Dive Brief:
- Engineering and tech topped entry-level workers' job preference areas in new research by job board Indeed. Junior mechanical engineer was the No. 1 job, followed by junior Java developer, CAE engineer and junior product designer. Nine of the 15 most popular entry-level jobs are technical. Indeed said these nine jobs all require a STEM degree and technical proficiency.
- The next top jobs were in communications and marketing and included junior product designer, junior publicist and junior marketing associate. Although these are non-tech jobs, they all require a knowledge of analytics, according to the research.
- Exercise physiologist was next on the list and the only job representing healthcare on the list. Indeed said these entry-level workers' job choices were twice as popular with entry-level workers than seasoned workers.
Dive Insight:
For employers, this list is a snapshot of what the latest batch of young talent may be able to bring to the fore — as well as a potential look at the type of talent most employers may need to compete for in coming years.
The challenge for employers lies in attracting and retaining young entry-level workers with potential by not only offering growth opportunities, but also offering benefits and perks they value. Generous paid time off and vacation policies and flexible work schedules have great appeal to young workers. More employers, including Walmart, have been looking specifically to development programs in order to better retain talent; such programs are particularly popular among the millennial and Gen Z set.
Technical talent does not come by easily these days, however, meaning some employers have opted to upskill the employees they already have, both as part of a wider development initiative and in order to prepare its workforce for the coming changes heralded by the future of work.