Did you know that many recent graduates overestimate what they can expect in starting salary? According to surveys, a large percentage of them have unrealistic expectations when it comes to both salary and perks. Some imagine they’ll walk straight into their dream job with a juicy compensation package – but reality often tells a different story.
But let’s flip it around for a second: Is it really that wise to start at the top?
If you get everything you ever dreamed of on day one – where’s the motivation to grow? Some argue that starting with a more modest salary can give you a stronger drive to learn, develop, and prove your value.
Today’s joke plays on exactly that – a freshly graduated engineer with sky-high expectations gets a dose of reality from HR.
At the end of a job interview, the HR manager asks a young engineer, freshly graduated from MIT:
“What kind of starting salary are you thinking?”
The engineer replies:
“Around $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”
The interviewer responds:
“Well, what would you say to a package with five weeks’ vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental coverage, a retirement plan where the company matches 50% of your salary, and a company car replaced every two years – say, a red Corvette?”
The engineer sits up straight and exclaims:
“Wow! Are you serious?”
The interviewer replies:
“No. But you started it.”
