GPA and graduate jobs (1 Viewer)

[gnrlies]

what do the big banks look for marks wise?

are they after a certain minimum gpa, or will they qualitatively look at marks? i.e. for improving trends or marks in certain subjects?

and once you meet a certain benchmark that will allow them to consider you, how important is it thereafter? do they stop looking at marks once you've done well enough, or will it be a major bonus to have a higher gpa than other applicants?

i know these are hard q's as they are likey to be different depending on the bank, but im sitting on a 3.1 gpa and i want to know where i need to be in order to be competitive....

 

[GoodToGo]

3.1 will be very competitive if by banks you mean the big 4 Australian banks.

You might wanna push that up a bit of you're keen on working at an investment bank, such as Goldman Sachs, Macquarie, Citigroup, Deutsche, UBS, ABN-Amro, et al. Investment banks tend to offer more interesting work, a lot better pay, but crushing hours and poor work-life balance. But meh, you're only young once! They also have an undeniable prestige about them which will never be the case with working at a mass consumer bank.

Key factors will be your degree, but also your extra-curricular activities and how well you interview. Upward trends are always good.

 

[gnrlies]

3.1 will be very competitive if by banks you mean the big 4 Australian banks.

You might wanna push that up a bit of you're keen on working at an investment bank, such as Goldman Sachs, Macquarie, Citigroup, Deutsche, UBS, ABN-Amro, et al. Investment banks tend to offer more interesting work, a lot better pay, but crushing hours and poor work-life balance. But meh, you're only young once! They also have an undeniable prestige about them which will never be the case with working at a mass consumer bank.

Key factors will be your degree, but also your extra-curricular activities and how well you interview. Upward trends are always good.

Hmm ok,

Do you know what kind of GPA investment banks look for?

Basically if you take away my first year, my gpa would be about 3.5. Also im doing a double degree, and my economics marks give me a gpa of about 3.8 - its only the airy fairy first year organisational psych subs that I did shit in.

Id hate to let something which would ultimately be so irrelevant to a job at an investment bank bring me down....

 

[clairegirl]

lol hey! i like those airy fairy organisational psych subjects! lol in fact they're the subjects i do better at and look forward to! lol


3.1 one is good... but i say bring it up to 3.25 at least before you graduate ... I want 3.33 or 3.4 before i graduate

For law.. 1st class honors is 3.75 i think and then 2nd class honors is 3.5 ... someone want to confirm this?

So i say anything between 3.25 to 4 I tend to think that they would straight up just get rid of anyone whose GPA was less than 2.5. Wouldn't even pass the online test and initial screening process. And first they'de look at people with higher GPA's and then look at people with lower GPA's or basically whatever critieria they have, its different for each position as u'll learn at kelly the screening process.... and why some people just get rejected like 4 hours after they apply *snicker*

Important note: Thankfully its not all based on GPA as gtg said its extra curricular, work experience and internships.

What some people don't' realise, is that when you apply online and there's a few questions you have to answer online is that your given an automatic score generated by a computer and its usually these people that get looked at first and then if they're deemed not suitable, they look at the people with lower generated score

Not that thats, done at my branch lol but that is the proper procedure where i work and probably is other places that have large number of potential candidates applying. Not that I would know how the big 4 do it, but it seems plausible

 

[GoodToGo]

For law.. 1st class honors is 3.75 i think and then 2nd class honors is 3.5 ... someone want to confirm this?

Not exactly sure, but I'm pretty sure it's not that for 2nd class. It's a bit confusing as the system changes/changed either last year or this year.

For second class in my year of enrollment, you needed a certain GPA (3.5?) for a certain number of LAW credit pts (36?), which includes a certain number of core law credit pts (12?).

But now it's a flat avg of law marks which determines 1st class, 2nd class or pass.

I tend to think that they would straight up just get rid of anyone whose GPA was less than 2.5.

I know quite a few people in Big 4 accounting and Big 4 aussie banks via the grad program with a gpa between 2 and 2.5. It seems pretty random at times.

But higher the marks the better obviously.

 

[Majesty]

My GPA is high 2.x at the moment, might hit 3.0 by the time i finish but thank god i have 2 years of relevant work experience. It should be noted that most places would prob consider someone with good work experience/grades over someone with really good grades but no work experience. What you learn at uni and what happens in teh workplace is like two different worlds. That's something i definitely learnt!
Of course having good grades in teh first place to get that work experience is something that you need!.

 

[GoodToGo]

It should be noted that most places would prob consider someone with good work experience/grades over someone with really good grades but no work experience. What you learn at uni and what happens in teh workplace is like two different worlds.

Well I don't think that applies across the board for graduate jobs, summer internships/clerkships. We gotta remember that with grad jobs they're not hiring to fill a vacancy, but rather they want potential. Thus they make sure they recruit quality candidates who might prove useful and profitable to them in the future (say 2 or 3 years out). Getting grads is also a way to stop your competitors from hiring them.

The first thing they look for is grades. In the application process if they ask you to input your grades online it means the system can scan through your grades and send a rejection letter to be picked up from their printer - just like that - if there aren't enough HD's and D's or if you have an F in more than 1 semester (for instance).

Then the remaining high performers are further culled by considering extra-curriculars, culture fit and interview performance. Industry experience is probably the least important factor - as long as you have worked somewhere before.

With non grad/summer jobs - Majesty is correct. They want someone to fill a vacancy and slot in straight away, relevant experience is vital.

 

[AsyLum]

Teaching ftw! They need us, no rejections! (I hope )