Here's Where Today's College Students Most Want to Work

Filed under: Careers, Job Search, Professional Development, College, Education

College students use Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOG) products every day, so it's not much of a surprise that those companies are high on their lists of potential employers. But a new survey also shows Boeing (BA), the National Institutes of Health and Disney (DIS) at the top.

The annual survey by Universum, an international consulting and brand marketing firm, asked 50,000 students for their top choices -- undergraduates in business, engineering, computer sciences, natural sciences and humanities plus those working on their master's of business administration. Google placed first in three categories and in the top six in all of them.

"It is perception-based, so a lot of these companies have really strong brand recognition," said Kortney Kutsop, senior account director at Universum. "We're trying to understand what makes students tick, what they're looking for in a career."

Government Agencies Do Well

Students were given 230 potential employers to choose from. NASA, the Department of Energy, the CIA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Defense Department, the FBI and the Air Force all ranked in the top 40 for engineering students. Kutsop says this is partly because of the desire among students to "give back and be part of the greater good." Oil and gas companies have also climbed in the rankings among engineering students. Exxon Mobil (XOM) came in No. 6, while Shell Oil (RDS-A), Chevron (CVX) and BP (BP) all made the top 25.

"This generation is looking for employers that provide development, training and mentorship," said Kutsop. "They want to become leaders of the world." She says they also want jobs that offer some flexibility, work-life balance and job security. She says there's a perception about millennials that they like to change jobs frequently, but in fact many are seeking job security. "They may stay if they see the opportunity to grow and advance."

Potential employers are working hard to recruit top students. At campus job fairs and other events, they want to fly the corporate flag and show students that they care about their professional development and leadership training. "Companies that can talk about that can go a long way in building their brand," according to Kutsop.

Consultants Rise, and Retailers Fall

Among business students, Google was No. 1, but the leading accounting and consulting firms have climbed the list in recent years. Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG all rank in the top 10 -- ahead of Amazon.com (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT) and Wall Street-giant Morgan Stanley (MS). Several of those accounting firms weren't in the top 50 as recently as 2006. However, retailers have fallen down the ladder.

The same companies ranking high on the Universum list are also the most sought-after employers for internship programs. Students seek internships to get the experience they'll need to get a full time job, and companies use internship programs to recruit the best future employees. Interns "want to do real work. It's a test to get a feel for the day-to-day work," says Kutsop. They want to find out what the work environment is like and what challenges they'll face each day. "It's a good test for both sides," according to Kutsop. She says that some companies eventually offer full-time jobs to as many as 80 percent of their interns.

The lists:

Business

1. Google
2. Disney
3. Apple
4. Ernst & Young
5. J.P. Morgan (JPM)
6. Deloitte
7. PricewaterhouseCoopers)
8. Nike (NKE)
9. Goldman Sachs
10. KPMG

Engineering

1. Boeing
2. NASA
3. Google
4. Lockheed Martin (LMT)
5. General Electric (GE)
6. Exxon Mobil
7. Apple
8. Microsoft
9. Disney
10. Intel (INTC)

Computer sciences

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. Apple
4. Amazon
5. Facebook
6. Blizzard Entertainment
7. Sony (SNE)
8. IBM (IBM)
9. Walt Disney
10. Intel

Natural sciences

1. National Institutes of Health
2. Mayo Clinic
3. Centers for Disease Control
4. American Cancer Society
5. Environmental Protection Agency
6. Google
7. Peace Corps
8. Disney
9. NASA
10. FBI

Humanities

1. Disney
2. Google
3. Department of State
4. United Nations
5. Teach for America
6. FBI
7. Peace Corps
8. Apple
9. NBCUniversal (CMCSK)
10. National Security Agency

MBA

1. Google
2. McKinsey & Co.
3. Amazon
4. Bain & Co.
5. Apple
6. Boston Consulting Group
7. Deloitte
8. Goldman Sachs
9. J.P. Morgan
10. Nike

 

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