Thursday, February 4, 2016

Pass/Fail

My apologies fopr the delay in posting, I have been taking care of other assignments.  Tonight, I have carved out time because something interesting happened today.

Today, I was assisting a job seeker, and the topic of Pass/Fail classes came up.  Now, I often discuss the Pass/Fail situation, both with younger recent college graduates, and with older returning workers.  The discussion is much different for each population.  Colleges, Universities, and other institutions stress the GRADE POINT AVERAGE in many cases.  This is because colleges often teach that past performance is, in theory (they are incorrect, BTW) a predictor of future outcomes.

Please don't misunderstand me here.  If you are a 22 year old person with a fresh and sparkling Bachelor's degree, a good GPA is a valid item to list on your resume and in your Core Message to employers.  That is because you have no relevant, real world achievements in your chosen filed in all likelihood.  This high GPA shows that you can complete assignments on time, read, write, and speak English, and are competent in basic mathematics and such.  These are all attractive qualities to a potential employer.  Absolutely talk about your achievement with a prospective employer.

However, what if you are a 40 (or more) year old career changer?   This person has completed college, has a Bachelor's in say, Nursing, and an R.N. designation.  Does a potential employer REALLY care what your grade was in "Introduction to Anthropology 101" in 1997? Probably not.   They care if you are qualified (Pass/Fail=Yes/No).  More importantly, the career changer focuses upon other achievements, life accomplishments, and selling points.  At some point qualification and ability surpasses GPA.

I believe that for most people, that change over happens in the late 20's to mid 30's.

Regardless, I think this idea raises a larger philosophical question...Is Life an exercise in GPA (getting the highest possible score), or a Pass/Fail (get the qualification/achievement and move along)?  I won't pretend to know the answer to the question.  I think it cis a moving target, changing as we move through life, and our needs and values change.  I am open to discussion on this topic,

Good luck and best wishes,

Chris