Best Places to Launch a Career 2007
To determine which employers are best for entry-level workers, BusinessWeek used a three-part method.
First, we surveyed career services directors at U.S. colleges to learn which employers were tops on their list. We then asked those employers to complete a survey on their hiring, pay, benefits, and training programs, which we then compared with others in the same industry. Finally, we obtained from Universum Communications, a Philadelphia research company, the results of its 2007 survey of 44,000 U.S. undergraduates who were asked to identify their five most desirable employers.
The employer survey counts for 50% of the final ranking, while the career services and student surveys count for 25% each.
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Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest.
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| 59 | 26 | AT&T (15) | T | Telecommunications | 212 | Undeclared | College Major | 52 | 34 | NA | NA | Yes | | 80 | -99 | Duke Energy | DUK | Energy | null | Science | Leadership Skills | 76 | 70 | NA | $35-$40 | No | | 71 | -99 | BlueCross BlueShield | 160225 | Insurance | 46 | Other | Communication Skills | 60 | 73 | NA | $45-$50 | No | | 88 | 54 | C.H. Robinson | 4168460 | Transportation | 1058 | Other | Communication Skills | 86 | NA | 64 | LESS THAN $35 | No | | 53 | 37 | Progressive | 34036339 | Insurance | 2858 | Other | Communication Skills | 38 | 70 | 57 | LESS THAN $35 | Yes | | 55 | -99 | Nike | NKE | Consumer Goods | null | Other | College GPA | 73 | 67 | 14 | NA | Yes | | 20 | -99 | General Mills | GIS | Consumer Goods | 265 | Other | Leadership Skills | 8 | 33 | 35 | $45-$50 | Yes | | 23 | 38 | Peace Corps | | Nonprofit/Government | 4095 | NA | Leadership Skills | 78 | 8 | 3 | LESS THAN $35 | No | | 32 | 27 | Eli Lilly | LLY | Pharmaceutical | 574 | NA | College GPA | 21 | 41 | 31 | $55-$60 | No | | 56 | -99 | Aetna | 6497782 | Insurance | null | NA | Leadership Skills | 41 | 62 | NA | $40-$45 | Yes | | 58 | 19 | Ameriprise Financial | AMP | Financial Services | 2335 | NA | Communication Skills | 43 | 79 | NA | $35-$40 | Yes | | 63 | -99 | Walgreen | WAG | Retail | 17359 | NA | Communication Skills | 54 | 59 | NA | NA | No | | 65 | -99 | Deutsche Bank | DB | Investment Banking | 278 | NA | Communication Skills | 66 | 51 | 33 | $60-$65 | No | | 67 | -99 | Bear Stearns | BSC | Investment Banking | null | NA | Analytical Skills | 66 | 46 | 49 | $60-$65 | No | | 49 | 18 | Merck | MRK | Pharmaceutical | 887 | NA | College Major | 59 | 25 | 23 | $60-$65 | No | | 89 | 44 | Kraft Foods | 4155690 | Consumer Goods | null | NA | NA | 89 | 78 | 42 | NA | Yes | | 95 | -99 | MetLife (19) | MET | Insurance | 4253 | NA | Communication Skills | NA | NA | NA | LESS THAN $35 | Yes | | 76 | -99 | Ingersoll Rand | IR | Manufacturing | null | NA | Leadership Skills | 68 | 76 | NA | $50-$55 | Yes | | 78 | -99 | DHL | 4204536 | Transportation | 420 | NA | Communication Skills | 71 | NA | 63 | $40-$45 | No | | 79 | 46 | Southwest Airlines | LUV | Transportation | 2304 | NA | Fun-loving attitude | 80 | 70 | 29 | LESS THAN $35 | No | | 82 | -99 | Nationwide | 2117325 | Insurance | null | NA | Communication Skills | 77 | 68 | NA | LESS THAN $35 | NA | | 50 | 32 | CIA | | Nonprofit/Government | null | Liberal Arts | NA | 85 | 18 | 5 | NA | No | | 33 | 25 | Vanguard | VFH | Financial Services | 1250 | Liberal Arts | Communication Skills | 24 | 27 | 51 | NA | Yes | | 19 | 6 | U.S. State Dept. (10) | | Nonprofit/Government | 764 | Liberal Arts | Judgment | 35 | 29 | 3 | $55-$60 | Yes | | 10 | 43 | Teach for America | 4849403 | Nonprofit/Government | 2503 | Liberal Arts | Leadership Skills | 27 | 10 | 8 | $35-$40 | Yes | | 69 | -99 | Calif. State Auditor | | Nonprofit/Government | 29 | Intl Relations, Public Policy, Poli. Sci. | College Major | 56 | 80 | NA | $35-$40 | No | | 21 | -99 | Hyatt | 9328956 | Hospitality | 330 | Hospitality,Culinary, Facility Mgmt. | Communication Skills | 7 | 37 | NA | LESS THAN $35 | No | | 36 | -99 | Harrah's Entertainment | HET | Hospitality | 2270 | Hospitality, Culinary, Hotel Operations | Analytical Skills | 23 | NA | 44 | $35-$40 | No | | 45 | -99 | Marriott International | MAR | Hospitality | 269 | Hospitality | Leadership Skills | 49 | 41 | 26 | $35-$40 | No | | 46 | -99 | Sprint | S | Telecommunications | 150 | Engineering | Analytical Skills | 33 | 73 | 56 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 40 | -99 | Intel | INTC | Technology | 1425 | Engineering | College Major | 40 | 53 | 24 | $55-$60 | No | | 66 | -99 | Procter & Gamble | PG | Consumer Goods | 323 | Engineering | Analytical Skills | 83 | 31 | 16 | NA | No | | 44 | -99 | St. Jude Medical | STJ | Pharmaceutical | 175 | Engineering | Teamwork | 31 | 59 | NA | $65-$70 | Yes | | 22 | -99 | Capital One (11) | COF | Financial Services | 190 | Engineering | Analytical Skills | 6 | 68 | NA | $55-$60 | Yes | | 18 | 31 | BP America | BP | Energy | 259 | Engineering | College Major | 1 | NA | 45 | $55-$60 | Yes | | 34 | 24 | UPS | UPS | Transportation | 3723 | Engineering | Leadership Skills | 28 | 25 | 51 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 35 | 16 | L'Oreal USA | 854696 | Consumer Goods | 55 | Engineering | Leadership Skills | 41 | 47 | 22 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 27 | -99 | Northrop Grumman | 4161352 | Manufacturing | 1704 | Engineering | College Major | 30 | 19 | 27 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 28 | 7 | Raytheon | RTN | Manufacturing | 1082 | Engineering | College Major | 17 | 41 | 32 | $60-$65 | Yes | | 29 | 49 | Exelon | EXC | Energy | null | Engineering | College GPA | 12 | 51 | NA | $55-$60 | Yes | | 12 | 8 | General Electric (8) | GE | Manufacturing | 723 | Engineering | College Major | 29 | 6 | 19 | $55-$60 | Yes | | 14 | -99 | Boeing | BA | Manufacturing | 1016 | Engineering | Work Experience | 14 | 28 | 11 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 15 | 10 | Abbott Labs | ABT | Pharmaceutical | 980 | Engineering | Leadership Skills | 2 | 48 | 47 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 8 | 20 | Accenture | CAN | Consulting | 1040 | Engineering | College Major | 4 | 15 | 28 | $55-$60 | No | | 9 | 2 | Lockheed Martin | LMT | Manufacturing | 4573 | Engineering | College Major | 15 | 13 | 15 | $50-$55 | Yes | | 62 | -99 | Nestle | NESN | Consumer Goods | 28 | Engineering | Leadership Skills | 64 | 45 | 39 | $40-$45 | No | | 86 | 36 | Shell | 23899432 | Energy | 157 | Engineering | College Major | 87 | 48 | 38 | NA | No | | 87 | -99 | Motorola | MOT | Technology | null | Engineering | College Major | 88 | 37 | 35 | $50-$55 | No | | 77 | -99 | Cisco | CSCO | Technology | 343 | Engineering | Communication Skills | 78 | 50 | 37 | NA | Yes | | 92 | 51 | U.S. Patent & Trademark Office | | Nonprofit/Government | 1275 | Engineering | College Major | NA | NA | NA | $60-$65 | Yes |
Note: All data are self-reported by employers. Eight employers ranked in 2006 were not ranked this year. Bain & Co. declined to participate; National Instruments, Pepsi Bottling, MTV Networks, NASA, CapGemini, the Comptroller of the Currency, and Progress Energy were not selected by career services directors as top employers for new college graduates.
(1) Comparison group for employer survey.
(2) Data provided by Universum Communications.
(3) Only training programs of more than a year, excluding analyst programs at investment banks and financial services companies.
(4) Entry-level hires for fiscal year (July 1-June 31); excludes 5-year accounting students working toward BS and MS simultaneously. Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified Deloitte Consulting as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(5) Entry-level hires for fiscal year (July 1-June 31).
(6) Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified IBM Consulting as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(7) Walt Disney footnote: Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified ESPN and ABC as top employers for entry-level hires.
(8) Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified GE Healthcare as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(9) Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified JPMorgan Chase as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(10) Entry-level hires include Foreign Service Officers, Foreign Service Specialists, and Civil Service employees.
(11) Entry-level hires for campus recruiting only; based on academic year.
(12) Ranked as Federated Department Stores in 2006. Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified Bloomingdale's and Federated Department Stores as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(13) Entry-level hires includes salaried employees only; unionized hourly employees excluded.
(14) Top degree for agents only.
(15) Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified BellSouth and Cingular as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(16) Ranked as Ferguson Enterprises in 2006; Wolesely is Ferguson's parent company. Career services survey rank also reflects respondents who identified Ferguson Enterprises as a top employer for entry-level hires.
(17) Entry-level hires includes only those hired into entry-level training programs.
(18) Entry-level hires are independent contractors affiliated with branch offices; their compensation is commission-based.
(19) Pay data for non-sales positions only.
Data: BusinessWeek, Universum Communications Inc., Cambria Consulting. Research by: Lindsey Gerdes, Louis Lavelle, Frederick F. Jespersen, Sophia Asare, Jenna Goudreau, Ben Levisohn, and Erica Pelzek.
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