*Note: I understand that this is not necessarily ADHD related, but figure that a lot of us who've gotten through college ended up with lower GPA's and have been through the "starter jobs" already so maybe someone could help...

I am about to graduate at 27 (finally!) I do not have a wonderful GPA but i've had multiple internships, leadership experience for managing other students, and won a national competition. I sold on commission before going to college. I want to be in marketing. I understand that most marketing jobs call for years of experience.

Since January, I have applied and applied and applied for over 50 jobs. I had a pharma rep interview (who loved me) but the person in charge said my GPA wasn't high enough. Then I just started looking for ANY job paying at least 30,000 to start. I had four interviews with a car rental chain, and I was told I did excellently and they would give me a call this week....but...he asked about my GPA in the last interview so maybe he cut me out for that.

I have no more options. I've gotten advice from school and followed it, i've looked on monsterjobs etc., i've opened up to moving anywhere on the eastern side of the US, i've applied to all the major people looking to hire new graduates for entry level jobs, i've applied to large corporations from all over.

This is the 2nd interview where they really seemed to be impressed with everything have I managed to do, but GPA ruined it. It's very important that I secure a job before graduation for my family to have a place to live and i've tried my best...
ANY ADVICE PLEASE!!!!

As a 24-yr. old who finished undergrad two years ago, first of all, I hear ya :) It's a tough, tough job market out there at the moment. A couple of suggestions, for what ever they're worth - does your college offer career counseling services? I know the state school I attended had them, and I'm pretty sure that they're very common at private schools as well. They may be able to point you in the direction of jobs that have a connection to your school - donors, alumni, etc. I've been told that having a connection like that is a really good thing :) They can also help you review your resume and cover letter and make sure they're really really super-de-duper polished and ready to grab the attention of people, especially those outside of your area, who are going to immediately look more closely at the candidates who live close by already.

Also, especially in the current job market, the temp-to-hire route could be a really good thing. If that's a possibility, you could contact local (or not-so-local) temporary employment agencies (I think AppleOne and OfficeTeam are pretty much everywhere in the US) and see if they have any temp-to-hire positions in the salary range you're after that are coming up after your graduation date. In my experience, these involve an interview, but probably not quite as extensive as if you were being hired directly by the company. They are much more stable than a short-term temp job, and it's a great way to get in the door at larger companies especially.

Something's going to work out :) It's just a cr@ptastic job market right now. Good luck!

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!:)

I don't know if I can give you any useful advice except to say keep your chin up!

I'm really surprised that the rental car companies are requiring high GPA's.:eek:

You mentioned something about wanting to get a job so you can take care of your family. Maybe you could play up all the responsibilites you handled while going to school? Taking care of family, working full time, etc..

Also your previous work experiences sound excellent so the excellent references should eventually be helpful.

I also have a less than impressive GPA.

If a potential employer ever asks me about my GPA I will tell them I worked full-time while in college and my GPA does not reflect my ability to do the job.

Employer GPA requirements really don't make sense to me. It excludes a lot of people who are othewise more than qualified for the job.:mad: I mean, there are so many different types of college students now days.

The thought of someone with an excellent GPA getting hiring preference who has never held a job, did an internship, or had responsibilites in addition to doing well in school makes me sick.:p

Again all I can tell you is to keep plugging away.:) Maybe check back with the career counseling center at your school. If it's like mine, they'll have postings from companies who are looking to hire grads of your school. Not all of them have GPA requirements.

Wow, this gave me a couple of flashbacks to when I was in that exact same position. There are some things you can do. Send me a message.

Agent