4 | Australia’s Top 100 Graduate Employers 2018

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Introducing the guide

and 21 per cent in their first year or second year.

Bachelor degree students made up 63 per cent

of respondents, with the remaining 37 per cent

expecting to graduate with a masters, doctoral or

other postgraduate qualification. All students were

asked a series of questions to establish the main

factors that drive their career decisions and choice

of favourite employer.

Career expectations

As a sign of the times, survey results showed that

students seem very aware of the highly competitive

environment of today’s graduate career landscape,

and the need to commit a substantial amount of time

and energy to their job search process in order to

land a graduate position.

Only a slim majority of students (59 per cent)

feel that their course provides them with the skills

necessary for the labour market. When asked: “How

many applications do you expect to make?”, 28 per

cent responded that they expected to make 20 or

more applications, and 44 per cent were prepared

to complete 6–20. Students also seemed aware that

they may not secure employment for some time after

graduating, with over half of survey respondents (61

per cent) expecting to spend three months or more

securing a job. Only a lucky 16 per cent expected to

have a job offer upon graduation.

The good news is that many employers are

increasing their graduate intake for the first time in

years, and the graduate job market is expected to

become more buoyant for those about to graduate.

We hope this guide helps you make the best

possible decisions as you move from education to

employment. Happy job hunting!

— Jeff, Steve, Geoff & the GradAustralia team

GradAustralia was founded by three graduates

from the University of Adelaide.

Co-founders Jeff Duncan, Steve Butler and Geoff

Adams shared a vision – to launch a start-up that

would help every university student get the best

possible start to their career.

In 2015, GradAustralia was officially launched

and the first edition of Australia’s Top 100 Graduate

Employers guide was published. Jeff, Steve and

Geoff were overwhelmed by the positive feedback

from students, educators, and careers services

alike, and GradAustralia has since grown to produce

a range of print and online products that are used

by over 500,000 students annually.

In this 2018 (4th) edition of the Top 100, we

build on favourite features from previous editions

and add new career advice, a wider range of job

opportunities, and exclusive insider content to

help students navigate the job market. It covers

the current graduate job market, from Google

to Glencore, and insights into how to get hired

and what to expect on the job. This information

has been drawn from a range of key resources,

including current research and direct consultation

with employers and graduates. It’s your one-stop

resource to find the perfect job opportunity.

Top 100 rankings and survey

GradAustralia’s Top 100 lists the most sought-

after graduate employers in Australia, as ranked by

university students across the country.

The results were compiled from an independent

survey, with more than 16,000 votes cast by

university students from 39 higher education

institutions – 56 per cent were in their final year

of study, 23 per cent in their penultimate year

The Top 100 is the definitive guide to Australia’s most sought-after

graduate employers.