Recruiter's message to university graduates ‘whinging' about salaries

News.com.au

05-06-2025

A well-known recruiter has offered some blunt advice to young Aussies who are feeling disillusioned with the job offers they are receiving straight out of university.
Tammie Christofis Ballis, specialist recruiter and career coach at Realistic Careers, has gained a following online by providing practical advice to young professionals.
In a recent video to TikTok, Ms Ballis revealed she has noticed a rise in people complaining about the salaries they are being offered after obtaining a university degree.
'I get a lot of uni grads that are whinging that their wages are really low,' she said.
'And, if that's you, I want you to understand that you're at the beginning of your career. You haven't got any experience or anything to offer.
'You are on those low wages because you are getting trained for your profession.'
The Sydney-based recruiter said, while she understands it is tough, getting a job in this market is an achievement in itself, as there are many graduates who are struggling to even get a foot in the door.
Speaking to news.com.au, Ms Ballis said she has heard graduates complaining about salaries anywhere from $65,000 up to $100,000.
She believes many graduates are simply 'not prepared' when they enter the workforce as there is a 'misconception' that they will be earning a massive salary purely for completing a university degree.
'But that is not the case,' Ms Ballis said.
'They are literally starting from the bottom as they have no work experience. They don't understand that employers pay for expertise and experience and graduates don't have that yet.'
The recruiter's video instantly struck a nerve with some people, with many rushing to the comment section to defend their salary views.
One commenter claimed all graduates want is the same amount their parents and Baby Boomers were given, 'real wages, not p*ss poor excuses like this'.
Another claimed that the degree is meant to be 'the training component', adding it is a 'kick in the guts' to get into the workforce and realise you still need more experience to secure the salary you want.
'But they still need to pay housing food utilities? And wages can't cover the cost of living, that's why they're upset about being underpaid. They can't work to survive, let alone live,' another claimed.
One added: 'They definitively lied to us when they were getting us to enrol.'
However, there were those who agreed with Ms Ballis' assessment, sharing their own experiences of when they first entered the workforce.
'My entry level job was $58k and now I've gone up by $20k in two years, I used to be so sad about it but your right! And it has gone up with my experience,' one person wrote.
Another said: 'What baffles me is I hear people whinging over $75k being 'low' and like while it's low in your profession, $37 an hour is not low in the real world.'
Alongside the rising cost of living, Ms Ballis believes seeing other graduates complaining on social media and misconceptions around university degrees are contributing to young people being disappointed with their compensation.
'I also believe they're being sold a dream at university that isn't true. The tutors and lecturers aren't preparing them for the real world in the workforce,' she said.
'University isn't the key to a successful, high paying and easy life. You have to put the work in even if you have a degree.'
Ms Ballis believes younger people should get experience in the workforce before deciding whether they want to go to university.
'Going to university first often means they have a rude awakening in the job market and many don't end up using their degrees anyway,' she said.
The recruiter noted that some industries are harder than others for graduates to break into at the moment.
Those with business and commerce degrees may be finding it more difficult, with Ms Ballis saying there are many businesses that are opting to hire experienced staff over graduates as they don't have the money or capacity to train younger employees right now.
In her opinion, there has also been a shift in the way younger generations approach work, claiming they are more focused on work-life balance and don't want to put in the extra hours to learn.
'The ones who go above and beyond will go far,' Ms Ballis said.