MOSCOW, January 24, 2008 Many Moscow employers complain that graduates of the capital universities are getting increasingly harder to work with: considering the moderate level of qualification, ambitions that they have are excessively high, whereas the level of salaries they wish to earn may often astonish the most experienced personnel and recruitment officers. In this context Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) in cooperation with the "FutureToday" company presents information concerning what amount of money senior students of the leading universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg consider themselves to be worth (i.e. what salary they think fair for themselves) and what salary they actually expect to earn, the same data is also provided for senior students in Novosibirsk for the purpose of comparison.
Fairness and reality. Every fifth graduate of a Moscow university (21%) thinks that he will be worth more than 50 000 rubles after graduation. Fewer respondents (9%) expect to earn this sum of money in reality; however, 80% of current students plan to earn no less than 20 000 rubles after they graduate.
"Self-esteem" of St. Petersburg students is only a bit lower than that of Moscow students, however, actual expectations of salary they will be earning after graduation are much more modest (A survey with the same questions was conducted simultaneously in Novosibirsk for the purpose of comparison, only to reveal a much more considerable gap, as loan expectations there are not at all that high).
Modesty will not adorn women. Ambitions that girls from Moscow and St. Petersburg cherish, are more modest if compared to those of young men living in the two capitals: 15% of young women and 25% of young men estimate themselves as 50 000 worth, whereas 24% and 35% respectively wish to earn over 30 000 rubles.
"Underestimated "C"" students. When stating the expected loan, Moscow and St. Petersburg students who have predominantly received "C" during their years at the university, surpass all the others, including the "A" students. However, "C" students are more realistic as far as the actual salary is concerned: the majority of them expect to receive more modest loans after graduation than their more successful co-students. At the same time, 18% of "C" students cherish such ambitions plans as to earn over 50 000 rubles.
Work record. Students who already have some work record feel more secure and assured: the level of loan expectations is higher among Moscow and St. Petersburg students working at the time the survey was conducted. Thus, 35% of those who have a permanent employment expect to earn over 30 000 rubles after graduation, whereas among students who do not work, only 24% expect to receive a salary like that.
Career. The share of most ambitious students is at its highest among those who think that the core factor to get promoted is having the right connections: 41% of them expect to earn at least 30 000 rubles after graduation. Those who believe in their own capacities and consider personal qualities as self-assurance, charm, etc. to be the most important, less often have the highest loan expectations: 32% do. They are still less characteristic of those who consider professionalism, real skills and products of one´s labour to be the corner-stone of obtaining a promotion (27%). Respondents who stake on professionalism are more modest in their self-estimation: only 18% of them consider the salary of 50 000 rubles fair for themselves, whereas this share reaches 23-26% in the other two groups.
The initiative opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM from November 19 till December 7, 2007. 1250 senior students from the leading universities of Moscow (700 people), St. Petersburg (350 people) and Novosibirsk (250 people) were interviewed each.
What salary would you consider fair for you after you have graduated from the university considering all the knowledge and skills attained? | |||
| Moscow | St. Petersburg | Novosibirsk |
Up to 10 000 rubles | - | 2 | 5 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 2 | 2 | 8 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 5 | 7 | 23 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 32 | 37 | 36 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 40 | 32 | 23 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 19 | 16 | 5 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 2 | 4 | 1 |
What salary do you actually expect to be earning after graduating? | |||
| Moscow | St. Petersburg | Novosibirsk |
Up to 10 000 rubles | 1 | 4 | 15 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 4 | 19 | 37 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 15 | 34 | 24 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 40 | 31 | 18 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 31 | 9 | 5 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 8 | 3 | 2 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 1 | - | - |
What salary would you consider fair for you after you have graduated from the university considering all the knowledge and skills attained? | |||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | Sex | |
Men | Women | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 1 | 1 | 1 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 2 | 2 | 2 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 6 | 5 | 7 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 33 | 30 | 38 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 38 | 38 | 38 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 18 | 22 | 13 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 3 | 3 | 2 |
What salary do you actually expect to be earning after graduating? | |||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | Sex | |
Men | Women | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 2 | 2 | 2 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 9 | 8 | 11 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 21 | 20 | 23 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 37 | 35 | 40 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 24 | 27 | 18 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 6 | 8 | 5 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What salary would you consider fair for you after you have graduated from the university considering all the knowledge and skills attained? | ||||||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | Grades in your student's record book | ||||
Nearly all A's | Predominantly A's and B's | Predominantly B's | Predominantly B's and C's | Predominantly C's | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 33 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 36 | 29 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 38 | 33 | 41 | 38 | 37 | 38 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 18 | 21 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 21 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
What salary do you actually expect to be earning after graduating? | ||||||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | Grades in your student's record book | ||||
Nearly all A's | Predominantly A's and B's | Predominantly B's | Predominantly B's and C's | Predominantly C's | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 9 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 14 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 21 | 17 | 25 | 24 | 18 | 23 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 37 | 38 | 37 | 33 | 43 | 27 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 9 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | - |
What salary would you consider fair for you after you have graduated from the university considering all the knowledge and skills attained? | ||||||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | Do you work at the present moment, if yes, what kind of employment is it? | ||||
Permanent employment | Temporary/ project based employment/ underworking | Trainee job, internship | One time non-specialized work | I do not work | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 1 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 2 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 2 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 7 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 33 | 35 | 32 | 38 | 23 | 35 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 38 | 39 | 42 | 48 | 23 | 34 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 18 | 20 | 17 | 10 | 18 | 17 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | 14 | 3 |
What salary do you actually expect to be earning after graduating? | ||||||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | Do you work at the present moment, if yes, what kind of employment is it? | ||||
Permanent employment | Temporary/ project based employment/ underworking | Trainee job, internship | One time non-specialized work | I do not work | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 13 |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 21 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 23 | 27 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 37 | 42 | 39 | 33 | 18 | 35 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 24 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 32 | 18 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 6 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
Over 100 000 rubles | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - |
What salary would you consider fair for you after you have graduated from the university considering all the knowledge and skills attained? | ||||||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | What do respondents think that a promotion mostly depends on? | ||||
On the level of professional competence of an employee, on the products of his labour | On the right connections | On the employee's personal qualities (activity, ambitiousness, charm...) | On the relations with the company's directors | On formal factors (results of personnel certification, time-in-service...) | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | - | - |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | - |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 4 | - |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 33 | 34 | 31 | 35 | 27 | 50 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 38 | 42 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 50 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 18 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 19 | - |
Over 100 000 rubles | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | - | - |
What salary do you actually expect to be earning after graduating? | ||||||
| Total respondents in Moscow and St. Petersburg | What do respondents think that a promotion mostly depends on? | ||||
On the level of professional competence of an employee, on the products of his labour | On the right connections | On the employee's personal qualities (activity, ambitiousness, charm...) | On the relations with the company's directors | On formal factors (results of personnel certification, time-in-service...) | ||
Up to 10 000 rubles | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - |
From 10 001 to 15 000 rubles | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 28 | - |
From 15 001 to 20 000 rubles | 21 | 26 | 19 | 16 | 8 | 25 |
From 20 001 to 30 000 rubles | 37 | 35 | 32 | 43 | 48 | 50 |
From 30 001 to 50 000 rubles | 24 | 23 | 31 | 23 | 12 | 25 |
From 50 001 to 100 000 rubles | 6 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | - |
Over 100 000 rubles | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |