Originally Posted by Unregistered

Let's look from this angle, the average starting salary for CS grads is 5k.
The companies have a few options.
1. Believe they can get better value from experienced hire with the 5k salary, won't hire any fresh grads.
2. Always need a pipeline of decent fresh grads, willing to pay the market rates for these fresh grads.
3. Always need a pipeline of decent fresh grads, but unwilling to pay the market rates. Put up a lower package and hope for surplus of fresh grads.
4. Always need a pipeline of fresh grads of any standard, unwilling to pay the market rates. Pay the bare minimum just maintain the pipeline.

Be glad ST is going with #2. The worse it can do is #4, which it can pretty much cement its poor reputation in the labour market.

Seriously, in this market now, if you're a senior engineer who is still stuck with 5k salary, you can only blame yourself.