How to Explain Bad Grades During Job Interview
What To Say When You Have Bad Grades During A Job Interview
Do you know what to say when you are asked about your bad grades during a job interview? This article mainly focuses on how to explain your bad grades in a job interview. Hope that the content will be useful for you.
Do you know what to say when you are asked about your bad grades during a job interview?
Well, the first rule is to be honest about why you have bad grades. I am very sure there are reasons why your grades are bad. So just feel free to say it but you have to redeem yourself by highlighting your work ethics and skills. Bear in mind that you are not making excuses here. You are just stating the facts.
Here are some reasons you can say why your grades are bad:
1. You can say that you did not really focus on your studies during the first few years in college and that it pulled your overall average even when you have performed better in the succeeding years in college.
Then tell them what you have learned from that situation and how it enabled you to be the perfect candidate for the job.
2. You can also say that your bad grades are not a reflection of your work ethics and skills. Let them know that as the years go by, you have already developed professionalism. After all, it outweighs bad grades and it is what matters at the end of the day.
3. You may also say that you have grown bored of just simply listening to your teachers during lectures that is why some of your grades have suffered. Tell the interviewer that you learn a lot during practical application of the lectures to real work situations. Simply listening to lessons is passive but taking action fires up your adrenaline.
4. You can say that your personal situation has caused some of your grades to be low. Example, you have more than 2 jobs to help both end meet and that you are having a hard time juggling your work and studies. This is very understandable and it will in fact tell the interviewer that you are a hardworking individual.
5. You can also say that you were pursuing a passion when you were in college. Sometimes our passion is different from what we are studying in school. You may want to pursue acting but becoming an engineer for instance is a more stable profession than being an actor. When you focus on what you really want in life, you tend to neglect your studies at some point in pursuit of your passion.
These are just some of the reasons why your grades might be low. Of course, like I said each one of us has a story why we have bad grades. Again, be honest. Never lie because honesty is still the best policy.
Don't worry too much though because companies are looking more into the kind of person that you are and the skills that you can bring on the table. Your grades are just numbers but I am not saying that grades are not important. They are. The ideal scenario is to strike a balance between your grades and your professional skills.