To think salary is very low for this job ad

[Jobseeker0]

FTC job ad I just came across has a salary of £25,063 based in Kings Cross

I get that it’s a junior role but is it just me who thinks 25k is very low for this London based role? It’s really getting me down as I have a degree and a few years experience including placement year but most jobs I see pay very little and are still extremely competitive to land. I’m fighting for jobs that will barely cover my essential bills, and will require me to get a second job.

“We’re seeking a coordinator to support the successful delivery of multidisciplinary projects at the (x), working closely with project, delivery, finance, and discipline leads in a fast-paced, agile, and collaborative environment. Ideal for an early-career professional or graduate eager to develop new skills, this role focuses on overseeing project-level requirements, aligning processes, managing delivery tools, and coordinating resourcing and financial aspects of successful project delivery.

Key responsibilities

Manage and coordinate project delivery with cross-functional teams across various disciplines.
Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meet established goals.
Working with the project team to ensure focus on the quality of outputs and how the work we do best reflects the values of the (x).
Actively engage in continuous improvement initiatives, including retrospectives and delivery team meetings.
Coordinate meetings and manage project resources.
Develop and maintain collaborative and positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders through effective communication and engagement.
Provide clear monitoring and reporting to clients when required, covering project-level deliverables and key performance indicators.
Monitor effectiveness across project work-streams and provide administrative support as needed.
Perform financial tracking, budgeting, and reforecasting activities.
Encourage agile ways of working and efficiencies across the (x).
Other ad hoc duties as required.
Provide backup support for Business Support when they are on leave, such as handling receptionist duties.”

Seems to be quite a long list of responsibilities too…
(I’m a struggling job seeker so appreciate I’m no expert)

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.

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?

Very low, keep looking.

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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

@Jobseeker0 that is definately not enough for that job, it is very varied, but mentions more than once project delivery(hardly a basic admin job). My admin job is 26k to 28k. 25k is barely minimum wage. That salary is more like office junior/jreception job but i would be expecting the london allowance to be added to that. You could not live in london on that salary. 25k (full time) is what our cleaners get where i work.

“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” @Gremlings

^ Thanks and you’re right 😞 I think after each year passes where I’ve failed to land a new job offer I lower my standards/ start widening the search. I started feeling delusional putting all my eggs in one basket and not being more open minded to other junior roles. Ashamed to admit this but during the first year in my current role, when job hunting I was previously only considering roles in similar industry which paid more than current salary. I will confess I was naive for thinking I would find something within a year because in past always eventually found new job offer within year.

Now 3 years later stuck in bad role, I’m the most panicked I’ve been and just desperate for a fresh start I can work my way up from really. If I only hold out for an offer that is a desired role I could be waiting another few years, meanwhile my current CV looks worse for staying in low progression role so long. I’ve had friends who within the 3 years I’ve been in my bad role, started a new junior role after redundancy or career change and been promoted once or twice, they now have solid prospects.

I never had a passion for a specific job when younger, partially because I didn’t know of all the different jobs that even existed. A lot of my job search was simply aiming at jobs that related the most to existing experience (better odds).
As a student applying for industrial placements I had prioritised HR roles as I enjoyed a related uni module. I ended up landing a paid placement offer in Marketing for FS, (declined unpaid HR internship). After that, bc I realised I could potentially start a career from it I carried on doing role part time in final year (only student who was offered to extend placement part time - I may be stupid, lack passion, no clear prospects but I do know I can work well with others and go beyond my responsibilities).

After graduating I did the same role at a larger company, same industry but paid more and better exp. 10 months in with 2nd company I had a significant pay rise. During this time though is when I worked very closely with project coordinators, PMs and BAs so I first started thinking of a job role pivot. I noticed they tended to get paid much more and crucially had more varied, interesting roles. Outside of my company and industry, I noticed some marketing roles had pretty low salaries (I did B2B marketing within FS). For eg job ads which were scales above my role, asking for more years of experience and sometimes more specialised skills paid less.

I attended a few events at a digital festival which gave me better understanding of Project delivery related roles and people shared how they got into it (different stories which inspired me).

I then relocated to London for hopes of fresh start and more opportunities. I remember posts on MN where people would say working in London was best thing they did for career.
I took first job offered which was Operations/Delivery related in same industry but I fear perhaps glorified admin in some ways, and no progression from it. I have still taken on extra responsibilities and have some experience of acting as project lead. It’s just my experience is not good enough to land similar junior role in this area. I have interviewed at other places but either role dissolved, or losing out to stronger candidates.

Embarrassingly only had 7 interviews last year. I found it easier to get interviews as a student when I not only had zero office experience but also was very naive about what people actually did at work

Thanks for sharing, may I ask where are you based?
Agree 25k would be extremely tough in London… anything under 30k would be hard tbh, but out of desperation I’d maybe consider 29k in exchange for better experience/prospects to ‘unblock’ me but it wouldn’t be sustainable long term. It’s still a gamble because I couldn’t guarantee it will definitely lead to better paid job within a year😞

What comes over is you are looking at basically admin jobs that have no real 'guts' to them. You've not got a career path.

Maybe start with what you would do if you could have a dream job? And what is actually possible / feasible?

You're still very young and although you have a degree it equates only very narrowly into work and (hate to say this) every other person has a degree now. Getting a relevant Masters or a degree that is more 'vocational' is often the answer. You can study for a Masters part time at places like Birkbeck (London.)
You're probably going to have to consider more than 'just' a degree in sociology, either with higher ed or a grad career path while in a job.

Rather than jumping from one job to another chasing a pay rise, maybe step back and really think what you want from a career. Make a list of what interests you - I gave some pointers like the arts, health, IT, finance, 'helping others', charities that you support, etc.

@Jobseeker0 hello, I live in Edinburgh, which itself is an expensive city. Good luck with the job hunting.

Are you sure? I was earning £8k a year in a full time entry level public sector role in 1997……. Didn’t stop me buying a house though. (I was 19.)

Mine too and my rent at the time was around £300 (flatshare). Now it would probably be 3 or 4 times that.

Out of interest, how much was the house?

I'm in a similar position. I have a firdt class degree but job experience in anything else but teaching. I too look at job specs and wonder why the salary is so low. Honestly, I might as well work in a supermarket. There seem to be jobs that pay ridiculously high wages like banking or being a lawyer but if that's not your skillset you're right at the other end of the pay scale. We live in a society where certain things are just not valued. On my sessional pay in an FE college I only earn slightly more than I'd have to pay a cleaner. I don't have the answer I'm afraid.

@Gremlings Thanks, I’d agree a BSc degree is worth much less these days (*some exceptions).
I was aware of this as a student, so made sure to do the industrial placement and work part time in same industry during final year but it didn’t pay off for me. I took advantage of free support from career advisors team at uni whilst others didn’t bother but still I ended up as the one without the career, Sod’s Law 😂. I also did a women’s coding bootcamp course alongside second year to strengthen my CV too. I didn’t think my degree was enough to guarantee a job.
I’d been thinking to prioritise getting new experience rather than extra education as could be wrong but thought once you’re in a role, many employers will fund further study or exams if needed for the role. Also I don’t want to risk extra debt if masters doesn’t pay off (I have lower risk appetite due to career failure)
I like getting involved in improving processes, implementing change, and working with different stakeholders. I think I would prefer to work in less trad environment like start ups and specifically Fintech over FS. I’ve noticed once you’ve got in they then have less rigid requirements to progress and a faster paced environment. I was interviewed for a fintech role last year and interviewer was at management level, she joined company at entry/junior level but before that she worked 5 years in retail banking as branch customer advisor. It took her much less than 5 years to get to management level at her current company, and first promotion was under a year. No one has been promoted in 3 years within my team. Also thibk it’d be nicer to work smaller company where can have a more noticeable impact on things
All my friends who work in these types of companies have had much better experiences. A few do complain workload is high but then my own workload is still high here despite low prospect role. I have to log on this Sun evening to finish some work for tomorrow

When you use welcometothejungle it will include examples of ‘people progressing’ what they joined as and what do now. Some egs include people joining entry level then pivoting roles very soon. Now I’m not saying cherry picked example is a guarantee that will happen for others who join that company, but I do know the culture is still generally different at my work place. I have stalked practically everyone I work with on LinkedIn and it’s very rare for people to get promoted within two years, let alone one. One of the mentors I was paired with last year, a lovely woman but was in her first junior role for 8 years in our company - she is much older and management level now but it again makes me want to leave. I can’t wait around that long for an internal opportunity

Crazy! Even in less ‘desirable’ areas of London, rooms in shares can go for £1200😅

Thankfully I pay less now but my first room was £1050 in a ‘undesirable’ part of London with only DLR instead of tube. That was in 2023. I personally felt safe but I know many people claim it’s a rough area

£41k (£27k mortgage)

I like getting involved in improving processes, implementing change, and working with different stakeholders.

Yes but these roles exist within companies that 'do stuff'.

The people I know who do that ^^ are qualified in an 'industry' like engineering, science, economics, and started in other roles before they became experts in change.

(All with relevant degrees in electrical/ mechanical engineering, pure science, economics) and they certainly didn't start off doing what you want to do.
They worked their way up over 20 years from grad entry roles to snr management.

Mine was 500! Terrible isn’t it.

Thanks, understand where you’re coming from but then I do still see companies hiring for junior project related roles. I have been invited to interview (but no luck). I know of people who land these roles without being an expert in an area, only having junior exp. I def wasn’t expecting to land a PM/PO/BA role. Think mentioned before I understand that picking up extra responsibilities matching what xyz role would do, doesn’t suddenly make me eligible to be one. However I naively hoped that the additional responsibility could have lead to junior bridge roles, away from glorified admin. My roles have all been in the same industry if that counts for anything

Random eg but civil service has a project delivery career pathways doc which shows you can start at EO scale for most proj delivery roles (working way up to higher responsibility roles). EO is pretty low scale and my own role has higher responsibility than EO (appreciate not all industries work same as CS)

Anyway I’d already stopped focusing solely on those roles and now just exploring things that may have lower barrier to entry, then continue to build up related experience in that area. I’m trying to stay open minded to jr roles that don’t require specialised education but can still lead to better prospects.

Theres not enough vacancies going for me to solely apply to one type of job area, and I have added pressure of time passing me by. When I was a new grad I also applied to different types of roles but prioritised ones I naturally fit better, or had some transferrable exp. Some very kind MNetters have PMed about jnr role suggestions which don’t expect direct exp too

& Theres roles I’ve excluded bc I’m not well suited, can’t force myself to become something I’m not

The pay for the responsibilities listed seem very low but

if you have 4yrs exp plus your placement place, hell even without the placement year, you sound like you are now overqualified for a junior role. Have you been applying for less junior roles too?