ADVICE ON STARTER SALARIES PUTS SCHOOL LEAVERS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Now the school year is ending, several thousand young people have finally closed the school gates behind them. The ACV secretariats have noticed that too. For a few years now, school leavers have been able to turn to ACV for advice on their starter salary. Around 700 young people have found their way to this service in the past year.

Sylvie Lebon notices that it’s busy again. “But it’s very rewarding work,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. “We are usually confronted with questions from people who are faced with difficulties. But it obviously is a lot more fun to help people at the start of their career. It’s always refreshing to be able to tell a positive story for a change.”

Loss for words

It surprises her every year how little schools and universities prepare their graduates for the practical side of their career start. “Young people often have no idea what their diploma is worth in terms of salary.” When their potential employer asks them during an interview how much they think they’ll earn, they are at a loss for words. It’s something we have also noticed at graduation fairs. Hardly anyone has any idea of their future salary. Crazy, right? But it’s good for us, of course,” she adds with a laugh. “Because we are able to provide that information and they can get to know us.”

“Young people have no idea how much their diploma is worth in the labour market”

Over the last few months, the demand for advice has been slowly rising. “But now the requests are coming in quickly. We have just sent out an e-mail to the people who visited our stand at a job fair in Ghent. And quite a few of those graduates are looking for information. We give them an estimation of what they can expect in terms of salary, based on their major or the job they think they will get. It’s not one definitive figure, but a range in which their salary will be located, as many other factors influence your salary, aside from your diploma or position. If you start working for a multinational in Brussels, your salary will probably be higher than if you opt for an SME in an industrial zone in Ostend. That is why we work with a salary range.”

The advice also refers to the gross-net calculator of ACV. “Because that is another thing young people forget: your gross salary is not paid in full into your bank account. And it is good to keep that in mind when making plans,” Sylvie laughs.

Never Work Alone 2022 | Author: Jan Deceunynck | Image: ACV