I have 2 years experience working in investment management and am now looking for a new job. I went to a top 30 univesrity but graduated with a very pedestrian GPA. Should I include 1) my SAT scores (2100 total)
my high school (it’s one of the very top prep schools in the world… could come off as elitist if the interviewer knows what it is, but didn’t go to a private high school… but if the interviewer is familiar with the school he will also know that it was a more challenging academic program than most universities)
Presumably, you graduated from high school, then spent two years in college. And you say you have two years experience, which leads me to believe that you graduated from college two years ago.
If I’m right, you graduated high school six years ago, and took your SAT’s seven years ago.
That’s ancient history. Nobody cares. And it was high school. It’s not what you’ve done–it’s what you’ve done lately.
Pumping up your high school record probably doesn’t make sense. All it seems to do is point out that you looked promising in high school, but disappointed in college, and the extrapolation of that trend into the future doesn’t help your case.
The best way to counteract a poor college performance is to have stories (or better, achievements) that demonstrate that you’re much more disciplined and capable now than you were while you were in college. It’s not a perfect counter to a mediocre GPA, but it’s your best option.
Go ahead and list your high school in the education section if it is truly that outstanding a place (and if you think people from your high school might actually be some of the people reading your resume), but don’t hype it up. Sometimes people hire you because the figure you may be able to connect them to other rich and powerful people. If your high school regularly produces such people, then that can be good.
I’d leave off high school. Way too long ago, and if I saw that, I’d think you were stretching to find things to put on the resume. If I happened to go to your hs, then maybe it would generate something, but those odds are probably not that high .
If it’s a top prep school or a top high school in the nation, I stand by my view that it’s worth mentioning. I have heard and seen multiple stories of people getting hired just because of a Phillips Exeter / Andover affiliation.
Basically agree with iteracom, but the OP implied that it’s Andover or Exeter or some name like that, and that actually could carry some weight, particularly if they thought it meant you might have some high school friends who run (or whose relatives run) the SEC, NSA, Congress, or something.
Okay thanks for the help guys. I think I’ll leave the HS on there bc it is at the “Andover/Exeter level” As for the SAT score - a good bud of mine who is quite knowledgeable/successful when it comes to getting awesome finance jobs seems to think it is a very good idea to leave it on there. He says it is the only paper benchmark to offset the GPA (3.2, 3.5 major) and that interviewers actually appreciate it as many consider GPAs to be “BS” I’m torn, because he is my best friend who I trust, but I’m becoming convinced by you internet folk who are of number and in agreement
It probably depends on the position you’re applying for. If it’s a junior position with no expectations for a graduate degree, maybe it wouldn’t hurt. I didn’t have my score on my resume when I first broke into fixed income, but I remember my hiring manager asking me what my score was. And now that I think about, it helped me get the job. 1200+, perfect math score, embarrassing verbal section (english is my 2nd language). No writing section when I took it.
I think Numi is at a different level than the rest of us. He has that blue blood running through him. Not knocking you Numi, just envious.
