Kind of along this train of thought... I was once told in an interview "Good grades only mean you know how to take a test". I felt a little insulted by that comment. I feel that I put a lot of effort in maintaining my grades while working two jobs. I do believe that my efforts have paid off though, graduating with a GPA of 3.95 and Valedictorian.

if the interviewer tells you that, you probably don't want to work there anyway
Knowing how to take a test helps, but if you don't know the material, you won't succeed.

 

I think I generally found tests to be easy because I generally put forth the work to learn and understand the material from as fundamental a perspective as I could. People that try to memorize a bunch of equations they don't understand but, instead, memorize specific circuit configurations to which they apply frequently complain about exams that have anything beyond the exact same configurations. Whereas people that focus on concepts and application of those concepts to problems in general don't miss a beat, but are classified as just being "good test takers".

 

I was once told in an interview "Good grades only mean you know how to take a test". I felt a little insulted by that comment. I feel that I put a lot of effort in maintaining my grades while working two jobs.

I agree with magnet. If I were told that in an interview I would probably excuse myself. But that sums up the attitude that inspired this thread, and I've heard almost exactly that line said at school. I've all but decided that people who say that, say it to comfort themselves because they can't make the grades or aren't motivated to put in the work to make the grades that you have, but still feel that "everybody should be equal". The fact that you're better (since everybody should be equal), must be attributed to some anomaly like "being a good test taker." I'll choose not take it as an insult; it has nothing to do with me. they aren't trying to make me look bad, they are trying to make themselves feel better. So if attributing their failure not being a good test taker makes them feel better, let them go ahead.

 

Kind of along this train of thought... I was once told in an interview "Good grades only mean you know how to take a test". I felt a little insulted by that comment. I feel that I put a lot of effort in maintaining my grades while working two jobs. I do believe that my efforts have paid off though, graduating with a GPA of 3.95 and Valedictorian.

While it depends somewhat on the context of the discussin in which is was said, I suspect that I would have been a little bit insulted as well. I probably would have said that if good grades ONLY mean that you know how to take a test, then you must believe that anyone that has good grades in, say, political science can sit down and take an exam in electrical engineering and do well on it (and vise versa).

It's a nonsensical assertion that reveals more about the shallow thinking capacity of the person that said it more than anything else.

It is often claimed that people that have top grades frequently lack any practical hands-on skills. The implication is that it is one or the other -- you can get top grades or you can develop practical hands-on skills, but not both. My obersvations of many years has been that this is largely an illusion. When someone has mediocre grades and poor hands-on skills, it goes largely unnoticed. Similarly, when someone has solid grades and solid hands-on skills, it goes largely unnoticed. But when someone has is strong at one and poor at the other, it gets noticed and forms the core impression upon which this attitude is based. As a rule, I have found that few people coming out of an engineering program have solid practical hand-on skills. I have also found that, in general but by no means always, people with better hand-on skills have better grades and vice-versa; unfortunately, when you are talking about the top tier of grades, the hands-on skills might be better that the overwhelming majority of their peers, but there is still a large discrepancy between their grades and where one would intuitively think their hands-on skills should be.

 

I agree with magnet. If I were told that in an interview I would probably excuse myself.

But just be careful. Interviewers try all kinds of tricks. His comment could have been meant as a "test".

I would answer him simply and calmly. - Yes, I'm a good test taker. Life is a test. My job is a test. My marriage is a test. My kids test me every day! Every engineering problem I have faced and will ever face is a test. It is fortunate that I'm a good test taker, because that ability is one of the many things that makes me a winner; hence, it is one of the many reasons you should want to hire me.

 

But just be careful. Interviewers try all kinds of tricks. His comment could have been meant as a "test".

I would answer him simply and calmly. - Yes, I'm a good test taker. Life is a test. My job is a test. My marriage is a test. My kids test me every day! Every engineering problem I have faced and will ever face is a test. It is fortunate that I'm a good test taker, because that ability is one of the many things that makes me a winner; hence, it is one of the many reasons you should want to hire me.

That would be an excellent response.

 

But just be careful. Interviewers try all kinds of tricks. His comment could have been meant as a "test".

I never really got a chance to respond to the statement, other than body language that he may not even have picked up on as he was looking down at my resume.

I had found out later that when I had my interview, the decision was already made as to who they were hiring. Since there were ten of us students being interviewed, I was the sixth, I guess he "just went through the motions" as a courtesy.

While it depends somewhat on the context of the discussion in which is was said, I suspect that I would have been a little bit insulted as well.

I do not recall what spurred the comment he made, though I would like to believe that it wasn't just me he was referring to. The school career services department set up the interviews and I know that all of those interviewed had a GPA of 3.8 or higher.

I am happy with the employer that the career services set me up with. I feel that there are better opportunities for growth here than with that first company.

 

I guess he "just went through the motions" as a courtesy.

I don't doubt that you were treated unfairly and with prejudice, but even when they are going through the motions as a courtesy, you still have an opportunity to change their minds. This is what selling ability (the good kind) is all about. Not that I'm particularly good at that myself, but we have to acknowledge it as an important aspect of a winning attitude.

I never really got a chance to respond to the statement, other than body language that he may not even have picked up on as he was looking down at my resume.

In such situations, if you feel his comment was not right, make an assertive stand right there. Interrupt him politely, and say "excuse me, but ...."

Granted, at that point maybe you didn't care any more since you felt if that's how they are you don't want to work there anyway. But, you'll feel better later if you do you best to change their minds. If somehow you do change their minds, then that's great experience and you are free to turn them down, if you don't feel it's a right match.