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Best Places to Launch a Career 2008
To determine which employers are best for entry-level workers, BusinessWeek used a three-part methodology.
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 2008 survey of more than 40,000 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.
For more information, click on the employer’s name and check out its online profile, which includes details on pay and benefits, training programs, and hiring.
Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest.2008 Rank | 2007 Rank | Employer | Industry* | 2007 Entry Level Hires | Top Degree Among Entry-Level Hires | Most Desirable Trait | Employer Survey Rank | Career Services Survey Rank | Student Survey Rank | Average Pay ($000s) | Management Training Program |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Transportation | Business | Leadership Skills | Less than $35 | No | ||||||
| C.H. Robinson | Transportation | Business | Communication Skills | NA | NA | NA | Less than $35 | NA | |||
| NA | CSX Transportation | Transportation | Business | Leadership Skills | NA | NA | NA | $55-$60 | No | ||
| Southwest Airlines | Transportation | NA | Fun-Loving Attitude | Less than $35 | No | ||||||
| Norfolk Southern | Transportation | Business | Communication Skills | $45-$50 | Yes | ||||||
| Union Pacific | Transportation | Business | Analytical Skills | $45-$50 | Yes | ||||||
| UPS | Transportation | Engineering | Leadership Skills | $50-$55 | No | ||||||
| Verizon Communications | Telecommunications | Business | Leadership Skills | $40-$45 | Yes | ||||||
| Sprint Nextel | Telecommunications | NA | Engineering | Communication Skills | $55-$60 | Yes | |||||
| AT&T | Telecommunications | Business | Leadership Skills | $55-$60 | Yes | ||||||
| NA | Comcast | Telecommunications | NA | Communication Skills | Less than $35 | Yes | |||||
| Dell | Technology | Engineering | College Major | $55-$60 | No | ||||||
| Cisco Systems | Technology | Computer Science | Work Experience | $70-$75 | Yes | ||||||
| NA | EMC | Technology | Sales, Social Sciences | College Major | $50-$55 | Yes | |||||
| Hewlett-Packard | Technology | Business | College Major | $60-$65 | No | ||||||
| IBM | Technology | Computer Science | Analytical Skills | $65-$70 | Yes | ||||||
| Intel | Technology | Engineering | College Major | $60-$65 | No | ||||||
| NA | Siemens | Technology | Computer Science | College Major | $50-$55 | Yes | |||||
| NA | Rackspace Hosting | Technology | NA | NA | College Major | Less than $35 | Yes | ||||
| Microsoft | Technology | Computer Science | Problem Solving, Communication | $75 and above | Yes | ||||||
| NA | National Instruments | Technology | Engineering | College Major | NA | NA | NA | $55-$60 | Yes | ||
| Macy's | Retailing | Business | Analytical Skills | $40-$45 | No | ||||||
| NA | Sears | Retailing | Business | Leadership Skills | NA | NA | NA | $45-$50 | Yes | ||
| NA | Target | Retailing | Business | Leadership Skills | $45-$50 | Yes | |||||
| Walgreen | Retailing | NA | Communication Skills | $60-$65 | No | ||||||
| Kohl's | Retailing | Business | Communication Skills | $40-$45 | No | ||||||
| NA | Abercrombie & Fitch | Retailing | Business | Leadership Skills | $45-$50 | No | |||||
| Eli Lilly | Pharmaceuticals | NA | College Major | $55-$60 | No | ||||||
| Abbott Labs | Pharmaceuticals | Business | Leadership Skills | $50-$55 | Yes | ||||||
| NA | Stryker | Pharmaceuticals | Business | Cultural Fit | NA | NA | NA | $45-$50 | No | ||
| Merck | Pharmaceuticals | Science | Communication Skills | $50-$55 | No | ||||||
| NA | AmeriCorps | Nonprofit/Government | NA | Dedication to Community Service | Less than $35 | No | |||||
| Central Intelligence Agency | Nonprofit/Government | NA | Govt. Studies | Varies with Occupation | NA | No | |||||
| Internal Revenue Service | Nonprofit/Government | Business | College Major | $35-$40 | No | ||||||
| NA | NASA | Nonprofit/Government | Engineering | College Major | $40-$45 | Yes | |||||
| Peace Corps | Nonprofit/Government | NA | Communication Skills | Less than $35 | NA | ||||||
| U.S. State Dept. | Nonprofit/Government | Liberal Arts | Judgment | $50-$55 | Yes | ||||||
| Teach For America | Nonprofit/Government | Liberal Arts | Leadership Skills | $35-$40 | Yes | ||||||
| NA | Ogilvy & Mather | Media/Entertainment | Marketing, Advertising | Communication Skills | NA | NA | NA | $40-$45 | Yes | ||
| NA | FactSet Research Systems | Media/Entertainment | Business | Communication Skills | $65-$70 | No | |||||
| Walt Disney | Media/Entertainment | NA | Communication Skills | $40-$45 | No | ||||||
| Boeing | Manufacturing | Engineering | Work Experience | $50-$55 | Yes | ||||||
| General Electric | Manufacturing | Engineering | College Major | $55-$60 | Yes | ||||||
| Lockheed Martin | Manufacturing | Engineering | College Major | $55-$60 | Yes | ||||||
| NA | Milliken | Manufacturing | Engineering | Leadership Skills | $50-$55 | No | |||||
| Wolseley NA | Manufacturing | Business | Communication Skills | $35-$40 | Yes | ||||||
| NA | Honeywell | Manufacturing | Engineering | College Major | $50-$55 | Yes | |||||
| Raytheon | Manufacturing | Engineering | College Major | $60-$65 | Yes | ||||||
| Northrop Grumman | Manufacturing | Engineering | College Major | $50-$55 | Yes | ||||||
| Merrill Lynch | Investment Banking | Business | College GPA | $55-$60 | No | ||||||
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Note: All data excluding survey ranks are self-reported by employers. 2008 ranks in red designate employers that are new to the rankings this year. Nineteen employers that were ranked last year were not ranked this year; 15 were not selected by the career services directors as top employers for new college graduates and 4 were among the 55 employers that chose not to participate. (1) Comparison group for employer survey. (2) Data supplied 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 30; most desirable trait and average pay for client service positions only. (5) All data shown for corps members in teaching positions. (6) Average salary for associate consulting positions only. (7) Average salary includes some undergraduate professional hires. (8) Average salary for engineering positions only; business salaries are $50,000 to $55,000. (9) Average salary based on commission rate for entry-level financial representatives; corporate employees earn $45,000 to $50,000. (10) Average salary excludes college recruits starting after June 1, 2008. (11) Entry-level hires are associates and specialty hires entering rotational programs with graduation dates within the past year. (12) Most desirable trait for new engineering hires only. (13) Entry-level hires shown is an estimate. (14) Average salary is for all Duke employees, not just entry-level hires. (15) All data shown is for entry-level hires admitted into bank¹s Leadership Development Program, including those with MBAs. (16) Volunteers receive a stipend for living expenses plus $6,000 readjustment allowance after service is completed. (17) Entry-level hires are headquarters jobs only; store management and design positions excluded. (18) Entry-level hires are strategic college recruiting hires only; most enter PNC¹s management training program. (19) Volunteers receive a $12,500 living allowance and $4,725 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. (20) Average salary for contract positions only; noncontract entry-level corporate positions pay $35,000 to $50,000. (21) Average salary includes individuals with post-graduation work experience. (22) Most desirable trait is for R&D development engineers only. (23) Average salary includes some individuals with up to 6 years experience but no advanced degrees. (24) Average salary for exempt positions only.
Data: BusinessWeek, Universum Communications, Cambria Consulting. Research by: Lindsey Gerdes, Louis Lavelle, Frederick F. Jespersen, and Kelly Bronk.
