When I was in school, my grades weren't always great. I struggled to keep up with the expectations of my teachers and peers, and despite putting in all the effort I could muster, it felt like nothing ever seemed to be good enough. It took me a long time to realize that those grades didn’t define who I am or how successful I would become.
Looking back on my schooling days, it almost seems comical that so much of our worth as students—and even later as working adults—was determined by these arbitrary numbers assigned by the school!!! But when you're young and trying your best to fit into this world, good grades can have such an overwhelming importance for your sense of self-worth. (not my imposter syndrome taking over)
But now here's what really matters: Your grades don't determine your career success! Despite having less than perfect marks on my report card throughout high school and university, after graduation things changed drastically for me –– no longer was academic performance something that held me back from achieving success at work or advancing professionally.
The truth is there are a million other qualities that will help you make strides towards professional growth beyond just scoring well on tests; creativity, collaboration skills, problem solving abilities––all these traits (and more!!!) will help you get where you want to go in life regardless of whether you had straight A’s or C’s in school. (my CGPA was 3.01…..)
Here are four key takeaways that I have about why your grades won't affect your career after I started working!!!:
1️⃣ 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗜𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 – Putting in consistent hard work day-in and day-out is what will truly bring results over time – not just getting one exam right or wrong!
2️⃣ 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 – Take risks outside of the classroom walls if it means stretching yourself further; this shows employers tenacity which goes far beyond any grade point average could ever demonstrate!
3️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 – Investing time sharpening soft skills such as communication & interpersonal relationships can open huge opportunities – especially considering most jobs prefer softer skills over technical ones nowadays!
4️⃣ 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲– Don't be afraid to put yourself out there – networking events & conferences are invaluable tools for gaining exposure & making meaningful connections within industries which lead up a successful career path eventually!
So next time someone brings up good old grade scores during job interviews remember: those that GPA number won’t stop you from becoming an ace businessperson someday if you choose pursue it wholeheartedly with dedication & passion instead!
