Minimum pay for marketing specialists.... Having difficulties

avenuel on 05/06/2020 - 02:00
Last edited 10/06/2020 - 12:19

Hi

I am trying to help my friend who just graduated from uni with a marketing degree.

He initially had difficulties finding the job obviously with COVID hitting, making it almost impossible.

Because of that very reason I think some employers are exploiting these desperate job seekers..

Basically he landed an interview and got the job but the salary is $40000 plus superannuation on a full time basis.

That is to my understanding well below the minimum wage imposed by the FAIR WORK.

WIth Fair Work I know there are specific awards and rates that apply to some workers such as restaurant workers but I couldn't find any award that specifically provides a pay guide for marketing consultants / marketing specialists.

Do you guys have any idea what the applicable award might be if any…?

Thank you fam :)

Education & Work

Comments

  • GuessHowMuch on 06/06/2020 - 09:07
    +3

    Similar experience here 🙋 7-8 years ago, on 40k including super for my first job in marketing/advertising.

    Yes the pay sucked. It's only temporary.

    Work hard, learn as much as you can, go for courses or meetups, pick up the stuff that others may not be interested in because it's less glamorous, and climb your way up.

    I picked up the dull CRM tasks that no one else put their hand up for (they were doing brand campaigns and photoshoots etc). Now, CRM and data is my thing and it's big.

    • [Deactivated] on 07/06/2020 - 01:31

      But since OP is also getting 40k isn't it technically less due to inflation?

      • GuessHowMuch on 07/06/2020 - 10:36
        +1

        I was on 40k including super. OP is 40k plus super. Adjusted for inflation, it's about the same.

        You're missing the point though.

  • ClawShrimp on 06/06/2020 - 09:27

    Posted and ghosted.
    Troll post?

  • Andrewskates on 06/06/2020 - 09:30

    Working in Advertising for over 10 years.

    First job $900 a month as an intern. You gotta start somewhere.
    Experience at the right agencies, working on the right clients and projects is worth 10X more in the long run than trying to get an amazing salary right out of uni.

    (p.s. I still use the word fam)

  • DiscoJango on 06/06/2020 - 09:55

    I graduated in the middle of the gfc around 10 years ago, and it was a similar position. Way more applicants than there were jobs. Some grad positions had upwards of 3000 applications. Dont worry about the money for your first job, its a foot in the door. Slum it for a year or 2 then start moving into more senior roles & asking for money.

    Dont get sucked into the online hype of every student starting on a base of $90k with company car and phone, it can happen, however its the absolute minority.

    • greatlamp on 06/06/2020 - 10:30
      +3

      I don't blame graduates. This is mostly the fault of the Universities

      They have sponsors who come along to poach the top 1% of students, and pay them 80k for 100h work weeks. They pit their employees against each other and show them the door at the 3 year mark.

      The careers people tell their students to aim for the stars, instead of telling them how to build a career they teach them to look for the biggest starting salary.

      • DiscoJango on 07/06/2020 - 09:34

        People, especially students, need to understand than universities are just corporations looking to make a profit, they dont care about you once youve graduated and stopped paying them money. Thats why they sell the dream: "90% of graduates start on $200k yay sign up!!!". Then come back a few years later and pay us more for a bullshit masters degree!Ive done a full education, high school, take, uni etc etc and honestly, none of it compares to real world experience, which i now rely on. The stuff written in the books (for my field) sound nice on paper, however arent effective with real people, who are flawed and not "perfect" like most academics are.

  • Boioioioi on 06/06/2020 - 10:15

    40k sounds about right. I started working full time late last year for 40k. I have friends in the marketing department and they get paid the same.

  • bcraze on 06/06/2020 - 11:20
    +5

    Need to market yourself better fam

  • seraphim2017 on 06/06/2020 - 11:52
    +3

    Did your friend not do their "market" research before the degree?

  • Jamesrulez1 on 06/06/2020 - 12:45

    This is normal for marketing. There's so many people with the degree.

    I worked at the #1 Digital Marketing company and we had marketing interns who had 3+ unpaid internships land a minimum wage internship with no benefits.

  • MessyG on 06/06/2020 - 19:50
    +2

    I was in a similar position when I finished uni in my old career. Got a job in a similar role for $38k. Everyone around me told me I should demand more. I took the job anyway and even the receptionist told me she earned more than me. I let it get to me and ended up quitting into nothing, although to be fair it was a toxic work environment for many reasons. So here is what I would tell myself knowing what I know now:

    The money you start on is not the money you end on. What you earn in that first year doesn't matter as much as the attitude of the people you work with. If they're a great group then you'll love coming to work and you'll do well there, you'll get good references and in every single industry, if people know you and like you, you'll go far. The relationships you make are everything, so make friends wherever you work, help people out and be keen to learn everything from everyone around you. Graduation from uni gives you lots of knowledge and no experience. You'll be working with everyone with a lot of experience and different degrees of knowledge. Be willing to share the knowledge you have, and make sure you have the humility to realise that you have no experience because they're such different things. It's when you have both that you make the big bucks. And don't assume that hard work is a ticket to anywhere. The person who does the best work but is impossible to work with will never get the job over someone who does a mediocre job but is great to work with and brings in business because people like them. That doesn't mean you have to be an over the top extrovert, it means you be friendly, helpful and listen, and recognise that your knowledge while helpful is not in the ballpark of those more experienced.

    And when you find yourself in the inevitable position of having taken on too much work because in trying to be helpful you've said to everyone, you need to demonstrate that you can handle yourself by telling your boss you've taken on too much in trying to be helpful.

    If the people seem good to work with, my advice is to take the job and find your feet over the next two years. If it's not for you, and you've done all of the above, you'll be on the way to something better with the excellent references and word of mouth you've started to generate for yourself.

  • tessel on 06/06/2020 - 20:27
    +2

    I got offered minimum wage working in a funeral home taking people who had died in their homes back to the funeral home. I think your friend is doing ok. Getting paid not to have to move dead people all day.

  • dny on 06/06/2020 - 21:28

    Because of that very reason I think some employers are exploiting these desperate job seekers..

    Welcome to the free market. If he feels he is being exploited, he's free to try and find a better paying job where they'll pay him what he thinks he's' worth.

  • Grayfox on 07/06/2020 - 01:15

    There's an indi game on my phone called Don't Get Fired! I think your friend might like it.

  • ledifni on 07/06/2020 - 08:16
    +1

    Considering the current events, does your "friend" prefer less income or no income?

    • DiscoJango on 07/06/2020 - 09:37

      My friend was reading this thread, and just messaged me now asking if i can reply to you on their behalf. They said if i could say "mo money mo problems". Let me know if you want me to reply to my friend for you, based on the op's thread which they are posting on behalf of their friend as well.

  • Cave Fire on 07/06/2020 - 09:46

    Yeah, that's basic pay. The more the important thing is to keep track of whether you end up getting exactly that. Eg, noting hours, overtime and your super.

  • Ragnarok1983 on 07/06/2020 - 11:23

    Lmao, should have picked rocket surgery if your friend wanted a higher paying job on graduation.

  • ofey on 08/06/2020 - 12:24

    We have minimum wage here in Au.
    A$40K+super is above minimum wage. So nothing illegal happening.

    Neither is it a question of job title.
    Look at what University Vice Chancellors make. It ranges from A$1.5M to A$290K. All same titles, salaries differ by over A$1.2M
    Size of the organisation and your standing varies the renumeration.

    If you really want to work for this mob, counter the offer and justify how you are worth the extra you want or desire.
    If you don't, just apply elsewhere and include your salary expectation in your cover letter. Substantiate it.
    If you get rejected once too often over salary, you may need to adjust your expectations.

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