Young employees in Italy work frequently in jobs which do not compensate sufficiently the investment in human capital made by themselves. Such a phenomenon is due to the characteristics of the labour demand, and also to the information asymmetries existing in the labour market. This latest problem can be overcome by the individual relying on his/ her social networks. The article focuses on the employed population aged 25-34, and illustrates results from a detailed analysis of the relationship between social capital, human capital and income. The main findings show that in Italy the social background of the individual plays an important role in placing young people in well-paid jobs, while those with modest social origins have to rely on institutional channels and are therefore placed in low paid and presumably poor quality jobs.