As its a graduate job, wait for the offer letter.

No point asking out-of-turn, nor the wrong person.

Is it public or private sector?

Phone them up before the interview and see if its even worth turning up.

You're only a student for a bit longer so there's no point wasting valuable drinking time is there. 😀

BigJohn you have it right. At first graduate interview time, unless you have some un-imaginably unique set of skill that are in demand (pretty unlikely at the moment) – the cards are with the employers. You should wait until being asked in an interview, until prompted or at first offer. Once you have an offer negotiate as far as you can push it (you'll never have a better oppertunity). Once you are up the greasy pole with experience and hopefully a good track record then you can play hardball with salary negotiations or turn down jobs out of hand due to insufficient pay, but not at the first stage.

Anybody noticed that all the people who have genuine experience in recruiting say "don't ask" but plenty of people are still telling you its a good idea to?

Anyone notice that he has missed those that have experience in recruiting and said it's perfectly fine.

In the end I just asked him what the benefits were at the end, on the way out of the official interview. He just repeated the "competitive salary" splurge so I left it there.

Just ask at the end when they say any questions. Perfectly resonable question.

I'd get it in well early. Just after " is there any decent badger in the office ? "

Based on one of my interviewers yesterday, this question didn't really need to be asked! 😆