The Student Room Group

What do YOU consider a good starting salary for a graduate?

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Reply 300
Original post by her0n

Even if like me, your grades are good (2.1, ABBC at A level, 10x A*-A grade GCSE) you're going to find it tough. There's a lot of good people out there. I passed all the tests and assessments, got to the final 12 candidates of the IBM graduate scheme but unfortunately wasn't picked.

My advice is once you graduate, take any job you can get. Even if it is part time. Live at home & don't be a job snob :frown:

Being on JSA is NOT fun!!


True. According to the BBC, the unemployment rate for 21 year old graduates is the same as that for 16 year old school leavers.
Original post by her0n
For those who haven't graduated yet, let me warn you..

Unless you're accepted onto a graduate scheme, you can pretty much forget earning over 20k in your first job.

I graduated in 2008 and am still yet to break any higher than 18k.
The job market right now is awful. Businesses cannot afford to recruit or pay a decent wage. Jobs are oversubscribed.

Even if like me, your grades are good (2.1, ABBC at A level, 10x A*-A grade GCSE) you're going to find it tough. There's a lot of good people out there. I passed all the tests and assessments, got to the final 12 candidates of the IBM graduate scheme but unfortunately wasn't picked.

My advice is once you graduate, take any job you can get. Even if it is part time. Live at home & don't be a job snob :frown:

Being on JSA is NOT fun!!

This. It is even a struggle getting any job at all, let alone worrying about the starting salary :frown:
Reply 302
I think 21/22 is realistic (for outside London) but I would definitely settle for less if their were other benefits, i.e. paid further study. Starting a full-time NHS Admin job next week which is 16k, it's good contextually because of the generally low wages in my home county. Have a couple of grad schemes in the pipeline that range from 22-25k (but i'm not hopeful!)
anyone with a job should count themselves lucky at the moment, I'll take any salary I'm offered right now.
Reply 304
Around 25k, though your first job is not about the salary, but the opportunities available afterwards.
Reply 305
In today's times, a good starting wage would be around 16-18k. 20k is still possible in a lot of places.
Reply 306
For me personally £22k+ due to previous experience
Reply 307
£26k+ (with good career prospects and professional qualifications)
£15k +. Although in this current climate you're doing well if you have a job. I think that the graduate market is rather over saturated.

I currently earn about £18k but I don't have to pay for rent as my boss owns a few flats near to work and I stay in one. I consider myself very lucky!
Reply 309
What I kinda wish i'd done, is stay on at uni to do a Masters, as I believe it would have helped me build connections in the field I want to work in.

You'll soon find that even standard Admin/Chef/whatever jobs, all want basic specialist qualifications and certificates in xyz at NVQ level whatever.

Ugh.

I think £16k-18k is reasonable to aim for when starting. My first job was £15k... then the next I had to drop down to min. wage.. then £14k.. and now back to £18k~.

PLEASE don't turn your nose up at jobs because you think you're better than that. There really isn't a lot out there. This year's graduates will still be competing with grads from previous years.

Graduates aren't special any more. Previous experience... unless you have 5+ years, employers really aren't that blown away by it.

What you really want to find, is a sympathetic interviewer who wants to give young people a chance :smile:

My advice - do some voluntary work with youth groups/charities etc. If you can afford it and it's your thing, Camp America type schemes are invaluable (and fun!). I learnt a lot when I went in 2009.
Original post by matinthehat
£1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

I will work for nothing less :smile:


:biggrin: Enjoy unemployment my friend. Cuz that is how your life is gonna remain.
Reply 311
Original post by her0n
For those who haven't graduated yet, let me warn you..

Unless you're accepted onto a graduate scheme, you can pretty much forget earning over 20k in your first job.

I graduated in 2008 and am still yet to break any higher than 18k.
The job market right now is awful. Businesses cannot afford to recruit or pay a decent wage. Jobs are oversubscribed.

Even if like me, your grades are good (2.1, ABBC at A level, 10x A*-A grade GCSE) you're going to find it tough. There's a lot of good people out there. I passed all the tests and assessments, got to the final 12 candidates of the IBM graduate scheme but unfortunately wasn't picked.

My advice is once you graduate, take any job you can get. Even if it is part time. Live at home & don't be a job snob :frown:

Being on JSA is NOT fun!!


You got to a final assessment centre, not the final 12. IBM hire over 300 graduates each year. That said if you got to the final with IBM then I'm surprised you didn't have any luck elsewhere as that process was comparably quite tough from what I remember. Two group exercises on top of the IPAT tests before you get to the final assessment day? Have you applied to more graduate schemes since?
what do you think is the starting salary of a architect graduate?
im starting now the bachelor..
Reply 313
Original post by her0n
What I kinda wish i'd done, is stay on at uni to do a Masters, as I believe it would have helped me build connections in the field I want to work in.

You'll soon find that even standard Admin/Chef/whatever jobs, all want basic specialist qualifications and certificates in xyz at NVQ level whatever.

Ugh.

I think £16k-18k is reasonable to aim for when starting. My first job was £15k... then the next I had to drop down to min. wage.. then £14k.. and now back to £18k~.

PLEASE don't turn your nose up at jobs because you think you're better than that. There really isn't a lot out there. This year's graduates will still be competing with grads from previous years.

Graduates aren't special any more. Previous experience... unless you have 5+ years, employers really aren't that blown away by it.

What you really want to find, is a sympathetic interviewer who wants to give young people a chance :smile:

My advice - do some voluntary work with youth groups/charities etc. If you can afford it and it's your thing, Camp America type schemes are invaluable (and fun!). I learnt a lot when I went in 2009.


I've been told there's not much advantage in doing a Masters at all, other than the fact that we'd be getting it for £3k rather than £9k.
I'm not trying to be rude, apologies if am coming across that way, I'm genuinely very curious as I haven't really received much insight.

I have a job lined up already, however I CAN defer my job application until next year if I wish to do a Masters, but is it worth it?
(Sorry by Masters I mean MEng (I've been told it's different))
(edited 11 years ago)

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