This past issue of BusinessWeek listed the top 95 Best Places to Launch a Career. The companies covered all avenues from technology (Google) to finance (Wells Fargo). The hospitality industry was represented as well, with Hyatt (No. 21) and Marriott International (No. 45) making the list. The magazine used a three-part methodology, surveying career services directors at U.S. colleges to learn which employers were tops on their list, asking employers to complete a survey on their hiring, pay, benefits and training programs, and obtaining from Universum Communications, a Philadelphia research company, the results of its 2007 survey of 44,000 U.S. undergraduates, who were asked to identify their five most desirable employers.
From the report you'll learn that Hyatt hires 250 or more undergrad interns each year, and hires a good percentage of them for entry-level positions after graduation. Marriott also hires a great number of interns each year, and offers more than 30 hours of professional development to employees each year. Check out the extensive report to learn many more interesting facts.
Of course, we have to give a shout out to the local businesses, too. Three Minnesota companies made the top 50. General Mills (No. 20) hires more than 100 interns each year, paying them more than $20/hour. St. Paul-based Travelers Companies (No. 37) hires nearly 150 interns each year, paying them more than $18/hour. And St. Jude Medical (No. 44) has a five-year retention rate of 97 percent - the highest among all the companies on the list. While many of us have already "launched" our careers, it's nice to know our state and the hospitality industry are taking it on to retain smart students who make good employees.
--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Associate Editor
Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal
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