Industry Focus: Top employers
Completing a university degree is a very exciting time forstudents but it can also be a challenging period in respect to finding industryemployment. After all, there are thousands of wannabe workers graduating simultaneouslyand pursuing the finite number of positions available. So how do you get ahead?
Identifying organisations that offer plenty of opportunitiesto fresh graduates is a good start. Launching in February 2015, GradAustralia is a start-up dedicatedto guiding students through the period of limbo between education andemployment. By identifying the top 100 graduate employers and shedding light onhow to impress these types of companies, GradAustralia is providing a valuableresource for eager students.
Depending on your field of study, there are a wide varietyof organisations that offer a significant number of graduate programs andpositions, including global giants Google, PwC, Deloitte and BHP Billiton.
Finance
If you are on the hunt for a graduate program, finance iscertainly a field of study with plenty of potential. Of the Big Four accountingconsultancies in the world, three of them (Deloitte, PwC and KPMG) offer a combinedtotal of 1000 graduate positions each year in Australia, while Ernst and Youngdon’t specify.
Engineering
Engineering is a vital industry and successful workers canearn substantial salaries across a broad variety of specialised areas. BHPBilliton has been a regular early fixture in the Top 100 Employer rankings andis the first choice in the mining, oil and gas category. However, there areother, less traditional avenues such as a position with Cochlear, the globalleader in hearing implants.
IT and technology
Unsurprisingly, Google is not only the number one rankedcompany in IT and Technology but overall. While the number of graduatepositions available changes year-to-year for Google and fellow major playerIBM, there are 40 spots on offer at Hewlett-Packard (HP) and 20 at Microsoft.
Communications, media and advertising
This is one of the broader categories on this list andencompasses media moguls News Corp and Fairfax, with the former controllingmore than 70 per cent of Australian newspapers. Major advertising and marketingcompanies in the vein of Clemenger Group and Saatchi & Saatchi are anotheravenue for media students, although competition for graduate positions istraditionally fierce.
Logistics
Big companies like Qantas and DHL are the big fish when itcomes to transport and logistics but roles in the procurement sector exist invarious other organisations. GlaxoSmithKline is a major player inpharmaceutical and consumer healthcare circles but requires supply chain managementand distribution staff, and offers Industry Based Learning (IBL) positions forcurrent students.
Law
Along with doctors, lawyers have long been associated withwealth and success in the occupational world. There is no shortage of legalopportunities in major cities like Melbourne and Sydney, with top-ranked firms suchas Herbert Smith Freehills, Allen Linklaters and King & Wood Mallesonsconstantly on the hunt for candidates to undertake internships and summer workexperience.
Retail and sales
Sales and retail is a diverse field, as the productsinvolved can range from packaged food and beverages to skincare, clothing andelectronics. Unilever is a leading retail and consumer goods company with over400 brands to its name, including Rexona, Continental and Streets Ice Cream.
