The Dream Employers For Engineering Students (2024)

Global research and advisory firm Universum recently culled its data to find the 100 most attractive employers for engineering students.How? They asked 9,770 undergraduate engineering majors in the U.S. to select the companies they would consider working for and then to identify their ideal employer. Almost one-fifth (19.4%) chose NASA, making it the No. 1 “most attractive” employer for engineering students.

“Students are looking for measures of companies’ attractiveness and incorporating these measures into their assessments of which companies are great places to work, and which would be a great fit for them,” says Vicki Lynn, senior vice president of client talent strategy and employer branding at Universum. “Just as they view rankings of colleges and universities as one measure of reputation and quality of colleges, they do the same when looking at companies.It’s an assessment of their value and fit as a place to build their career.”

Camille Kelly, vice president of employer branding at Universum, says NASA has long been associated with prestige, innovation and recruiting the best students, “so [engineering undergrads] are obviously attracted to their brand.”

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958, partially in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first artificial satellite the previous year. Its website reminds potential candidates that “NASA is more than astronauts.” It says: “We are scientists, engineers, IT specialists, human resources specialists, accountants, writers, technicians and many, many other kinds of people.”

“At NASA, it’s all about the mission: exploring the universe, understanding our planet, breakthroughs inaviation, and cutting-edge research in engineering and technology,” says NASA spokesperson Allard Beutel. “You spend your day with a group of the smartest people on the planet working together to find answers to some of the greatest questions of all time. NASA’s engineers and scientists are designing telescopes to revolutionize our understanding of the universe, developing technology to capture and redirect an asteroid into a stable lunar orbit so astronauts can study it, and designing and testing the new spacecraft and rocket to take our crews to that asteroid and eventually on to Mars. Seriously, who wouldn’t want that job?”

NASA offers a Pathways Recent Graduate Program (RGP) to U.S. citizens who have graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs within the last two years. (Veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation have up to six years after degree or certificate completion.) Accepted applicants are placed in a dynamic, one-year career development program; and those who successfully complete the program may be offered a full-time, permanent position. “The NASA Pathways RGP provides the opportunity to those individuals who lack experience to participate in jobs in the Federal civil service at the beginning of their careers, and they are engaged at the onset of their work lives, before their career path is fully established," the website says.

“We’re fortunate to have people apply for jobs at NASA who are smart, creative and passionate about the work we do, which often is doing things that have never been done before,” Beutel adds.

In Pictures: The 10 Most Attractive Employers For Engineering Students

No. 2 on Universum’s ranking of the most attractive employers for engineering students: Google.

“It’s Google, who doesn’t want to work there?” asks Kortney Kutsop, a senior account director at Universum. “Free food, volleyball, on-site dry cleaning. In addition, they provide a great internship program for students who get to work on real and challenging projects.”

Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, Google is now headquartered in Mountain View, California and has over 70 offices in more than 40 countries around the globe.

The search behemoth says they hire smart and determined team-oriented people who can get things done, “and we favor ability over experience,” the website says. “Although Googlers share common goals and visions for the company, we hail from all walks of life and speak dozens of languages, reflecting the global audience that we serve. And when not at work, Googlers pursue interests ranging from cycling to beekeeping, from frisbee to foxtrot.”

The path to getting hired usually involves a conversation with a recruiter, a phone interview, and onsite interviews at a Google office. You’ll likely interview with four or five Googlers in total; and they’ll look for four things: Leadership, role-related knowledge, how you think, and "Googleyness."

What do engineers at Google do? They use technology to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges, the site says. “But you don’t have to code to innovate at Google.”

Rounding out the top three is Boeing.

“Boeing provides challenging and interesting career opportunities, including a culture that encourages professional growth, learning and development,” Kutsop says.

In general, prospective Boeing candidates should be able to think critically and creatively, and work independently and cooperatively, says Candace Barron, a Boeing spokesperson. She says other qualities they look for include the ability to adapt to rapid or major change, a desire for lifelong learning, the highest ethical standards, and excellent communication skills. Boeing prefers to hire students with demonstrated experience in their field, either through outside work, an internship, or a relevant project while at school.

“Innovation really is inside each of our team members,” says John Tracy, Boeing’s chief technology officer. “And that's why we spend so much time finding the right people to bring on the team. Because when they join the team, they're bringing the innovation with them.”

Barron says that Boeing works hard at attracting and retaining skilled, motivated, diverse and engaged people.

Kutsop of Universum says Chevron’s ranking was the biggest surprise for her this year. "It was one of the few oil companies to move up in 2013," she says. “They have done a great job building relationships with students, especially at the grade school and high school level to make sure this younger generation is aware of the opportunities within STEM.”

The biggest jump overall: Cisco Systems. It went from the No. 91 spot in 2012 to No. 48 this year.“Also, watch Amazon,” Lynn adds. “They are a force. They jumped 39 points in the rankings.They are gaining in attractiveness among students in all disciplines but especially IT and technical majors.”

What does it take to land an engineering job at these companies? “An engineering degree from a top school with an accredited engineering program; internship(s) in the engineering field; a good GPA; and great communication skills,” Lynn says. “Female engineers are in high demand as the degree production of female engineers is only 25% at the bachelor’s level.”

In Pictures: The 10 Most Attractive Employers For Engineering Students

The 100 Most Attractive Employers For Engineering Students:

Source: Universum

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