Recent graduates still desire jobs on Wall Street or at well-known consulting firms. But high tech companies is also on their short list of potential employers.
Amazon, for example, has grown in popularity among business and engineering students, according to a new survey from Universum, a research and consulting firm.
The online retail giant was ranked 13th on this year’s list of the most desirable employers for business students, up from number 26 last year. It also raised its profile among engineering students, rising to 10th place from number 13 last year.
“Amazon is climbing the list like crazy,” says Universum’s Jonna Sjövall, managing director of the Americas. “Stealing votes from Facebook, Google and Apple.”
Interest in technology companies is not new. Google has held the top spot for both business and engineering students on Universum’s list for years, thanks to its high-profile brand, perks-filled workplace and reputation for providing young graduates with challenging projects.
World’s top employers for new graduates: See the full list
Other high-ranking tech companies on the points list included Apple, which came in seventh, and Microsoft, which came in 10th.
Goldman Sachs ranked second on the list, one of only two Wall Street firms to make the top 10. (JPMorgan Chase ranked eighth.) Goldman Sachs plans to hire more undergraduates this year than last year, including many completing its summer internship program . Entry-level employees enjoy an intellectually stimulating environment, with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow on the job.
“We’re looking for people with all kinds of skills, interests and experiences,” says spokeswoman Leslie Shribman. “For us, it’s about bringing together people who are curious, collaborative and driven to make things possible for our customers and communities.”
And the Big Four accountancy firms were among the most desired by graduates, with Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG and PwC ranked third to sixth, respectively.
Last year KPMG hired 3,000 interns and 3,000 full-time employees and has similar plans this year. But the type of workers the business is looking for is changing.
“We still hire students with the standard accounting degrees,” says James Powell, KPMG’s managing partner for recruitment and faculty relations. “But we’re also seeing more people with management systems degrees, computer science degrees and engineering degrees. Those are skill sets that we wouldn’t have considered a few years ago.”
Large consulting firms have been climbing the list in recent years, with McKinsey cracking the top 10 to appear in ninth place on the list, up from 11th last year.
McKinsey also plans to boost hiring this year, and even entry-level employees have the opportunity to work on big projects and gain great experience quickly.
“People can work almost anywhere if they join McKinsey, as we have locations where many competitors don’t, for example in Africa, Central Europe and the Middle East,” says Caitlin Storhaug, McKinsey’s head of global recruitment communications. .
Correction: An earlier version of this story listed Amazon as number 17 on Universum’s list of the most desirable employers for business students. The company ranked 13th on this year’s list.
CNNMoney (New York) First published September 19, 2018: 7:00 am ET
