Interview on Thursday !

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Park Avenue
It's quite clear it's an insurance but people are just after an argument

Trolling again eh? You're the economist (supposedly), you know how it works...the only one trying to cause an argument over a clear cut fact is you!

[Solly]

No I'm quite willing to settle on the fact.

[Cruddy]

Re: Re: Interview on Thursday !

Originally posted by Tingkai

A recent British study found the average salary for a university graduate in 2003 was £12,659.

You really need to lower your sights to something more realistic.

Average means zip. No study looks at every single graduate or every single job, weightings for area, or indeed foreign graduates who start working in the UK.

Aim as high as you can. Go where the cash is. Take a less well paid job, fair enough... but DON'T STOP APPLYING FOR BETTER ONES!

[Gibsie]

Well I sure as hell wouldn't take a job that badly paid, and I'm not even a graduate that expects a well-paid job.

[MikeH]

I expect that average includes people who did English degrees.

[Provost Harrison]

I've been there Gibsie, my first ever job (research technician, University of Hull) paid £10.5k, then PhD student, average £7.5k (tax free), then QC analyst (£12.2)...after 4 years I was very, very disappointed with what I have achieved, but things have picked up recently, about £28k, but I do have a lot of experience.

I would consider these figures to be pretty accurate regarding that amount. Bear in mind that in other areas of the country, the pay is less than London, then there are people who can't find work going into temp positions. The government figure is false, it only really assesses the companies that participated in the milkround - this survey, I think some of the banks including student/graduate lenders, found a different figure and from my personal experience, reflects the truth.

I think it highlights a problem many of us are aware of: there are too many graduates for the demand. There are so many unis nowadays that it is easy to get a degree - they have been devalued.

[Solly]

"There are so many unis nowadays that it is easy to get a degree"

That's like saying "it's easy to get a house". It's the level of the degree, the subject of the degree, and the place you did it at which are all relevant.

Admittedly my uni was solid and middling (though Prince Charles and Neil Hamilton went there!), a degree in Economics is a very good choice, and a the 2:1 I got is as good as employers expect.

Getting a third in music science from Salford can't be something in demand though!

[Gibsie]

Well I did do a year at £10.5, but I think I should be able to do a little better than £14 in my first job. Otherwise I might as well work in a shop...

[Provost Harrison]

Well this is the thing you have to think of. When I was at Reckitts I was under the same stress I am under now. However when you think you are barely a pound or so over what a burgerflipper gets, you wonder 'is it worth the hassle?'. It kept me going, the main value was in leverage...getting a better job.

[Solly]

Building up your experience..always useful and if you look at the expected benefits from that experience, the real long-term difference between a £15k job and a £25k job is probably minimal.

[Provost Harrison]

Well the last job paid crap but gave me a greater than double pay rise...

[Gibsie]

It actually depresses me more to think about the higher paid jobs. If you're on £50,000 a year, then you probably only take home about £30,000 of that. Bloody taxation

[Solly]

Gibsie

Taxation of labour income is one of the biggest crimes our society tolerates.

[Gibsie]

I knew I'd turn into Berserker as soon as I got into the position where I'd have to actually pay taxes

[Whaleboy]

Alcohol is the answer!