Do you still remember your first full-time job?
I know I do.
Competition has always been fierce when it comes to job hunting.
Especially when your peers are graduating with first-class honours, have 6 internship experiences, and hold 5 leadership titles.
And then there’s me, an idiot sandwich.
In today’s COVID-19 environment, the job-hunting competition has become more intense, with 69.8% of graduates getting employed full-time in 2020, as compared to 90.7% in 2019.
A recent Singapore’s 100 Leading Graduate Employers survey has been done by GTI Media Singapore, which showcases the top employers that graduates would choose to work for after graduation.
This survey also revealed their ideal job preferences, which include ideal working hours, salary ranges etc.
A total of 13,989 responses were gathered from students and fresh graduates from local universities.
Feeling lost in your career? You’re not alone!
Top Employers Ranked by Students and Graduates 2021
There were a total of 100 employers that were ranked in terms of employer popularity.
Here are the top 30 most desirable employers that students are interested to work for.
| Rank | Company | Industry | Ranking in 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | Consulting, IT & Technology | 1 |
| 2 | Ministry Of Education (MOE) | Public Sector | 5 |
| 3 | DBS Bank | Banking & Financial Services ​Investment Banking & Investment Management | 3 |
| 4 | Ministry of Health (MOH) | Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Public Sector | 2 |
| 5 | Mastercard | Banking & Financial Services | 4 |
| 6 | Shopee | IT & Technology | 40 |
| 7 | Amazon | IT & Technology | 8 |
| 8 | 3M | Engineering, Design, & Manufacturing | 17 |
| 9 | Micron | Engineering, Design, & Manufacturing IT & Technology | 13 |
| 10 | J.P. Morgan | Investment Banking & Investment Management | 12 |
| 11 | McKinsey & Company | Consulting | 7 |
| 12 | Changi Airport Group | Aviation, Transport, & Supply Chain ​Hospitality, Leisure, & Tourism | 6 |
| 13 | OCBC Bank | Banking & Financial Services Investment Banking & Investment Management | 15 |
| 14 | Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) | Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Public Sector | 11 |
| 15 | National Healthcare Group | Healthcare & Pharmaceutical | 18 |
| 16 | National University Health System (NUHS) | Healthcare & Pharmaceutical | - |
| 17 | PwC | Accounting & Financial Management Consulting | 14 |
| 18 | Ministry of Finance (MOF) | Banking & Financial Services Public Sector | 16 |
| 19 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) | Public Sector | 24 |
| 20 | Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd | Insurance & Risk Management | 119 |
| 21 | Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) | Public Sector | 23 |
| 22 | Deloitte | Accounting & Financial Management Consulting | 20 |
| 23 | Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) | Engineering, Design, & Manufacturing IT & Technology | 31 |
| 24 | Goldman Sachs | Investment Banking & Investment Management | 33 |
| 25 | Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) | Banking & Financial Services | 35 |
| 26 | Abbott | Healthcare & Pharmaceutical ​Scientific Research & Development | 26 |
| 27 | Nestlé | Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Scientific Research & Development | 48 |
| 28 | Boston Consulting Group | Consulting | 69 |
| 29 | National Environment Agency (NEA) | Public Sector Scientific Research & Development | 43 |
| 30 | Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) | Engineering, Design, & Manufacturing IT & Technology | 30 |
Source: GTI Media
Rankings According to Sector
The sector rankings measure the popularity of companies among students and graduates who are keen on working within a specific industry.
Here are the winners for each respective sector:
| Sector | Winner | Finalist | Finalist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting & Financial Management | PwC | Deloitte | KPMG |
| Banking & Financial Services | DBS Bank | OCBC Bank | Mastercard |
| Consulting | Boston Consulting Group | McKinsey & Company | Accenture |
| Energy, Oil & Gas, Utilities | ExxonMobil | Shell | Chevron |
| Engineering, Design, & Manufacturing | Micron | 3M | Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) |
| Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) | Unilever | Nestlé | Procter & Gamble |
| Healthcare & Pharmaceutical | Ministry of Health (MOH) | National Healthcare Group | National University Health System (NUHS) |
| Hospitality, Leisure, & Tourism | Singapore Tourism Board | Changi Airport Group | Resorts World Sentosa |
| Insurance & Risk Management | AIA Singapore Pte Ltd | AXA Insurance Singapore | Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd |
| Investment Banking & Investment Management | DBS Bank | J.P. Morgan | Goldman Sachs |
| IT & Technology | Microsoft | Shopee | Amazon |
| Aviation, Transport, & Supply Chain | Changi Airport Group | Singapore Airlines | Airbus |
| Media & Advertising | Mediacorp | The Walt Disney Company | Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) |
| Property & Real Estate | CapitaLand | JTC Corporation | Housing & Development Board (HDB) |
| Public Sector | Ministry of Education (MOE) | Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) | Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) |
| Scientific Research & Development | DSO National Laboratories | Pfizer | Nestlé |
Source: GTI Media
Salary Expectations for First Job
| Expected Annual Salary | Results |
|---|---|
| < $29,999 | 6.2% |
| $30,000 - $39,999 | 23.5% |
| $40,000 - $49,999 | 34.5% |
| $50,000 - $59,999 | 12.7% |
| > $60,000 | 23.1% |
Source: GTI Media
As for the expected salary for first full-time jobs, more than half (58%) of those surveyed are looking to earn between $30,000 to $49,999, which translates to $2,500 to $4,166 per month.
Which is just about the graduate starting salary for 2021 as well.
There are also slightly more than 1/5 (23.1%) who are expecting more than $60,000 for their annual salary, which translates to more than $5,000 per month.
This is likely due to the rise in starting salaries for industries such as computing.
Expected Working Hours for First Job
How many hours do you work at your company?
With Singapore ranking second in the list of most overworked cities in 2020, it is no surprise that our Asian roots are strong in this arena.
| No. of Hours | Survey Results |
|---|---|
| < 30 Hours | 3.6% |
| 30 - 40 Hours | 15.0% |
| 40 - 50 Hours | 46.5% |
| 50 - 60 Hours | 17.7% |
| > 60 Hours | 17.2% |
Almost half of those surveyed are looking at a 40 to 50-hour work week, which means working for 8 to 10 hours a day.
34.9% are actually expecting more than 50 hours every week…
This means that fresh graduates are already ready for the #OTlife.
This is interesting given that 52.8% of the respondents are expecting to combine their working and private life harmoniously in their first job.
Let’s hope that work-life balance can still be achieved in Singapore.
Most Important Factors When Choosing Employers
When it comes to the factors that play a role in the attractiveness of an employer, here are the ones that have the highest importance:
| Most Important | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Working under a good leader | Knowing that they'd be working under or mentored by effective, principled leaders |
| 2. | Good career progression prospects | The prospect of promotions and professional growth opportunities |
| 3. | Equal opportunities | The guarantee of an equal playing field regardless of gender, sexuality, race, religion, disability, social background, etc. |
| 4. | Job security | The stability of their employment from external or internal shocks |
| 5. | Personal development and growth | The ability to grow their personal skill sets beyond the realm of work (e.g. soft skills and personal interests) |
Working under a good leader topped the list as the most important factor when it comes to employer choice.
This shows that growth is now a key focus for many, where employees are now looking to have good mentors to learn and grow from.
The next most important factor is having good career progression prospects.
Also, It is the first time since 2009 that job security was listed as one of the top five factors for the choice of employer.
About 78.9% of respondents stated that they believe that it would be difficult to get a job in 2021.
On the other hand, these are the least important factors when it comes to choosing employers:
| Least Important | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Driving innovation |
| 2. | International interaction or opportunities |
| 3. | Attractive products & services |
| 4. | Attractive office location |
| 5. | Status and prestige |
A Glimpse Into Future Career Trends and Expectations
This survey offers a glimpse into the current trends and expectations when it comes to jobs.
For instance, e-commerce companies are shown to have a significant increase in popularity as compared to previous years.
These companies have strong technological focuses, which is something that is attractive to students across all disciplines.
This also indicates the role of technology in the future of work and how it is reshaping jobs as well.
Also, given that 61.5% of respondents finding that personal fulfillment is more important than earning lots of money, this shows a shift in the focus from profit to purpose.
In addition, this survey gave us insight into the priorities, as well concerns of employees which companies can look further into for their recruitment and staff retainment.
To attract the right talent, it is imperative for companies to acknowledge these priorities in order to set themselves apart from the rest.
Last but not least, for fellow graduates, feeling lost in your career path is totally normal.
Know that you’re not alone in this.
And if you need some career advice, you know where to go!
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