According to global employer branding company Universum (www.universumglobal.com), Google is the No.1 preferred employer. Universum's recent poll of over 10,000 young professionals revealed that the top ten preferred employers in the U.S., also includes, Apple, Disney, the U.S. State Department, Amazon, the FBI, MIcrosoft, the CIA, NASA and Teach for America. It's probably no surprise that these stable, well-known and financially strong organizations would round out the top of the list. Universum provides a full list of 100 companies and their rankings among professionals, available on their site here.
Now, during these times of challenging unemployment rates, job-seekers may feel there's little room to be choosy. But, think of how you might use this information strategically. For example, if fellow job-hunters are clamoring for positions with the top companies, perhaps you might look to the less sought-after organizations. Or, maybe you prefer smaller companies over these large employers--research who are the suppliers or contractors for the big guys, and find out if those suppliers are hiring. Also, think globally, especially if you're willing to be flexible--Universum also has issued survey results for the top 50 most attractive global employers. (Google tops the global list, too, based on the employer preferences of students from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, U.K., and U.S.)
So, who do you want to work for? If your choices are not on any of these lists, that's perfectly fine. There are plenty of high-quality employers here in the U.S., and worldwide, who may never get a mention in a top-10 a survey. Your goal is always to go get YOUR job, whatever the rest of the world has to say.
