Keyla, Beaumont, TX AddedWednesday, April 27, 2016 at 1:54 PM My question is, me being a female, Hispanic, and with average grades is it enough to get me noticed and get a secure job? Hi, my name is Keyla, and I'm currently a Junior pursuing a Mechanical Engineering BS. I love math and physics and solving complex problems, but lately I've been questioning whether my academics achievements are enough to get me a job. My GPA is a 3.2 out of 4.0, which is average. My question is, me being a female, Hispanic, and with average grades is it enough to get me noticed and get a secure job? Also, how can I thrive in a male industry such as mechanical engineering? Related to Choosing a Degree, Math & Science, Mechanical, Opportunities/Challenges for Women, Self Doubt Reset Sort By Default Mayra Artiles , Answered Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 1:54 PM Hi Kayla! When recruiters look at which candidate will be the best to hire, GPA is only a small fraction of what we discuss. In my experience, 99% of the time recruiters focus more on the projects the student has been involved in, such as SAE competitions, internship experiences, student chapters, community involvement, etc. Showing you are involved in those type of activities will get you a foot in the door to an interview. A 3.2 GPA is acceptable in most companies as the threshold GPA is typically 3.0. The rest is all about giving a GREAT interview that your recruiter will remember at the end of the day. Most interviews for students are standard behavioral questions which are often a variation on those easily available online. Study them and work on great answers based on your own experiences. A great resource for you as a Hispanic would be joining your school’s SHPE chapter (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers). They provide excellent networking and professional development opportunities with many companies that are hiring Hispanic students just like you. As for thriving in a male-dominated career like M.E., it has more to do with how much will you commit to your job than your gender. It is important that you enjoy what your job will be and the team you work with. This will always make you want to pursue excellence and desire to do your job well. I also always encourage using data to back up your conclusions. Rarely do we run into situations where people will use gender bias to question your judgement when you have good data to back up your claims. Gender does not play as much a role in engineering careers in the 21st century than it used to not so long ago. But regardless of how the environment is, it will make you a better engineer back up your assumptions and conclusions with good data. Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.