I recently graduated from university and have been actively searching for a job. I was contacted by a recruiter who set me up for an interview with a large company for a data analyst position. To my surprise, I received a verbal offer just a few hours after the interview, and the recruiter followed up the next day with the contract. The offered salary is $4,000, which I feel might be on the lower side for this role, but I am eager to start my career and feel that having a job is better than not having one at all. I have some concerns about this offer. Firstly, I'm worried that accepting a lower salary now might affect my future earnings, as other companies might use this as a benchmark for my pay. Additionally, I’m unsure how to list this job on my resume. Should I indicate that I worked for the big company, or just the recruitment agency? The contract is for one year, and I’m contemplating whether leaving after that time might make me appear flaky to future employers, or if they might think I was let go. I’ve also heard from some insiders that it’s rare for the company to convert contract roles into permanent positions, even for high performers, despite what the recruiter mentioned. Lastly, I can't help but feel a bit frustrated thinking that the recruiter might be taking a significant cut from my pay. I wonder if it’s possible to reach out to the company directly to bypass the recruiter altogether. I would appreciate any advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation!