Google Tops List of Most Popular Employers Among Final-Year Students

Google has emerged as the most popular company among 120,000 final-year business and engineering students at leading universities in Europe, North America, and Asia, according to a survey by Universum, an employer branding company. Google's promise of a unique corporate culture, work-life balance, and exciting projects has made it an attractive employer for graduates. The company's on-site massages, free lunches, and the opportunity to work alongside former neurosurgeons and alligator wrestlers only add to its appeal.

Key Takeaways:

• Google is the top employer among final-year students, beating companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, and Ernst & Young.
• Microsoft is the third most popular employer among business graduates, and second among engineering graduates.
• Several companies, including Sony and L'Oreal, feature in the top 20 of both lists.
• Universum's research highlights regional variations in employer preferences, with big multinationals favored in Asia and national champions popular in Europe.
• Accounting firms and the financial services and investment banking industries are doing better than expected despite the global downturn.
• Google values "Googliness," or the ability to be creative, principled, and hardworking, while also adapting to its corporate culture.

Statistics:

• Google is the top employer among final-year students, with 120,000 students choosing it as their preferred employer.
• Microsoft is the third most popular employer among business graduates, with 24,000 students choosing it as their preferred employer.
• 34% of students in Asia favor working for big multinationals, particularly in IT and other high-tech businesses.
• 45% of students in Europe prefer working for national champions, such as L'Oreal in France and Nokia in Finland.
• 56% of students in the US prefer working for huge multinationals, such as Google.

Sources:

• Global Index of Employer Attractiveness published by Universum
• Universum's research on employer preferences among final-year students
• Google's corporate culture and values
• Microsoft's performance among business and engineering graduates