To think this salary is an insult?

[FlyingSolo16]

I’m a solicitor and recently interviewed for a position. Five rounds of interview, meetings with different people within the firm, etc etc.

Get to the offer stage and the “competitive salary” they’re offering was £27,500 a year. AIBU or is that an insult?

Wow DSD was on £35k on her TC and started on £72k as an NQ last year. That is with one of the top ten but not magic circle.

Completely wrong. Dd qualified a couple of years ago and was on almost 4 times that. US firms considerably more.

I work in a senior role in the media (private sector, small indep firm). 20 years experience. Full time. £35k.
No wage rise for 6 years. Salaries are a joke.
I should have gone into the public sector...

It’s an insult, it’s also a minefield when job hunting that the employer doesn’t advertise a salary band.
I’ve had a similar experience when the interviewer was coy on salary but not on the extra work and hours expected.

Solicitor salaries are one of the widest ranging salaries that exist.

A NQ solicitor can earn anything from £25k up to £180k (for the big US firms based in London).

I work in recruitment and have placed a number of NQ solicitors into in house roles in C. London and the average is around £50-60k.

It's fucking outrageous OP, I'm so sorry.

I'm 50 and I've had similar experiences with employers who won't reveal the salary until the end of the process, and then told me my expectations were too high. I also turned it down. Now I don't apply for jobs that don't have the salary included.

It's fucking appalling. Life is going to shit in this country right now.

Good lord! Where to you live? Clearly they think it’s 1987.

Of course. No company could survive if charge out rate equalled salary. It's just I would expect someone with a charge out rate of £100 per hour to be on a salary of more than £27k

I refuse interview process if they won't prove band at the beginning of process, just end up wasting everyone's time.

I would sue them for wasting my time. Lol, send them the bill for your time -tell em get fucked!

That was the exact salary I was paid as a legal secretary 20 years ago. On top of that I was also gifted my annual travel card by my employer

Yes, my relative is doing a PHD, was previously on a salary of 27k after getting a first in their masters degree. They have looked at staying in academia after their PHD but have decided not to due to lecturers starting wage being around £32K.
It’s crazy their friend is on £50K plus, has no degree and is in sales.

I am a solicitor ( but work part time as a legal consultant ) and have actively encouraged my dcs NOT to enter the profession
When I was a trainee many years ago I was on a salary of 24k .
The issue is that there are so many people entering the profession which is mainly due to an increase in the number of establishments offering law courses.
This means that there are too many graduates for fewer roles .
Employers offer low salaries because they can get away with it .
Op, as a NQ solicitor , I actually think that you should have taken the role for two years for the experience

But that's what new grads do, bedsits and house/flat shares, for a few years until you've got marketable experience. I did it nearly 50 years ago and will admit my thought after getting my own place 4 years in, was wtf have I done, I've got to pay all these bills myself not the 20% I was used to.

OP I think the salary was too low. My family are lawyers.
My niece got £26k on a training contract in Leeds about 4 years ago then went in house for £60k.

Fwiw I have a law degree and a masters in business. One Oxford, one Brookes.
I've never practiced but use the knowledge and skill set every day.
I went into beauty and loved every day until post covid when people turned nasty. My last PAYE was £250k basic plus stock and bonus. I'm retiring on a share sale next year.

Can you use your skills in a business that appeals to you? If you want a family I'd stick with the law. I worked 16 hour days and still had a family but it was tough and I'm throughly knackered at 59. My roles were all revenue generating (sales). Some lawyers go part time, I never had the option.

My 18-year-old daughter earns that having just completed an apprenticeship! They are absolutely taking the piss!

What a joke that's ridiculous. Most solictors start on 40k and upwards. Is it a training contract or are they actually expecting a qualified solicitor

Employers offer low salaries because they can get away with it .
Op, as a NQ solicitor , I actually think that you should have taken the role for two years for the experience

No, she shouldn't. Every time people accept working for poverty wages enables employers to keep offering them.

Say no.

I don't apply for jobs that don't have the salary included.

I don't either. If they won't tell you its because they know full well it's crap.

As a mature trainee solicitor (doing legal aid) I earned £13,000 p.a. in 2008/9, then £20k as an NQ. I moved around and got up to £50k+ at about 12 years PQE - which was still bad for the stress of the job. However I have now managed to bring it up to £130k as a self-employed consultant solicitor where I get a fee share instead of a salary, but it has taken years to build my skills and experience, as well as the network and reputation to bring in the work. You could start there then keep moving around every couple of years - only way to get a proper increase, then go self-employed consultancy route once sufficiently experienced. I wouldn’t abandon it yet.
edited to say - now realise this thread is a bit out of date, but that might help someone!