Your college GPA is often a key factor when applying for high-end positions in the Medical, Pharmaceutical, or Engineering industries. Your GPA should NOT play a deciding factor in the area of sales. Here’s why:
School is school, it is not sales. When you take an exam in college, more times than not, you’re using a scan-tron. This means there is a right or wrong answer to every question listed. In sales, there is always more than one right answer and there are different ways to obtain it.
Companies that require a minimum GPA for a sales role have a broken recruiting policy. That company is eliminating more than 1/2 of available candidates. College GPA’s do not correlate with sales success. Instead, look for the candidate’s engagement level while in school. Being involved is a great sign of a good sales rep, as most sales careers require candidates to get out and meet new people quite often.
According to Sales Talent Inc “Hiring based on GPA breeds elitism”. This causes a feeling of “I’ve arrived because I’m one of the few smart enough to get hired here.” In sales, the hard work starts after you get hired. Being a sales recruiter for many years, the best and most successful candidates seem to have something to really work for. Providing for a family, or paying down debt, student loans, and many more. Don’t get confused, as candidates with a high GPA are driven and working to provide for their families as well. The point here is that the company hiring should not hold a hard requirement on the candidate’s GPA.
Sales talent can be found is just about anyone. We recommend speaking with everyone that has a passion for sales and a well-rounded college career. Whether they were an honor role student or just simply involved with multiple clubs and activities, it’s smart to speak to everyone.
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