Four U.S. government agencies and a Bethesda-based federal contractor are on the list of the 25 most coveted employers for undergraduates this year.
According to a survey by Universum Communications, which appeared in Business Week, undergraduate students are eager to work at the State Department, which ranked fourth on the list, the Peace Corps (fifth), the Central Intelligence Agency (sixth) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (ninth).
Students also expressed interest in working for Lockheed Martin, which ranked 20th on the list.
Google topped the list of coveted employers, with the Walt Disney Co. and Apple following it.
Students who took the survey were interested in such factors as serving the greater good and making high salaries, Business Week reported.
Universum Communications did not return calls seeking comments about the survey’s methodology Tuesday.
Undergraduates are likely drawn to Lockheed Martin because of the exciting technical challenges the company offers, said Leslie Chappell, the company’s director of university relations.
Lockheed Martin plans to hire 4,400 college students this year to work at various locations throughout the country, Chappell said.
It marked the second year that the State Department appeared in Universum’s top five, said Diane Castiglione, its director of recruitment.
“I think this is a nice indication that it wasn’t a fluke,” Castiglione said.
Castiglione said the foreign service is a particular draw for college students, though most of the entry-level people the department hires come with a graduate degree or some amount of work experience.
“We offer interesting, meaningful work where people have the ability to contribute and do something that has an impact, and for a certain segment of people, the ability to be overseas is a draw,” Castiglione said.
Lara Laritique, press relations specialist for the Peace Corps, said the organization’s Web site has seen a 38 percent increase in traffic, indicating a renewed interest in the organization.
“Young people now are very savvy, and if they decide they want to do something, they’re going into it because it’s something they’ve researched and something they believe in,” Laritique said.
