I hired a 3rd class graduate. I asked the reason for her grade, she told me she wasn’t serious with her studies. She lost her dad in her first year and paying school fees became a struggle. She was distracted by business opportunities and was focussed on making money.

I proceeded to assess her numerical aptitude, she aced the assesment. I assessed her written communication skills, I was impresed.

My decision to hire her was because I was convinced her grades were not a reflection of her competence. I liked her energy. She had learned her lesson.

My university had a policy that if you failed more than 1 subject in your final year, you would drop a grade. I chose the wrong subjects in my 2nd year and I was already averaging at a 2nd class lower. One more bad grade and that could easily have been me, a 3rd class graduate.

Do I advise anyone to not take their studies seriously? No way! No employer will hire anyone they predict will be unserious. Most organisations’ policies will weed out 3rd class graduates, some 2nd class lower. Sadly, that is life and shortlisting criteria.

If you made a mistake or life dealt you wrong cards, there’s still room for recovery. Focus on adding value. Commit to developing competence. Competence is always valued.

Your thoughts?