How important are MSc grades to get a job?

Hi everyone,

A quick question, according to your experience, how relevant are the MSc grades to find a job? Is getting a merit, distinction, etc increase your chances of landing a job? Or the employers don't look at Master's grades that much?

33 Comments
 

In my case, very important. HR told me a very long time after I got hired for my first gig that my grades got me in. Not the school or the degree itself. The employment market I applied for had other degrees that were more prominent (and more popular with employers) than my MSc Fin and my grades got me through as a "different" candidate for IBD.

 

My good sir, CASS is a pretty strong semi-target so you're safe there. Clearly a Distinction is better than a Merit but if you can back up your ~64% with good experience you should be ok. As for what to put on the CV, put the percentage and most people will know that for the rest of the UK that's a Merit - CASS just seems to be unnecessarily anal about degree nomenclature.

 

I am aiming at entry-level jobs, preferably on buy-side. Nothing elite, an internship at an asset manager will be enough for now. For me this MSc is a career change degree and this is why I am worried that the HR would look at this like "this guy is not that fit for this after all".. About MBA and further academics I highly doubt I would do something like that in the next 10 years at least. I want to work now, enough of studying.

 

Do you have a Grad GPA yet? I'd imagine it'd still be high right? Use both. If not, just use your undergrad.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
 

since you actually haven't been "issued" those grades yet, I'd argue you don't really need to disclose your master's GPA or you could put in a "projected GPA" based on what your grades are now. What does the career center say?

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
 

You include your UG GPA until you have a masters GPA. 3.7 is very good. If your masters is above a 3.3 you should be fine. Even at the 3.0 mark you probably won't have too much of an issue.

 

I have heard that some business schools actually discourage their MBA students from indicating their MBA GPA on their resume. Is there any truth to these rumors? Thanks in advance.

 

The grade non-disclosure has actually received a lot of attention in recent years. Some MBA programs do not disclose grades, others do. It is really on a program by program basis.

~~~~~~~~~~~ CompBanker

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

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