Globally, engineering and IT students are hoping to work at well-known tech and gaming companies in addition to professional services and automakers.
Employer branding company Universum just released its annual World's Most Attractive Employers ranking. This is the 12th year that Universum surveyed students from the 12 countries around the world with the biggest economies to find out what kind of employers they would like to work for upon graduation.
The company asked over 126,000 engineering and IT students who they think are the most attractive employers. To do this, Universum asked students to name up to five of their ideal employers. Per Universum, companies must be listed and ranked among the most attractive employers in at least six of the 12 countries to be considered for this global ranking. The results were weighted based on the country's gross domestic product.
Richard Mosely, chief strategist at Universum, said the overall ranking saw changes in student preferences.
"Careers in professional services, banking and strategic consulting all dropped in prestige, while careers in IT, automotive and even manufacturing rose significantly," Mosely said. "What we are witnessing is a strong desire among students to work for industries which are more associated with tech innovation which are shaping the future."
It is important to note that polling conducted by Universum took place between October and April, with the majority of polling ending in February or March. Therefore, the effects of the pandemic on these companies and students' opinions are not clearly represented in the ranking.
Read on to find out what are the most attractive employers for engineering and IT students in the 12 largest economies.