IN POST-RECESSIONARY times stability is more important to Irish graduates than salary, according to a new study.
It seems the ‘brain-drain’ effected by the recession, which saw many of our best and brightest emigrating for brighter prospects overseas, is slowing perceptibly.
“Students’ employment considerations are still heavily influenced by the recession, which is why they are searching for safe jobs at home in Ireland,” said a Universum (the brand experts who conducted the survey) spokesman.
Stability and potential for the future are the most important job elements to students right now, and in the foreseeable future.
A “friendly work environment” is apparently now a major draw, with 53% of business students surveyed citing it as an important quality in an employer.
The most attractive employers for graduates are perhaps not a huge surprise, with Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook dominating.
Some slightly less expected names that make the list include Disney, Nike and Penneys, while other companies on the rise include Procter & Gamble, Enterprise Ireland, and Abbott.
The naughty list of companies that are declining in popularity meanwhile includes Vodafone, Three Mobile, and Deutsche Bank.
The average starting salary expected by an Irish graduate in 2015 is €40,405.
However, when split by gender, the results become a little more distinctive.
The average 21-year-old male Irish student expects to make €45,000 as a starting salary, while female students have slightly more modest expectations of €37,000 when they begin their career.
Likewise, Disney and L’Oreal are among female students’ ideal employers, while lad-culture supremos Paddy Power and Nike are more attractive to male graduates.
The top career goals outlined by the survey meanwhile place stability and working towards a worthwhile cause at the top of the priority list, while Media/Advertising, Educational/Scientific Institutions, and Health Care Services top the bill of preferred industries.
8,426 different prospective employees from 13 different third level institutions were surveyed in late 2014 for the purpose of the study, conducted by brand experts Universum Global.
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