Job Interviews - How to Explain Bad Grades

I have a below-average academic record. What do I tell employers when they ask about my grades?

Answer:

This is usually only an issue for recent graduates. Chances are good that you won't be asked about your grade point average (GPA). Most employers just want to know if you graduated. So don't bring up your GPA; don't include it on your resume.

Job Interviews - How to Explain Bad Grades

But be prepared in case you ARE asked about it during a job interview. Here's how:

First rule: don't lie about your grades.

Second rule: give a brief explanation (not an excuse), and then shift the focus to your strengths.

Sample answers:

1. "I wasn't focused on my classes during my first two years, and even though I improved later, those early grades pulled down my overall average. I feel that what I've learned since then has enabled me to become an ideal candidate for your position. For example..." [talk about a noteworthy accomplishment that's relevant to the job].

2. "I wish I could give you a good reason for my low academic scores from four years ago, because they don't reflect my current work ethic. I'm a different person now, and I'm sure my references will back that up. For example..." [talk about a noteworthy accomplishment that's relevant to the job].

3. "My overall grades suffered because I got bored with theory. I scored higher marks for the practical courses and hands-on lab work, which I feel is more relevant when it comes to doing the type of work required in this position. For example, I excelled in..." [talk about courses that are relevant to the position].

4. "I flunked some classes during my sophomore year because of some temporary personal circumstances. Those have long since been resolved and I'm eager to use my knowledge and skills with graphic design [name a strength that's related to the position] to help your company create the best marketing materials in the industry..." [name a goal the company is likely to have].

5. "I had some difficulties juggling my studies with..." [give the reason, such as: working a full-time job to pay my way through school, or to support my family; dealing with a personal or family illness; etc.]. "That's not an excuse. It actually helped me to learn the importance of time management and multitasking. These came in handy during my work at XYZ Company, where I ..." [talk about a relevant accomplishment].

In Summary

Only talk about bad grades if you are asked about them. Don't shift the blame, don't make excuses. Just briefly explain the situation that negatively affected your grades, and then focus on your skills and abilities as they relate to the position for which you're applying.

Be confident and enthusiastic. After all, if you made it to the interview, you are already ahead of most other applicants! The selection will be based on how well you sell yourself during the interview, not on how well you studied in school. Tell them how you can help their company, and they'll forget all about your grades!

Job Interviews - How to Explain Bad Grades
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Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: www.Best-Interview-Strategies.com

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Resume Rescue - Start Your Resume With a Powerful Summary Statement That Will Get You Interviews!

The summary section is your opportunity to make bold claims about what you are capable of, and develop enough curiosity in your reader so they will continue perusing your employment history. Your resume has 10 seconds to capture their attention and make bold claims about what you can do, trumpet your greatest accomplishments, and display your core technical and functional skills.

Another good reason to include a summary is this: Some automated systems (job boards) only allow the hiring manager to see the top third of the first page of your resume for free. If he wants to see more, he's going to have to pay. You need to make it worth his while - in both time and money - to read more.

Also, if you omit the summary section, employers will assume that your most recent job showcases the best that you have to offer, and will most likely judge you on that position alone, rather than on your entire career.

Resume Rescue - Start Your Resume With a Powerful Summary Statement That Will Get You Interviews!

If you make generic statements or use too much detail, you'll lose the reader. Like this example:

More than 10 years' experience in various business applications in financial industry. Extensive experience in systems development. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with ability to work in a team environment to meet deadlines. Performed responsibilities of a team leader, interfaced with management, business users, domestic as well as international, other development teams, outside third party vendors.

It's boring. It could have been written by almost anybody.

As a hiring manager, if I can't find something that makes a candidate stand out (in a good way) in 10 seconds, I move on to another of the 100+ resumes that are staring me in the face. With this one, I yawned and moved on.

Unfortunately, 99 percent of resumes have similar summary sections -- maybe dressed up with formatting and bullet points, but no better at conveying what's unique about that person.

The fix:

Your summary is correct when it couldn't possibly be about anyone else. Write it using unique specifics that describe only you and what you (and you alone) will bring to your next job.

A high-quality summary section says things like this:

PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE EDITOR - PRINT AND ONLINE.

Resourceful and reliable; efficient and effective.

Over 15 years' editorial experience, specializing in women's service and spirituality topics. A congenial team player who can bridge the gaps between edit, art, and sales while maintaining editorial integrity.

Broad knowledge of all phases of publication, from idea to execution.

This summary section was written by a client of mine who thought she had nothing to offer. (I've shortened it a bit; the actual summary went on to provide some details about the person's specific skills at various phases.) Before working with me, she viewed her career as a disjointed series of jobs that did not relate to each other. I think you will agree that this is an impressive career summary. It was also effective: With this summary leading her resume, she got your dream job - even after being unemployed for three years - within a month of starting her job search.

One-Minute Makeover: Begin your summary with a description of yourself as a professional or manager or executive, starting with two adjectives that highlight your best qualities or detail the number of years' experience that you have.

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Bottom Line: Present your best in a way that matches employers' needs, and your calendar will be bursting with interviews!

I invite you to find out if your resume has any other common resume blunders that could be stalling your job search by reading my FREE 12-page report, "Resume Killers and How to Avoid Them." Just go to [http://www.magneticresume.com]

Scott Shane Holt has seen it all while hiring over 100 people on Wall Street, in good times and bad, and as an executive coach helping managers and other professionals advance in their careers.

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Character Interviews - How to Make the People in Your Stories For Children Come to Life!

Having trouble creating well-rounded characters in your stories for children? Then try this tip from writer Lisa Harkrader who learned it a few years ago in a workshop she took from writer Sandy Asher (thank goodness writers love to share). Lisa says if she had to pick one single thing that has improved her writing the most, this would be it - the character interview.

There's nothing mysterious about the character interview. It's simply a list of questions to ask your main character before you start writing. You ask a question, then your main character answers (Yes, you should start hearing voices when you do this, but if you're a writer you probably already hear them anyway, so relax).

Lisa says, "My characters tend to be long-winded and usually tell me a bunch of stuff I never dreamed of before I started interviewing them. I don't use all that information in the story, but it gives me a very good understanding of the character and the character's voice, so I know what that character sounds like when he or she speaks. It almost always gives me a better understanding of the plot, and sometimes leads me to better endings or a different shading of certain events. Occasionally, especially when I'm writing in first person, I lift sentences or paragraphs right from the interview. Another thing interviews help me with is deciding when to use first or third person. If a character's voice is strong and fresh enough to carry an entire story, I feel comfortable using first person. If a character is more of a do-er than a talker, third person works better."

Character Interviews - How to Make the People in Your Stories For Children Come to Life!

Lisa conducted character interviews when she was working on her latest middle grade novel, AIRBALL: MY LIFE IN BRIEFS, which was recently released (September 2005) from Roaring Brook Press. The interview questions Lisa uses have evolved over the years. This is the list she asks her characters now:

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

1. Describe yourself--what is your best quality? What is your worst?

2. Describe your family.

3. Who is your best friend? Why?

4. What did you ask for on your last birthday? What did you get?

5. What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?

6. What is your biggest secret--the one thing you don't want ANYBODY to know?

7. What are you most afraid of?

8. What do you want more than anything?

Remember, you don't have to stick to these particular questions or use ONLY these questions. As you get used to conducting character interviews you'll probably develop your own questions that let you get to know and understand your characters, so they really come alive in your stories for children.

Character Interviews - How to Make the People in Your Stories For Children Come to Life!
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For more helpful tips for writers, visit http://www.workingwriterscoach.com and sign up for the mailing list. When you do, you'll receive a free ebook for writers, plus every weekday morning you'll get The Morning Nudge, a few words to motivate and inspire you to get a little writing done.

Visit the National Writing for Children Center at http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com and find out how you can learn to write for kids. Suzanne Lieurance is a fulltime freelance writer, children's author, and founder and director of the National Writing for Children Center.

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