Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

These are the companies Ireland's graduates most want to work for

The latest GradIreland survey of employer popularity put accountancy group KPMG top with two Irish banks jumping up the ranks.

shutterstock_75615916 Shutterstock / Konstantin Chagin Shutterstock / Konstantin Chagin / Konstantin Chagin

A NEW REPORT has outlined the 100 companies in Ireland that Irish graduates most want to work for.

And the most popular companies are dominated by financial and professional service institutions with three entrants from that category in the top ten.

The most sought-after company for graduate employment in 2016 is accountancy group KPMG. The company has enjoyed something of a renaissance in fortunes as far as the survey is concerned – last year it stood at 14 in the rankings.

Google, last year’s top dog, has slipped to number 3, with Apple dropping eight spots to 20.

Both Bank of Ireland (15) and AIB (33) have enjoyed healthy leaps of 14 and 13 places respectively.

State broadcaster RTÉ meanwhile drops five places to 13.

The tenth annual GradIreland survey took into account the opinions of 7,460 Irish students, 46.6% of them male, and 53.4% female.

The overall top ten is:

  1. KPMG
  2. PWC
  3. Google
  4. Lidl Ireland
  5. Accenture
  6. Deloitte
  7. Pfizer
  8. Jameson-Irish Distillers
  9. The Department of Education and Skills
  10. Boston Scientific

gradireland Grad Ireland Grad Ireland

Click here to view a larger image

A further 161 companies and their rankings can be viewed in the report proper here.

Sectors and salary

Some sectors are experiencing a notable jump in popularity according to the survey, with the public sector in particular seeing a rise in recruitment levels after several years of stagnation.

Slightly more women than men were surveyed in most of the sectors considered. The trend is particularly noticeable in the legal, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), and public sector categories, while IT, engineering, and online retail services buck the trend with far more male respondents than female.

Overall, employers are hiring significantly more graduates in 2016 than in any of the last four years.

employers Grad Ireland Grad Ireland

Click here to view a larger image

The average salary paid across sectors to graduate employees at present is €28,332, up slightly on the 2015 figure of €28,297. Overall, graduate salaries are on the rise, employers said.

The highest average starting salaries in 2015 meanwhile were in the legal, management consulting, and IT sectors with starting figures of €38,500, €31,000, and €30,000 being seen.

The greatest proportion of jobs seen in 2015 meanwhile were in the accountancy, engineering and IT sectors with 28.7%, 14.4%, and 10.8% of the proportion of total jobs being seen in those categories.

Click here to register for free entry to the GradIreland Graduate Careers Fair in Dublin’s RDS on 5 October, which features a wide range of employers, postgrad providers and startups, and a host of seminars and discussions on all areas of career planning.

Read: Data Protection Commissioner seeking answers after massive Yahoo privacy breach

Read: ‘Building up instead of out will prepare Dublin for 21st century city living’

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
38 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Tec Dr
    Favourite The Tec Dr
    Report
    Aug 21st 2018, 6:50 PM

    Looks very interesting and another successful night is on the cards.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Peter De Courcy
    Favourite Peter De Courcy
    Report
    Aug 21st 2018, 9:42 PM

    So how much will these “free events” cost the taxpayer. Or are TD’s paying for it out of their own pockets ? Are all the performers giving their time free.? Where does “free” come into it?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Darren moore
    Favourite Darren moore
    Report
    Aug 22nd 2018, 8:10 AM

    @Peter De Courcy: what are you on about ? What has this got to do with TDs ? It’s free for the public to attend which is a good use of public money if it does cost anything .

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam
    Favourite Sam
    Report
    Aug 22nd 2018, 10:59 AM

    @Peter De Courcy: Its run by volunteers so yes people do give up their time but so what if it was costing the tax payer? I for one am happy for my tax to go towards people taking part in cultural events. Should we all just sit inside all day and never have any fun?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Daly
    Favourite Pat Daly
    Report
    Aug 21st 2018, 10:07 PM

    Probably no more than one of your productions when you go looking for an arts grants Peter De Courcy

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds