Dream Jobs: College Students Get Real

The tough job market has turned the famously idealistic Millennials into a generation of realists, a new ranking of favored employers shows

By Francesca Di Meglio

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Money matters, even to the idealistic Millennial generation. The recession and tough job market might be causing a shift in priorities among the next wave of Millennials to enter the workforce, according to the latest annual survey of college students conducted by the research firm Universum USA. The survey, which asks undergraduates to identify their dream employers, found that more than 30% of the 56,900 students surveyed said the market success of a company was a preferred attribute of an employer, up from 24% in 2009. Attractive and exciting products and services also became a higher priority for respondents, with 28% of them wanting that in an employer in 2010, compared with 21% in 2009. "I think the economy does have some bearing on this year's numbers," says Camille Kelly, vice-president for employer branding at Universum. "Market success was a lot more important to [respondents] when it came to an attractive attribute for an employer, more so than it was in the past."

Well-known organizations such as Google (GOOG), Walt Disney (DIS), the FBI, Apple (AAPL), and Ernst & Young round out the top five ideal employers in the 2010 survey, with Google taking the top spot for the fourth consecutive year. "The surprise is that there were [no surprises]," says Kelly. "When you look at the top 10 employers, there weren't any major jumps." The common thread, adds Kelly, is that these companies have lots of market success, and students seek dream employers that either offer learning opportunities, cool products or services, or an environment that will the new employees them to flourish.

Millennials, perhaps more so than any other generation besides the baby boomers, already have quite the reputation. Recent reports suggest they lack a work ethic and rely too much on helicopter parents, some of whom have been accused of calling employers on behalf of their job-hunting sons and daughters. On a positive note, Millennials are also known for their interest in jobs that allow them to make a difference in the world by having them perform community service or create projects that support sustainability. But the survey suggests that perhaps the generation's interest in saving the world goes only so far. In 2009, 37% of respondents said high ethical standards were an important attribute in an employer, whereas 27% said the same in 2010. Only 32% of 2010 respondents said inspiring management was important, compared with 41% in 2009.

Idealism vs. Uncertainty

Indeed, the survey results indicate that Millennials aren't all about good deeds and rainbows. Daniel Scott Gillespie, a senior at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business (Cox Undergraduate Business Profile) who is majoring in finance, says he and his friends never discuss a company's efforts to be green, even though he adds that everyone wants to work for a reputable company. "People are just looking to find a job," he says. "Most of my friends still don't have a job."

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