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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - (The Hosting News) - September 17, 2007 - Search engine, Google's image, has allowed the company to climb the Business Undergraduate IDEAL Employer Ranking Survey list, after being written in by students in 2005. Placing 154th out of 187 top employers, one year later, Google took the No. 4 position in 2006.

A record 44,064 undergraduate students from 184 schools participated in the US Undergraduate Edition of the Universum IDEAL Employer Survey; of which 18,591 were business students. In the survey, students answered questions about their career expectations on topics including top industries, career goals, communication preferences, salary expectations and IDEALand and trade employers.

In 2007 Google was short by just .15 percent of votes from snatching the No. 1 spot away from PWC. (PWC received 13.56 percent of students' votes; Google received 13.41 percent). Though Google is grounded in computers and technology, it still holds strong among the more popular business industries. Financial services (24 percent) ranks as the No. 1 preferred industry for business students, followed by auditing/Accounting/Taxation (17 percent), Advertising/Public Relations (16 percent), Entertainment/Media/Public Relations (13 percent) and Investment Banking (12 percent).

PricewaterhouseCoopers reclaimed its No. 1 position on the IDEAL Employer Ranking Survey after losing the top spot to Walt Disney last year, the only time its reign at No. 1 had been broken since 2004. As referenced above, Google, however, is becoming a viable threat to PWC's throne, ascending to No. 2 in the rankings this year.

The Business Undergraduate IDEAL Employer Ranking Survey is conducted annually by Universum USA, a leading employer branding firm that helps companies understand and develop their Employer Brand Image and Employer Value Proposition through research, consulting and media solutions.

The strength that Google has as an employer brand in the job market is not solely based on finances. Millennial business students felt that the best companies to work for have high ethical standards (33 percent) followed by financial strength (31 percent), industry leadership (25 percent), attractive locations (24 percent) and market success (21 percent).

Claudia Tattanelli, CEO of Universum USA remarked, ''Ultimately, these ambitious Millennials have far-reaching goals and do not feel tethered to one employer. The top organizations are facing the demands of this new generation. Millennials have more priorities, and unlike previous generations, they will not stay at a job hoping for a promotion. With this group, job loyalty decreases when their needs aren't being met.''

Students want time to enjoy both their professional and personal lives, ranking a work/life balance (62 percent) as their top career goal. Building a sound financial base (43 percent), pursuing further education (27 percent), contributing to society (22) percent) and working internationally (21 percent) rounded out the top five career goals for this group.

In addition to employer rankings, top industries and top employer characteristics, the Universum Survey also asks questions regarding compensation elements, decision drivers, and salary.

Savvy business students are not only aware of the benefits of employers, but they use them accept or reject an offer to fit their lifestyles. A good annual base salary (78 percent) was ranked as the No. 1 compensation element, followed by health insurance (55 percent), retirement plan: 401K/403B (39 percent), tuition reimbursement (23 percent) and cost of living adjustment (20) percent). The most requested salary at their first job ranged from $40,000 - $49,000 and the requested salary five years after graduation ranged from $60,000 - $69,000.

When asked what overall elements affect the decision to accept or reject an offer, there was a tie between the compensation package and work/life balance at 37 percent. This was followed by geographic location (28 percent), company culture (27.2) percent) and a clear advancement path (27.1). Charts, graphs and more breakdowns are available for these and other findings.

UNIVERSUM is The Global Employer Branding Leader. As thought leaders, we drive the industry forward having focused exclusively on Employer Branding (EB) for close to 20 years. We are a trusted partner to over 500 clients worldwide including many Fortune 100 companies. We help employers to understand, attract and retain current and future ideal employees utilizing our experience, knowledge and services within research, strategic consulting and media solutions.

With the largest index of websites available on the World Wide Web and the industry's most advanced search technology, Google Inc. delivers the fastest and easiest way to find relevant information on the Internet. Google's technological innovations have earned the company numerous industry awards and citations, including two Webby Awards; two WIRED magazine Readers Raves Awards; Best Internet Innovation and Technical Excellence Award from PC Magazine; Best Search Engine on the Internet from Yahoo! Internet Life; Top Ten Best Cybertech from TIME magazine; and Editor's Pick from CNET. A growing number of companies worldwide, including Yahoo! and its international properties, Sony Corporation and its global affiliates, AOL/Netscape, and Cisco Systems, rely on Google to power search on their websites. A privately held company based in Mountain View, Calif., Google's investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers and Sequoia Capital.

To learn more about this year's rankings, please visit: www.universumusa.com.

For more information Google, please visit: www.google.com.