Industry Focus: Top employers

Completing a university degree is a very exciting time for students but it can also be a challenging period in respect to finding industry employment. After all, there are thousands of wannabe workers graduating simultaneously and pursuing the finite number of positions available. So how do you get ahead?

Identifying organisations that offer plenty of opportunities to fresh graduates is a good start. Launching in February 2015, GradAustralia is a start-up dedicated to guiding students through the period of limbo between education and employment. By identifying the top 100 graduate employers and shedding light on how to impress these types of companies, GradAustralia is providing a valuable resource for eager students.

Depending on your field of study, there are a wide variety of organisations that offer a significant number of graduate programs and positions, including global giants Google, PwC, Deloitte and BHP Billiton.

Finance

If you are on the hunt for a graduate program, finance is certainly a field of study with plenty of potential. Of the Big Four accounting consultancies in the world, three of them (Deloitte, PwC and KPMG) offer a combined total of 1000 graduate positions each year in Australia, while Ernst and Young don’t specify.

Engineering

Engineering is a vital industry and successful workers can earn substantial salaries across a broad variety of specialised areas. BHP Billiton has been a regular early fixture in the Top 100 Employer rankings and is the first choice in the mining, oil and gas category. However, there are other, less traditional avenues such as a position with Cochlear, the global leader in hearing implants.

IT and technology

Unsurprisingly, Google is not only the number one ranked company in IT and Technology but overall. While the number of graduate positions available changes year-to-year for Google and fellow major player IBM, 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 and encompasses media moguls News Corp and Fairfax, with the former controlling more than 70 per cent of Australian newspapers. Major advertising and marketing companies in the vein of Clemenger Group and Saatchi & Saatchi are another avenue for media students, although competition for graduate positions is traditionally fierce.

Logistics

Big companies like Qantas and DHL are the big fish when it comes to transport and logistics but roles in the procurement sector exist in various other organisations. GlaxoSmithKline is a major player in pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare circles but requires supply chain management and distribution staff, and offers Industry Based Learning (IBL) positions for current students.

Law

Along with doctors, lawyers have long been associated with wealth and success in the occupational world. There is no shortage of legal opportunities in major cities like Melbourne and Sydney, with top-ranked firms such as Herbert Smith Freehills, Allen Linklaters and King & Wood Mallesons constantly on the hunt for candidates to undertake internships and summer work experience.

Retail and sales

Sales and retail is a diverse field, as the products involved can range from packaged food and beverages to skincare, clothing and electronics. Unilever is a leading retail and consumer goods company with over 400 brands to its name, including Rexona, Continental and Streets Ice Cream.