Ramit Sethi answers a viewer (Rahm Rahm) asking how to get a job at top-tier firms with a low GPA. Sethi gives a blunt, realistic response: candidates with low GPAs are effectively excluded from strict-cutoff employers (e.g., Bain, Google), and instead should pursue more appropriate opportunities, excel there, and potentially revisit top-tier options later.
Rahm Rahm asks a question and I have a very unfortunate answer for him. His question is I have a low gpa. How can I get a job at a top tier consulting firm or other companies which have a strict GPA cutoff? You can't. That's unfortunately the truth. You may be able to one in a million but I would rather have you focus your time on something that's more likely to get you a job that's more appropriate for you. This is the cost of not having a good gpa. So you know I could sugarcoat it for you but I won't. You know for example Bain is not going to be hiring someone with a 2.6 GPA. Google's not going to either. Focus on better opportunities that are a better fit for you and eventually if you excel at those next jobs you may be able to circle back one day to opportunities that right now are out of your reach. Okay, that's the truth.
