Microsoft, Google most preferred employers

Internet search engine Google made a surprise entry as the second-most preferred employer in a survey conducted among engineering students, even as Microsoft continues its hold as the most sought-after destination, according to a survey.

The survey, conducted by AC Nielsen ORG-MARG's CampusTrack T-Schools '05, spoke to engineering students in the country's top 20 engineering schools, due to pass out in 2006.

Microsoft, Google, McKinsey, HLL and TCS were voted as the top five companies for recruitments among students while global IT biggies like Sun Mircosystems, IBM, Texas Instruments and Hughes Software Solutions all failed to maintain their positions.

"The decline in ranking of a few global IT majors can be explained by the fact that their position in the previous round was boosted by the novelty factor since some of them debuted in campuses in 2004," Associate Director of AC Nielsen ORG-Marg Prasenjit Das said explaining the phenomenon.

Google's entry is noteworthy as the company was not in the list of preferred job destinations last year.

The study indicated that attributes like size of a company and its market standing, job content and growth prospects were important parameters for those polled.