RateMyPlacement’s annual table of the Top 100 Undergraduate Employers has been unveiled. Drawn from over 5,000 reviews written by students throughout the 2014-15 academic year, the table ranks organisations that provide 15 or more students a year with placements, internships, vacation schemes and insights. They must also have at least 15 reviews on the website.
This year sees financial giant Bank of America Merrill Lynch gain the coveted number one spot after several years of steady progress up the chart. The bank received reviews averaging over 9.05 out of 10 in areas such as amount of responsibility given, feeling valued by colleagues, impression of the company overall, training opportunities and transferable skills gained.
Kate Eggers, Campus Recruitment at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said: “We pride ourselves on hiring, motivating and retaining the best people. To be ranked the number one employer in this survey is a phenomenal accolade that supports our dedication to develop young talent and shape the future leaders of our company.”
The dominance of financial companies in the Top 100 is clear but there have also been successes in other sectors. Entertainment giant Warner Bros climbed an impressive 39 places to occupy the number three spot with a score of 8.62 out of 10 and Microsoft returned to number six in this year’s table scoring 8.59. Lucy Saunders, University Recruitment Lead at Microsoft UK said: “We are going through a huge transformation at Microsoft and to have undergraduates coming to us with their fresh ideas and modern perspectives is so important to us.”
RateMyPlacement.co.uk also provides insight into what undergraduates can expect to be paid during their placement or internship. Although salaries have risen this year in half of the UK regions, they have seen no increase or have decreased in the other half. Salaries in Central London and the City have dropped 4% since last year while in Wales they’ve decreased by 7%.
Ollie Sidwell, Co-founder at RateMyPlacement.co.uk, commented: “Choosing the right undergraduate employment is one of the most important decisions that a young person can make. With such a competitive jobs market it’s vital that students find an opportunity to complement their university learning with practical experience gained in the workplace.
“Our Top 100 table gives students a leg-up in seeing the range of companies at which they could thrive, as well as providing employers a high-profile platform with which to attract the very best undergraduates.
“The drop in salaries paid to undergraduates in some areas is concerning. A placement or internship is a brilliant place to gain vital experience and it’s important that students are paid at a reasonable level that allows them to complete their time at a company without financial worries.
“That said, the fact that so many UK companies are seeing it as a matter of pride that they feature in our Top 100 table can only be a good thing. This will ensure that the quality of opportunities for our young people will continue to rise and will bring a myriad of benefits, not only to the students and their employers but also to the country as a whole.”
For the full 100 please visit: http://bit.ly/RMPT100
This year’s top ten |
Position last year |
|
1: Bank of America Merrill Lynch |
2 (+1) |
|
2: Pinsent Masons |
7 (+5) |
|
3: Warner Bros |
42 (+39) |
|
4: Morgan Stanley |
4 ( - ) |
|
5: Goldman Sachs |
8 ( +3) |
|
6: Microsoft |
19 (+13) |
|
7: J.P Morgan |
10 (+3) |
|
8: Credit Suisse |
6 (-2) |
|
9: Barclays |
1 (-8) |
|
10: Deloitte |
11 (+1) |
