2007 Universum IDEAL(TM) Employer Survey Yields Surprises in Undergraduate Career Preferences

The popular online search engine Google edges out Walt Disney as the No. 1 IDEAL (TM) Employer for Undergraduate students, the 2007 Universum IDEAL (TM) Employer Survey reveals. Google also ranks in the top 10 of nearly all industry specific rankings including business, consumer goods and engineering.

A record 44,064 Undergraduate students from 184 schools participated in the US Undergraduate Edition of The Universum IDEAL(TM) Employer Survey, making it the largest survey of its kind. In it, students answered questions about their career expectations on topics including top industries, career goals, communication preferences, salary expectations and IDEAL(TM) employers.

In an unanticipated move, The Peace Corps (5) and Teach for America (10) both made strong debuts in this year's rankings, vaulting into the top 10 from unranked positions in previous years. Walt Disney (2), Apple Computer (3), U.S. Department of State (4), Central Intelligence Agency (6), PricewaterhouseCoopers (7), Microsoft (8), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (9) complete the top 10 list of IDEAL (TM) Employers for undergrad students.

"The new rankings reflect a shift in undergraduates' mindsets when it comes to their careers," said Universum USA CEO Claudia Tattanelli. "The millennial generation's outlook on career is quite complex, making this a very interesting time for both the students and the companies trying to recruit them."

At the inaugural United States edition of the Universum Awards Ceremony held on May 30 in New York City, all of the top IDEAL(TM) Employers were honored for their excellence in this year's rankings. Over 200 top human resource executives and university career services professionals attended the invitation-only event, co-hosted by Tattanelli and CareerTV anchor Sean O'Grady.

Key Findings

Industry Rankings

PricewaterhouseCoopers jumped up from second place in 2006 to No. 1 this year as the most preferred employer of business students. Google jumps to second place after being fourth last year and Ernst & Young maintains its position at No. 3. Walt Disney and Goldman Sachs take the fourth and fifth place respectively.

This year, engineering students chose Boeing as their No. 1 Employer. The Lockheed Martin Corporation not only took second place in the overall category, but is also the fourth Most Innovative Company and has the fourth Best Rotational Program. General Electric, BMW and the Northrop Grumman Corporation ended the top five list.

Once again, Google ranked No. 1 among information technology (IT) students as well as having the most impressive website according to this year's survey. Microsoft, IBM, Apple Computer and Intel rounded out the top five employers for IT students.

For two years in a row, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Investment Bank, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley held the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions with investment banking students.

Bank of America held their No. 1 position among commercial banking students for the past two years. Ernst & Young ranked second as well as having the third best internship program among undergraduate students and the third best On-Campus Recruitment Activities. Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and PricewaterhouseCoopers completed the top five list for undergraduate commercial banking students.

The U.S. Department of State is the Best Government/Public Service agency in 2007 and the Central Intelligence Agency came in second. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Peace Corps took third and fourth and surprisingly, Google, which is not a government agency, took fifth place.

Liberal Arts students selected the U.S. Department of State as best place to work, ahead of the Peace Corps, Teach for America, Google and the CIA.

Pfizer placed No. 1 among Healthcare and Pharmaceutical students for the past two years. The Mayo Clinic, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline followed Pfizer.

Students interested in careers in the science industry chose the Mayo Clinic as their top employer, following with Pfizer, the Peace Corps, Merck and Google.

Career and Employer Preferences

In addition to the industry findings, Apple Computer and the Bose Corporation were ranked as the most innovative companies this year. Disney also had the Best Internship Program. "Walt Disney's professional internships is the best program in my opinion. They offer subsidized housing, networking, and it is extremely competitive to get into the program," says a junior at the University of Illinois.

It's not a surprise that 58 percent of these millennial undergraduate students want a good balance between their work and personal lives. When asked what she felt passionate about, a sophomore at the University of Florida said, "Working hard to ensure financial stability for my family and I in an environment where I am happy."

When it comes to Brand Image, students associate their IDEAL(TM) employer with high ethical standards (36 percent), financial strength (26 percent) and an attractive location (24 percent). When it comes to Employer Value Proposition students believe that their IDEAL(TM) employer offers a flexible working environment (34 percent), a clear advancement path (33 percent) and competitive compensation (32 percent).

UNIVERSUM is The Global Employer Branding Leader. As thought leaders, we drive the industry forward having focused exclusively on Employer Branding (EB) for close to 20 years. We are a trusted partner to over 500 clients worldwide including many Fortune 100 companies. We help employers to understand, attract and retain current and future ideal employees utilizing our experience, knowledge and services within research, strategic consulting and media solutions.

Source: Universum

Web site: http://www.universumglobal.com/