Microsoft voted by students as most popular graduate recruiter in IT and Telecoms

Microsoft has been named the most popular IT and Telecoms firm at the TARGETjobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards held on 18th March at the Grosvenor House in Mayfair. It is the largest student-driven graduate recruitment awards event in the world and is supported by many leading names in the industry including the lead sponsor Aviva.

Over 80,000 votes were cast by students and recent graduates in a national survey to identify the most popular graduate recruiter in different sectors of work. Microsoft beat off tough competition to win the IT and Telecoms award by demonstrating that it was not only well-known and respected by students but that it was the employer that most students wanted to work for in this sector.

In total there were 29 award categories, spread over different sectors of employment, to celebrate the most popular graduate recruiters, to reward the most outstanding contribution to diversity, the most effective campaigns and websites.

The 2010 top ten most popular graduate recruiters in IT and Telecoms, voted by students, are as follows:
1. Microsoft
2. Apple
3. IBM UK
4. Intel
5. Dell
6. BT
7. Cisco
8. Accenture
9. O2
10. HP

Seven awards were decided by a panel of carefully selected final year students. 20 of the awards were voted for by undergraduates and recent graduates using TARGETjobs extensive campus contacts and student members of targetjobs.co.uk via an independent voting system powered by trendence. And a special award – the graduate employer of the year was given to the organisation with the most outstanding development programme.

Commenting on Microsoft’s success, Chris Phillips UK Publishing Director at GTI Media commented: "Despite the recession, competition for the most talented graduates is as fierce as ever. Microsoft should be delighted that, within their sector, graduates hold them in such high regard. We all know that they can be harsh critics and it is difficult to get the recruitment process right but Microsoft really are setting the standards for others to follow. As are all the other TARGETjobs Awards winners, voted for by thousands of students from the leading jobsite targetjobs.co.uk."