "get in" and start meeting people in your field and making contacts, gathering references, it's absurdly easy to go wherever you want. Do whatever you possibly can to score an interview anywhere, and then you have to dazzle them, which I know is easier said than done. If this doesn't pan out for you, don't be afraid to cold call places yourself. You don't have to go through your school to get in somewhere. I scored both of my internships on my own without career services, and since they weren't affiliated with my school I wasn't competing against anyone for the spot because no one else knew about it. Just food for thought. Good luck!
In addition to what everyone else has said, I have a lot of experience in overloading and thats what I'll be talking about... A lot of people are under the impression that if you do more activities, you will have less time to do everything that you need to get done. While this is true, I also have to add that when you have a busy schedule, you tend to manage your time much better. Procrastination, to some degree, plagues everyone. The key is balancing it all, making sure that you don't go overboard. For me, in 11th grade, I went overboard. Way too many things and I failed myself. However, in 12th grade, I had so much more experience with it that I did even more than last year and managed it WAY better. I managed to pull off all AP classes, tons of extra cirics, and have some free time. At times, I would be running all around campus during lunch because I had 3 mandatory meetings for honor societies and things all at the same time >.< That was fun.. anyways, other days were really fun being able to just hang out with my friends. And everyday I had tons of school work and after school stuff. My point is, that when put under pressure - you adapt and work through it. You may have to make compromises sometimes, but you can always get everything you need to get done in a satisfactory manner.
Hmm, thanks everyone for the replies, I really appreciate having insight that isn't my own. I think realistically while it'll be harder to achieve those grades next term, it'll also be much easier in a sense. Some of the courses will be harder, but I'm also finished taking courses I'm absolutely terrible at (i.e. circuits). I also started late last year because I was inbetween faculties for the first two weeks, which just set me back from the beginning. Since I took an elective this summer, I've also got one course's worth of breathing room; I might be able to shuffle things around for first term to make it lighter (so long as I get the average first term, I'm good for second term). Anyways, if I could ask another question: Would it be really frowned upon to apply and possibly decline the interview/job if I have second thoughts later?
I think it's fine to decline the job later if you feel that it would be too much. Most people would rather you were honest about that than took on a responsibility that would overburden you. One other thing too--don't assume that because courses are more advanced that they are necessarily more difficult. It really depends on what you are good at and your personal learning style. I usually found introductory courses the most difficult for me.
As Ianthe mentioned, it is totally fine to do so. I wouldn't decline the interview itself though (going trough an interview is a good practice). People decline job offers all the time. As long as you leave it on a good note, it's all good! Usually, and although the course work might become more demanding, courses tend to get 'easier' as you go through the terms. Depending on the program and area you are in, courses build on each other.The knowledge that you have gained in your earlier courses will help you to understand the more advanced material and make sense of it. Sure, you might have a couple of courses that introduce totally new stuff to you that will require more study and preparation for exams, but it shouldn't be anything that you can't handle given your earlier gained knowledge.
^^ thanks guys. I've heard my mom complain about someone declining a job offer she was hiring for before, so I wanted to make sure that was just her complaining and not actually the case. One last question (I think): I should be using my cover letter to briefly summarize my qualifications and why I would be a good fit for the position/what sets me apart, right? I haven't written one in a while... and well, every site on the Internet seems to say something different.
Yes. In the first paragraph you can indicate where you saw the job ad, the position you are applying for, and why you are applying to the position. It helps when you can connect to a personal interest, or an accomplishment. The second paragraph should then summarize your qualifications for this positions. Mention your skills and knowledge as to how they relate to that position. And you should only mention the most relevant skills and knowledge to the job description and/or duties you would be performing. Also mention a couple of your 'essential skills' which include organizational, time management, analytical, and interpersonal skills. However, make sure that you also provide examples that show how you have applied the skills. In your closing paragraph, thank the prospective employer for considering your application, and if you want you can invite them to contact you if they have any questions.
.... forgot to mention. Make sure that the examples speak to your employment experiences as much as they can. If however you don't have a good example from your past or current employment to show how you have applied a skill or your knowledge, it is okay to provide examples from the work you have accomplished in school or school involvement. Plus, try to use different phrases in your cover letter and resume when describing and explaining things. One of the things that employers don't like is when they read through a cover letter and a resume that uses the same terminology and the only difference between the two is the former having sentences while the latter doesn't.
