Does anyone have an idea what it's like working on the HP Graduate Programme? Any idea of salaries?

read the website....do your own research

25k with 3k sign on bonus. do your own research next time.

Not bad, but where do they expect their grads to live? At home with parents? Because how on earth are they gonna afford their own places on £25K/year?

Gumtree.comShacking up with other smelly students-turned-"professionals"

How on earth does most of the population in this country actually afford to live at all? How could anyone afford their own place earning under 50 grand?!?!?!?!

It's tough, very tough. Decent housing is now out of the reach of even the most well qualified young 'professionals'. At £250K for anything resembling a half-decent abode, you need to allow at least £1,500 per month for the mortgage (assuming you're starting from scratch). This is crazy money. Where are all the grads of the future going to live? They can't stay in bedsits/room-sharing for the rest of their lives... so what happens when they want to start a family and move out of the student-cum-'new professional' digs?

Well assuming you start in consulting in your early 20's at a half decent firm like big 4, acn, capgem etc. then with 5 yrs experience you're a a manager earning a package of about 80k inc. bonus at about 28 yrs old. If you can't buy a flat and live comfortably on that then you need to have a good talk to yourself, or get a better job.

£80K after 5 years experience? Sounds a little ambitious to me!

"£80K after 5 years experience? Sounds a little ambitious to me!"Thats quite realistic, assuming you can make manager grade by then in one of the larger firms.