Campus placement or off-campus placements, as a fresher, the chances of your grades being questioned are very high. In fact, it is one of the most certain interview questions you can expect, especially if your grades are low.
You cannot go back and change your low grades but you can justify them and answer the interview questions accordingly so that they don’t really affect your future. The key to answering interview questions about your grades is to have a logical answer and the confidence to pull that answer off.
Here are a few handy tips you can use to answer this super tricky interview question –
If you have low grades at the start of the course, plead ignorance
Low grades in college happen to be a very common issue that many students face. As soon as they enter college they fail to cope up with the tremendous pressure. You can explain that you were under stress and didn’t know how to cope but that over time you figured out your priorities and made efforts to study better.
You can also mention that you value academics and that you have learnt how to multi-task over the years. The only catch with this answer is you should have had improved your scores over the years!
Showcase the projects and case studies in low-grade subjects
This is a great opportunity to both showcase your skills and deviate the subject from low grades. You can show that although you have low marks in the subjects, your practical knowledge is very high. You can show the projects, case studies, paper presentations etc that you have done in the subjects. You should also be prepared to answer questions in that subject and impress the interviewer on the spot with your answers. At the end of the day, recruiters are not interested in marks but in your knowledge.
Highlight your extra-curricular activities
College is a busy time and most students get involved in several activities, especially if you are living in a hostel. The best way to answer interview questions about low grades is to tell that you have been busy becoming an all-rounder. List out your achievements, for instance ‘President of Speaking Club’ and list out the skills that you gained from participating in these extra-curriculars. Sometimes, those skills are more important for a recruiter than how much you got in Corporate Tax final year!
Focus on the practical instead of theoretical
Getting high marks is a great advantage but that does not mean its enough, or else recruiters would have just hired the toppers in every batch! They know that students are a package and they have to assess their strengths properly. To offset your low grades, you can take the AMCAT or AMCAT certifications and showcase your skills in the subjects you got low grades. The best way to answer these interview questions is to tell the recruiter that you do not do well in long theory questions but your basics and knowledge is solid and you have proved that with AMCAT and the certifications.
Take the conversation towards your internship or part-time jobs
Recruiters would love to hire students who have real-world skills and have proved their worth to companies. This is why internships and part-time jobs add a lot of value to your resume. You can start answering the interview questions telling that although you have low marks you have real-world experience working in the technology/subjects and you can practically apply the knowledge.
Personal reasons that impacted your grades
Lastly, it may have happened that you have had a personal problem like you fell sick or had to take care of someone, or if you were under any stress. Please do note that you shouldn’t just give any reason, it has to be a valid reason. Don’t just lie for the sake of it, low grades aren’t such a big deal, if you are technically sound and knowledgeable you can easily overcome the challenge of low grades.
Hope you can now answer interview questions that deal with your low grades in college. The best way to handle this and gain more confidence is by signing up for Mock AI. Mock AI uses artificial intelligence to assess your interview skills; it gives you feedback on your communication skills, body language and voice modulation. If you have any queries regarding how to answer interview questions or how Mock AI will help you in that, write in with your comments below.
