Modern Analyst Communiy,
I hope all is well with everyone, thank you very much for helping not only myself, but other recent graduates who may be facing similar situations as I have. I have recently graduated with a BSBA in Management Information Systems and I am becoming very skeptical about my prospects and my desired career path. My graduating GPA was 2.93/4.0, with a major GPA of 3.27, and I find that I am just shy of qualifying for most, if not all internship and leadership development opportunities, seeing as many require at least an overall 3.0/4.0 GPA.
My transcripts reflect my success in my major courses, where I received A's in most MIS related courses. My university focused on systems analysis and design, requirements gathering, systems development life cycle, etc. I was only exposed to a VB developer class, Web Applications Development, and Database Management Course with SQL development, and that ends the more technical aspects of my training. The only applicable experience I have is being project manager for projects in my Systems Analysis and Senior Capstone class, though I did have an unrelated internship at Electronic Data Systems four years ago.
Community, how can I overcome the shortfalls of my GPA, or demonstrate that my GPA is not a complete indicator of the performance I have been prepared for. What opportunities exist for someone with a GPA under 3.0? Where do I start with pursuing an entry-level career path leading to work in business analysis?
Hi Jonesy,
So I worked out that GPA is grade point average - watching US tv shows pays off sometimes! What is BSBA?
Reading between the lines it seems you are looking for an internship in a largish corporation? I don't know your market at all but how about widening the type of company you look at? Is there more opportunity in smaller companies perhaps? or less well known corporates that don't bin your resume as soon as they see your GPA. Maybe find a friendly recruiter and go to see them for ideas. Does your university have a guidance counsellor - they may have some advice and even industry contacts. Even do some networking.
BAPM's idea of further training is not a bad one but make sure the course he/she is suggesting is recognised by the types of companies you are looking to join. Ring them up and ask them! If it isn't then you might end up wasting a lot of money. You'll have to study harder too, to bring your marks up. Plus one other comment, knowing how to answer questions as BAPM suggests may get you in the door but you still must have the substance to do the job well for whoever hires you.
Good luck,
Kimbo
bapm had some great tips, those points will definitely be key once you score an interview. IMO you should be able to find ways to exhibit your skills and abliities without needing to rely on GPA.
hello guys ,
I ‘have graduated recently with MBA major and approached Analyst school http://www.analystschool.com for training in BA. I spoke to a lady called Supriya@ Analyst school for BA training, as agreed I paid $200- direct deposit to Supriya’s Bank of America bank account # 381XXXXXXXXX ( don’t want to mention someone’s bank account number here), but the training never started and I called Supriya many times and even e-mailed, but I did not get my money back.
So please be careful about this institution Analystschool http://www.analystschool.com – this is a fruad
Thanks.
In addition to training - I would suggest that you get a copy of the BABOK, read it and relate your accomplishments to the KAs, activities, inputs and outputs. this will be very impressive to any potential employer. imagine yourself in a situation where you are asked a question and you respond by saying something like "well during the enterprise analysis on that project I created a series of semantic diagrams that helped the team narrow the scope to the time and money that we had available to us."
That is a very professional and succinct answer. I consult many companies on how to find, hire and keep good analysts - trust me, this will help you a lot.
Perry McLeod, CBAP, PMP
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