To think salary is very low for this job ad

They will pay as little as they need to to get the calibre of worker they need/someone is willing to work for . Graduate roles are being advertised at £28k here so £25 for a non graduate job entry position seems fair. Admin jobs salary wise aren’t that different to retail or hospitality at entry level but you can expect more progression

For context, in 2002 - so over 20 years ago - I was doing sort of the same job for £28k.

That’s a junior project manager role, that is a crap wage, I’d expect at least £35k, more experienced PM’s taking on larger projects will be on £60k+ and if you’re contracting on day rates £600+ a day. Project management is a good career to get into especially in IT but £25k was the starter salary for a junior PM about 15 years ago. In London that’s especially terrible.

Honestly think you're looking back through rose tinted glassesI Mine was with marks and spencer on their graduate scheme who paid very well for the time. Media definitely wasn't paying £20k up North!

Half the problem is that jobs that existed 20 years ago have gone. Do LAs still have graduate research assistants?

It's a gussied up admin job, more suitable for a school leaver. The oaybis also pretty dire. I was earning £23k in 2001 as a graduate trainee resesrch assistant for a London local authority.

Very low, keep looking.

Are you interested in the arts or culture?
London is full of museums, like the V&A, British Museum, British Library, Natural History, National Gallery etc.

Your degree might be relevant to something there, behind the scenes, in research, in educational events.

Does that interest you?

I think the real issue is you are just applying for jobs rather than thinking about a career path.

You possibly need to think about doing some other training / qualifications because as you have said a degree in sociology doesn't really lead into anything (only perhaps teaching the subject if you added a PGCE.)

I'd suggest you take a step back and think about what you're interested in.

For example are there are any charities, 'causes' or things that really excite you?

What sectors are you interested in?

eg - retail, finance, education, health, conservation, etc etc.

At the moment you're throwing mud at the wall and hoping some of it sticks.

You're not really focusing on your core transferable skills or what you enjoy doing.

I've read all of your posts and what comes over is you don't really have a passion or know what job you'd enjoy so that makes it harder for you to narrow your search.

I agree, it’s paltry. I live in London too. It’s about £28-30K for an admin role in the ‘burbs and they want a lot from you.

In 2001 pre-kids (in a grad job, in a not particularly well-paid industry) I was earning around £20K.
I worry for DC - they’re early 20s. DD did a useless degree and is now fannyyng about trying to upskill and doing retail on the side. She wouldn’t listen re doing a more academic type degree (she’s very clever but couldn’t see it for herself so chose something she had a modicum of talent in but not enough to succeed commercially imho). ATM she’s living at home and thinking she’ll move out in a year!!
DS is in his final uni year doing a v academic degree - he’ll probably get a first - he would’ve walked in to a job 20 years ago but now I don’t know what will happen. He’s not applying for grad schemes now as he’s just about coping with his course in terms of stress management (his MH isn’t great) so he’ll have to look when he graduates. He’ll be coming home too.

I agree, it’s paltry. I live in London too. It’s about £28-30K for an admin role in the ‘burbs and they want a lot from you.

In 2001 pre-kids (in a grad job, in a not particularly well-paid industry) I was earning around £20K.
I worry for DC - they’re early 20s. DD did a useless degree and is now fannyyng about trying to upskill and doing retail on the side. She wouldn’t listen re doing a more academic type degree (she’s very clever but couldn’t see it for herself so chose something she had a modicum of talent in but not enough to succeed commercially imho). ATM she’s living at home and thinking she’ll move out in a year!!
DS is in his final uni year doing a v academic degree - he’ll probably get a first - he would’ve walked in to a job 20 years ago but now I don’t know what will happen. He’s not applying for grad schemes now as he’s just about coping with his course in terms of stress management (his MH isn’t great) so he’ll have to look when he graduates. He’ll be coming home too.

It's an absolute joke of an ad. Avoid like the plague. Being undervalued doesn't do your mental health any good either.

Also. The highest earner amongst my 27 year old graduate’s peers is the one who works in a pub. No qualifications but worked her way up to events management and gets good perks and tips.
I actually dissuaded my younger two from taking a degree and it’s worked out well. One did an apprenticeship and was kept on. One just took a local job and has worked their way up. They earn about the same as the graduate and without the debt.

Absolutely this. As a parent in London I am a couple of years off retirement but am accommodating three adult DC who are working/saving and need me to house them to help them get anywhere in life.

That is a shocking salary for central London. Not as bad if it can be negotiated to be fully remote to help young graduates still at home.
Agree also with PP that the benefits culture is so disincentivising. My eldest at home at 27 says the only people from her class at school who have their own place are the two women who had babies and live on benefits. Everyone else is in shared flats or still at home.

YANBU. It’s appalling that anyone can be paid that wage for full time work when the cost of living is so high. I was paid more than that for my first job 15 years ago and based in the north! Minimum wage should be at least 30k by now.

Salaries in the UK are generally shit. DH doubled his salary just by moving to the US, same job, same company. We live in an expensive city but we are still WAY better off. We are semi seriously looking at moving back because of politics but higher end pay for my job in the UK seems to be about £60k and my current mid band salary is twice that… and yeah, I pay for healthcare but taxes are lower so my net pay is still at least double. And the healthcare I do get is high quality and doesn’t have a wait list…

You’re not imagining it, pay and quality of life in the UK are not great.

This is precisely the point I was trying to make to a previous poser who was outraged at the rising benefits bill. I was earning £30k in a middling LEA position before I retired 20 years ago. Given inflation £25k terrible wage for a graduate - although the promise that graduates earn higher salaries was not true for either of my DC. I hope you find something better soon

You shouldn't need a degree to do an admin job.

Yanbu. I was looking at ~£20k London entry level roles when I graduated nearly 25 years ago. That’s very low.

Salaries are shockingly low for graduates atm! DS1 needed a filler job for a year before starting a legal traineeship. Got a paralegal post paying minimum wage. He would earn more in Tesco. He took the paralegal position for the experience. He’s living at home so it’s doable but his gf & him want to get a place together soon. Realistically they’ll have to wait till he starts his traineeship. This is in Scotland, how on earth do you live on mw in London/SE?

I earned that about 30 years ago in low base finance job. This was before the NMW and I believe that NMW has screwed wages down to low levels that no longer provide a reasonable wage to live on.
Since the inception of the NMW it's become necessary for some people to have to claim housing benefit and other benefits to provide a basic living standard. All funded by the taxpayer and continues to be, so effectively subsidising employers, not really benefiting the affected employees.
Consequently we have had a race to the bottom with wages as the taxpayer will fund everything else required. This also has a knock on effect that those employees are not able to contribute as much paye and nic because their wages are too low.

It's no wonder that our public services are constantly underfunded and overstretched. 😏

That's normal. Im in a completely unrelated profession and earn around the same difference between me with 25 years experience and an inexperienced junior.

I don’t think so, we use them at work

I was on 17k in a similar role,so no,I don't.