The Top Companies For Graduates To Work For

It’s hard to know where to start with the glowing recommendations that every single one of their graduate reviewers shower upon Mars. It really is superlative after superlative, including such choice quotes as “the Mars grad schemes are second to none”, “Mars is a fantastic company to work for” and “I love coming to work”.

It is the “brilliant, passionate people” at the firm that their graduates rate more highly than anything else (and that’s saying something!) at an awesome 9.5/10 average score. “People are always ready to help” says one graduate, “They are insightful, caring, driven & inspirational” adds another. There is a strong sentiment at Mars that “people are at the heart of this organisation” and, as a result, there is a “real focus” on development, including outstanding ‘Training & Support’ (rated 9.0/10: “There are so many training courses available to you...”), an “extremely good” ‘Work/ Life Balance’ (rated 8.6/10: “Something that is valued by the company and not many others”), a very supportive culture (9.4/10) and outstanding benefits, including free exercise classes, a great pension and, of course, free chocolate (although watch out for the ‘Mars stone’ that new joiners put on!).

Mars receives the highest score out of every company for the “very high” levels of responsibility that it gives its graduates “right from the start” (9.2/10) and this is matched by a “phenomenal breadth of exposure”. It doesn’t matter whether you choose a specialist scheme, such as Finance (“this programme is the best on offer in the country”) or the Management Development Programme (“a fantastic scheme”), all the graduates praise the “awesome scope of perspective from moving around different departments”, meaning that every graduate experience at Mars is “tailor made for each individual”.

“The pace at which I am learning and the opportunities I am provided with, I am confident are unrivalled”. Barratt Developments is one of the largest property development companies in the UK and quite simply their graduates love working there - awarding their employer the single highest score of any company for ‘Enjoyment’, with an incredible average rating of 9.7/10.

The new recruits love their “very exciting and fast paced” jobs and the genuine “chance to get your teeth stuck in”. The two-year graduate scheme offers them a chance to have a “taster of each division” with up to six different placements. While the graduates are on two month rotations for the first year, they still are given “a high level of responsibility very quickly” with ample support, via “numerous training days” and they even have “managing directors for mentors” (‘Training & Support’ receives a high average ratings of 9.0/10).

Surely most impressive though is that the property firm acquires 1st place overall for the ratings that its graduates give to their colleagues. Review writers unanimously agree that the people are the number one best thing about the company and Barratt are the only company for which every single graduate reviewer gives their colleagues a 10/10 rating! Graduates at Barratt feel “part of a team - the Barratt team in my division as well as part of the nationwide team of Barratt graduates”.

Since its founding in 2002, Teach First has placed over 3,300 teachers in challenging circumstances to work with students in order to raise their achievement, access and aspirations. The graduates who make it onto the hugely popular scheme all unequivocally highlight two things - how tough but how rewarding the roles are. “I was told it was going to be tough, which it was”, sums up one reviewer, “however, it was also a lot more fun and rewarding than I ever thought it was going to be”. Their recruits appreciate “the opportunity to make a difference”, “the feeling that they have helped everyday” and that “they are being pro-active in making real social change” - the influential charity ‘delivers far-reaching social and economic change by addressing educational disadvantage, driving up standards and raising expectations in some of the UK's most challenging schools’. Their graduates “love” the work they do with “other enthusiastic teachers” - they rate their “creative, interesting and talented colleagues” highly (scoring an average rating of 9.0/10). But it is ‘Career Progression’ for which Teach First gets its highest average ratings (a phenomenal 9.1/10 average). It is clear that whether the goal is to be a long term teacher or a high-flying banker, Teach First has great career prospects for its graduates: 50% of the recruits choose to stay on past the two year programme, usually finding that they are promoted to Head of Department in no time at all, while the others are unsurprisingly snapped up by the top city firms who actively recruit Teach First alumnae. Ultimately, Teach First graduates say that the scheme offers them an unbeatable experience and training, where “there is endless variety” and “life will never be dull”. In fact, one graduate goes as far as to put it like this: “I have the best job in the entire world”.

People at BA love working there” declares one recent graduate and he is certainly not alone. “BA is a great company to work for, especially for people who love to travel” concurs his colleague. There is no doubt that the opportunities to travel, both in your own time and with work, are a big attraction of the firm. The phenomenal staff travel perks are mentioned by pretty much every reviewer – “90% off flights, cheap hotels, car hire etc. makes for a cheap holiday to some great locations” and “The discounted flights will enable you to travel to destinations you never dreamed of going to!”, to offer just 2 examples! Most positions also involve some travel as part of the role - even a graduate on the finance scheme reports getting to travel “all over the world”.

But there is so much more to the graduate programmes at British Airways than just travel. “Enjoyment” is a common theme and with an epic average rating of 9.4/10, the company achieves the 2nd highest score out of every company in this area. This is no doubt helped by the “unrivalled variety in role and department” (“no two days are ever the same”) and the consistent reports of “responsibility straight away” with “unbelievable” exposure to top-level managers.

The business also has a great, “nurturing” culture (8.3/10) “which makes you feel very much at home” – due in no small part to the “great bunch of colleagues” (9.3/10). All of which means that whatever part of the world they are off to, British Airways employees “get up in the morning and enjoy going to work”.

Asda claim that their graduates ‘go further, higher, faster... taking on responsibility from day one to become future leaders’ and the firm is as good as its word.

Graduates report being “thrown in at the deep end from the start” with real responsibility from day one onwards. This includes “exposure to very influential individuals and situations that are at company level” and “total accountability” for your area of control. The average ‘Responsibility’ rating of 9.0/10 is the 2nd highest out of every company.

As promised, things happen at speed: “Retail is FAST moving - things change all the time - you've got to think fast and be innovative”. This means that Asda graduates are always busy (in a good way) so “the ability to plate spin is a must!”. It also means “great variety” where “no two days are ever the same”.

At the same time Asda makes sure its employees are happy, giving them “flexible working hours”, “support” and “great people to work with”. ‘Colleagues’ receive a 9.3/10 average and the graduates make the most of it with a “work hard, play hard culture” and a “great social life outside” – “we really have fun”.

In short, “Asda is a great place to work” where “the opportunities to really progress and forge a career are massive” and ultimately, where their graduates claim: “There is no better place to understand retail and get a strong commercial understanding”.

Admiral’s company work philosophy: ‘People who like what they do, do it better’, says it all – Admiral ensures their staff enjoy what they do! Our review writers score them an average 9.0/10 for ‘Enjoyment’, crediting the management for creating a “fun”, “relaxed” and “innovative” environment where “the focus is on enjoying working for the company”. This ranges from open plan desks (“for everyone except the chief exec!”) to the organisation of “regular team events and evenings out”. Even more praise however is reserved for their ”awesome” co-workers (at 9.6/10 ‘Colleagues’ gets a top 5 rating) - “it’s a young team... and we all get on really well”. All in all, Admiral’s graduates agree that “it is a great place to work”, with one reviewer going even further: “Every day, I love my job”.

Saatchi & Saatchi X, the creative marketing agency, ranks 4th highest out of any company for ‘Enjoyment’ (with an average rating of 9.2/10). Employees simple love the “incredibly positive and creative atmosphere” in the office while the “nothing is impossible ethos that runs through the life blood of the company” and “the drive to be the best” are universally acclaimed as great things about the agency. The overall ‘Company Culture’ scores a fantastic 9.2/10 average. Employees also praise their colleagues as “enthusiastic and talented individuals who show a passion for their work each day” (rating them a very strong 9.4/10). Quite simply, the agency is hard to fault, with a good salary (averaging around £30,000) and graduates who enjoy what they do. The only negative might be the occasional late nights around deadline time but their employees are quick to reassure that even then “the real team atmosphere means the hours are not in any way a bind”.

BAM Construct invests over a million pounds every year in the development and learning of its employees and sure enough, their graduates appreciate it, rating the ‘Training and Support’ provided as 9.2/10 on average. Impressively, this rating is not just the best aspect of BAM but actually the 3rd highest score in this field out of every single company. One reviewer puts it well by summarising that “the best thing about BAM is that they are a hugely loyal and supportive company in terms of personal development and training”. While BAM graduates mention perks such as “the recently introduced cycle to work scheme which offers a subsidy for the bike of your choice” and other benefits such as travel allowance, gym discounts and sports & social clubs, it seems that reviewers really find that the main positives of the company come via their day-to-day working lives - in the job itself. The “challenging nature of day-to-day life within the industry is stimulating & rewarding” and “the unique opportunity to influence major construction projects leaves a great sense of achievement at the end of the day” is how two reviewers put it. Notably, graduates report a great deal of satisfaction from being “on site” and watching their work develop in front of them. All in all, BAM Construct offers their graduates an industry leading package - great jobs, fantastic perks and above all else brilliant training. As one of their graduates puts it: “I do not know of any other construction company that supports their staff in the same way that BAM do!”.

Bain prides itself on being a great place to work, having won many past awards – particularly within the consultancy industry - and it’s clear from our reviewers that the firm’s approach is still working.
“Fantastic people!!!” top the list for the best thing about the company (‘Colleagues’ score an amazing 9.6/10 average rating). Reviewers almost seem to be trying to outcompete each other in the language that they use to describe their “amazing” and “superb” colleagues. There is a “genuine team spirit - 'a Bainie never lets another Bainie down’” which makes the office an “incredibly welcoming and happy place to work”. This spirit is encouraged by a range of company-organised social occasions such as “dinners, events, a summer and winter office party and, once a year, the 'Bain World Cup’” (where global offices meet to play football and volleyball).

‘Bainies’ work hard but enjoy the fact that they are “challenged every day with interesting work that has value to our clients”. The company also supports them if they fancy working somewhere else, be it abroad or even for a different company for a year (an ‘externship’) - employees have gone off to work for organisations such as innocent drinks and The Clinton Foundation before coming back to Bain.
Add to all of this the “quality and frequent” training (8.5/10) and the “superb reputation” that the company enjoys and it is very clear why its graduate employees say that “Bain is a fantastic place to work and a great place to start your career... whether you're planning to be a consultant for life or wish to use consulting as a spring-board to something else”.

“The best thing about Unilever is the culture” declares one graduate employee, and he is by no means alone. “Amazing people” and “great camaraderie between the graduates” (with “lots of chatting while we work”) combine with an “excellent flexible working policy” and “a super modern office” (albeit “in the middle of the countryside” – Leatherhead) to “really make Unilever stand out from other companies”. The perks that you get at that office are singled out for near universal praise as well – On-site gym? Check. Free Ice Cream? Check. “Unilever products at a massive discount”? Check! But perhaps even more impressive is the sheer variety of different aspects that different reviewers highlight as making the firm so great for them personally to work for. For some people it’s the “huge time and effort that goes into my development” (‘Training & Support’ gets an 8.8/10 average rating), for others it’s the ability “to try out different areas, both in terms of the location and roles within the company”, while still other graduates point to the “extreme focus on reducing environmental impact” and the fact that the firm is “very charitable” - Unilever receives a whopping 9.7/10 for ‘Ethics and Environmental Awareness’ (the 2nd highest score of any firm). All in all, it’s pretty much impossible to highlight just one or two reasons that the maker of Persil, Hellmann’s and Lynx has such happy grads, as they have great ratings across the board. If you like the idea of “seeing your work in the cupboards of 99% of UK households” (and don’t mind a bit of a commute!), Unilever might just be your dream employer.

Looking for a career in financial services but don’t fancy some of the draw-backs of investment banking? Well look no further! The FSA bill their graduate schemes as ‘an ideal starting point for a career in financial services’ and their graduates agree. The schemes are constructed to take advantage of the FSA’s broad based expertise by allowing graduates to rotate through positions in order “to try many new roles and opportunities internally as well as externally, on secondment”. Where you work is up to you (after the 1st rotation) “so there is a lot of scope to find work you are interested in” and that secondment (usually in the 3rd year of the program) will give you a view of the industry from another perspective (typically an investment bank, fund manager or law firm). These rotations ensure that “variety” is a word that comes up time and time again and help the firm to gain an average 8.2/10 rating for ‘Enjoyment’ (no small feat in the financial services industry). “Real responsibility” is an often mentioned phrase as well, be it for “figures”, “strategic decision-making” or “exposure to senior management both internally and externally”. Overall “there is a drive to allow people to perform to their abilities, not strictly limiting people to experience and position”. There is special mention for the “great working culture” (8.1/10) where “people are always happy to help” and the company is described as “very collegial, with everyone working towards a set goal” (again something that you don’t often hear in financial services). What’s more, you get “good pay for reasonable hours” – so you won’t be surprised to hear that at 8.9/10, the FSA’s ‘Work/Life Balance’ score is the single highest in the whole financial services industry!.

Credo, a relatively small management consultancy, succeeds in standing head and shoulders above most of its competitors by offering its graduates a “top of the market remuneration package”, a “decent work life balance (for the sector)”, “early responsibility and individualised career management” and a whole lot more. Let’s start with that salary - “Credo pays a higher graduate salary (including bonus) than any other management consultancy”. The company shares its profits out with its staff - and it is highly profitable - so the bonus tends to be around 30–40% of basic salary, meaning a new starter’s take home package is around the £50k mark.

They are a small firm (35 consultants), which can mean that having the right people makes all the difference as “you know everyone”. Luckily, the people are both “very bright, motivated, driven” and “a lot of fun outside of work” - and this applies “from the partners down to the junior levels”. Indeed, every reviewer mentions ‘the people’ as one of the best things about the firm and ‘Colleagues’ receives a fantastic 9.0/10 average rating.

Being small also provides other benefits. You will “get client exposure from the start” as well as “rapid career progression” which, at 9.1/10, was the 4th highest score out of all the Top 50 firms. Add in some nice perks like client dinners and annual weekends away (in the last few years they’ve been to Lisbon, Budapest, Nice and Madrid) and you get the ideal result - an employer whose graduates find that “it’s difficult to think of any bad things to say”.

Sky works hard to ensure that their graduates are happy and their approach seems to pay great dividends, with their reviewers describing them as “a great company to work for” that “looks after their employees well”. Their graduates are offered good training and support and they are given high levels of “real responsibility” from an early stage - something that as one reviewer points out “many companies offer, but Sky really gives it. I have been here for one year and have already managed a team of 14 people and project managed a piece of work from start to finish”. The company also goes out of its way to create a “great atmosphere” (‘Company Culture’ scores an 8.7/10 average rating) with a “good social life” and “big grad community”, while reviewers also praise the “young, bright and enthusiastic people” who they work with (‘Colleagues’ are rated 8.7/10).
As befits a company that prides itself for providing ‘outstanding entertainment’, Sky organises fun events for its staff including regular “Friday treats” which can include anything from table tennis and BBQs to surf simulators and bungee runs. There is also their annual Music Festival, featuring top acts including Tinie Tempah and Calvin Harris. You may be more surprised to learn however that it is
the company’s ‘Ethical and Environmental Awareness’ that their employees rate most highly, scoring 9.0/10 - one of the highest scores in this category for any employer. Sky run a number of projects including Sky Rainforest Rescue (helping protect the Amazon rainforest) and The Bigger Picture Project (making a positive contribution to Sky’s local communities and society). Finally, add to this the “great benefits (good pension scheme, free Sky+HD and broadband)” and it is easy to see why Sky’s graduates are so happy. As one of them simply summarises: “The company is brilliant”.

If you are looking for a great career in law but don’t want to give up your entire social life then Irwin Mitchell may be the place for you. The firm is the 4th largest law firm (by number of employees) and the largest personal injury practice in the UK. The practice is described by its graduates as “a great place to work” with “excellent staff treatment”. Their graduates rate their fellow colleagues extremely well (‘Colleagues’ scores a 9.1/10 average rating) and commend the “relaxed”, “welcoming” and “warm” atmosphere, with many agreeing that “the best thing about Irwin Mitchell is the friendliness”. The new recruits also feel “valued” & “respected” and receive good recognition for their work. Where Irwin Mitchell really outshines its competitors though is in the Work/Life Balance (gaining the highest score in the Law industry at 8.1/10). Trainees have genuinely good working hours and if ever “any extra hours are required then they are encouraged to be the exception rather than the rule”. Reviewers insist that they finish no later than 6pm on average. In short Irwin Mitchell offer trainees a rare mix of “excellent quality of work” and a genuinely good work/life balance.

The aim of the Fast Stream is to give graduates ‘a wide range of experience in a very short time’, through a series of placements or postings and graduates can choose from a selection of professional areas in a wide range of departments. This means that there is considerable variety in what different graduates get up to each day. There are some things that are true of the experience of all Fast Streamers however - the most prominent being the huge levels of job satisfaction that reviewers say they take from their work. This is because graduates “know that what you do is helping to improve peoples quality of life all over the country”, because they are “working closely with senior and interesting people” and because they are given “lots of responsibility”. The support structure is there as well to enable them to “get on with doing an excellent job” – from “great training” (“I really appreciate the time and focus on developing my career”) (‘Training & Support’ is rated 8.4/10 on average) to “a good number of graduates in a similar position who are supportive and open to helping problem solve” (‘Colleagues’ are rated 8.6/10).

Is it possible to work for an Accountancy firm and still love your job? ‘Yes!’ is the resounding answer from Grant Thornton employees. They speak of their work as “interesting” and “varied” (an apparent benefit of being a “mid-tier” firm), acknowledge their colleagues as “great”, “talented” and “friendly” (giving ‘Colleagues’ an 8.6/10 average rating) and praise their firm for providing great training and support (8.5/10) - “has to be one of the best things - it really is excellent”. Yes, “there are times of the year when it gets very busy” but GT employees repeatedly favourably compare their firm to the Big 4 Accountancies for Work/Life Balance (“very reasonable compared to other professional services firms”), early responsibility (“you are encouraged to really take ownership of the work you do” and the company being “genuinely interested in your welfare”. All in all, if Accountancy appeals to you, Grant Thornton are a great choice.

Simmons & Simmons is a 'silver circle' city law firm (a genuine competitor to the top five UK solicitors’ in terms of revenues). The firm is known for its “quality“ and “interesting work” and the “opportunity to work with the best” is a key attraction for their current trainees, with one reviewer stating: “working with big name clients on important cases or deals is exhilarating”. The trainees also feel genuinely “valued” and “appreciated” members of a team with real responsibility, for example one trainee describes his experience of “having a disclosure meeting with directors of a company by himself”. While all the current grads seem to agree that what they “enjoy most about my job is the fact that it is always interesting and challenging” they also do not fail to mention their “fantastic colleagues” (‘Colleagues’ scores an average rating of 8.5/10) - there certainly seems to be a good trainee community, with plenty of reviewers describing their fellow trainees as “good friends”. One graduate reviewer seems to sum up the attraction of working at Simmons & Simmons perfectly: “The firm is big enough to get excellent work from top clients, but still retains a collegial feel”.

L’Oreal employees are “proud” to work for “such a respected company” and on such “super brands”. It is no surprise that they enjoy the “good perks”, from “a good restaurant in the office serving up really varied and healthy stuff” to the staff freebies and discounts that reviewers mention without fail – “L'Oreal is at the cutting edge of cosmetics and bring out some cool products. You get staff discount and trials of new releases!”.

The good news is that they rate their roles highly too both on ‘Career Progression’ (which receives an average rating of 8.6/10) and ‘Responsibility’ (8.1/10) as well. “There is a lot of potential to progress quickly” and graduates are given the “chance to stretch and learn and develop every day” with a “huge amount of responsibility and ownership of brands at a young age”. Additionally, “every day is VERY different” and it is the type of environment where the company responds to your development so “show responsibility and you will be given responsibility”.

‘Colleagues’ too get a great - indeed a top 10 - rating of 9.4/10. They are described as “young, fun, intelligent people” and the company as a whole is one with a “brilliant social scene”, “where everyone is up for fun” and “fantastic banter”. Many reviewers mention “having a lot of friends at work” and they frequently praise the firm itself for creating such a “great company culture” (rated 8.5/10) - something which “football tours to Sweden” and “conferences in Marbella” – both of which have recently been arranged – can surely only help!

AkzoNobel is one of the world’s leading industrial companies. The multinational firm is the world leader in decorative paints and home to some of the best-known brands in the business such as Dulux. Their graduates report that they are “a great company to work for and supportive of employees with the typical benefits you'd expect from a large employer”. The company has great benefits for its 55,000 staff from “flexible working hours”, “good company pension” and “a good holiday allowance” to “discount paints”! What seems to really get their graduates going though is the office culture (which receives an average rating of 8.3/10). Graduates describe it as a very “friendly and laid back” atmosphere with “very approachable management” and “good people” (‘Colleagues’ scores a very high 9.2/10 average). While the firm is described by its staff as “investors in people and their development” they also do their part in looking after the planet, gaining the 3rd highest score of any company for ‘Environmental and Ethical Awareness’ (9.6/10).

Having recently joined forces with Cadbury, Kraft are fast becoming every bit the more delicious to work for! The size of the firm brings many benefits while the additional Cadbury brands can only be seen as a real positive for staff - graduates rejoice: “I get to work on chocolate everyday!”. Without doubt the “exciting products” that the firm produce are a huge positive for graduates. “I get to work on a range of products that are widely loved by the public, and get the satisfaction of seeing something I have developed out in the shops”. They also don’t fail to mention the products they get to take home with them - both through “freebies” and from the “great staff shop”. Working for the world’s second largest food company (that operates in over 170 countries) also means Kraft’s recruits quite literally have a world of opportunity in front them: “The company is so, so, large that it's hard to get your head around sometimes! Not a negative - this brings a lot of possibility to everything you do” mentions one reviewer, “It gives you scale and power in the market to do some great things” adds another. While most large firms may leave the ‘small fish’ with little responsibility, this is not the case at Kraft. Instead, the trainees’ main positives include “the level of autonomy, interaction with other functions and the direct influence they have over the direction of the business”. Graduates feel that “each role is a real job where you have responsibility and you are expected to deliver results” (Kraft score the 8th best score overall for ‘Responsibility’ with an average rating of 8.2/10). Finally, unlike many companies of their size, Kraft has a “great atmosphere”, “inspiring ethos” and, most importantly, “nice people and a supportive culture”.

CHP Consulting, who provide finance software and consultancy, boast that their employees say that ‘they have never worked with such a good bunch of people’ and, judging by our CHP reviews, it is an accurate claim. The 9.3/10 average rating that graduates give to their ‘Colleagues’ is a top 10 score and many a reviewer highlights that the number one thing about the firm “is definitely the people that I work with”. “Everyone who works at CHP is lovely to work with and I see a fair number of people outside of work too”. The firm themselves go to great lengths to support the “good sense of community spirit” through “a relaxed working environment where people will often share a story or a joke”, by laying on “company drinks & events” and, most notably, through “project jollies abroad” to celebrate major milestones or projects. Recent destinations have included Miami, Reykjavik and an “all-expenses paid, 5 star, 4 day trip with 50 other employees to Cyprus - great fun!”.

“Mace are a high profile professional company and it certainly feels like it as an employee”. Mace Group offer graduates the opportunity to work on “some of the most high profile projects in the UK” including “inspirational developments such as the Olympic Park, Shard (tallest building in Western Europe) and the London Eye”. The company are a top player in the property industry and their new recruits love “working for a leading company on iconic builds”. They all agree that one of the biggest positives of working for the firm is that they feel genuinely “proud to work on a project with Mace's name on it”. Of course, with high achievement comes high expectations and Mace set out to ensure their new recruits are given the best opportunity to perform by offering them “excellent training” that “is renowned within the industry” (‘Training & Support’ scores an average rating of 8.2/10). The firm are happy to fork out extra money to help develop their graduate talent, including through sponsorship of educational courses - as illustrated by one reviewer for whom “the company sponsored and paid for me to study towards a Masters part time, which is expensive and shows their commitment to my development”. Mace also offer up first rate benefits including “a good pension”, “health insurance with an annual full body health check”, dental plan, car allowance, reimbursement of professional subscriptions and, for sports fans, there are plenty of clubs to get involved with, including netball, cricket, softball, football, cycling and running.

In summary, Mace are rated so highly by their graduates because they produce outstanding projects across the world and because they “are a really good company to work for; they value and look after their staff and invest heavily in them to train them and progress them through the ranks”.

For a FTSE 100 company with a turnover of £22 billion, Centrica certainly gives its graduates a lot of responsibility and room to be innovative. New starters relish the “exposure to major business decisions” and the “great opportunity for creative input and management/responsibility of high-profile projects”. You are “left to do things your way a lot of the time” and this means that graduates at the 34,000 person company really feel that they are doing “crucial work... without which, the business couldn't progress”. Unsurprisingly, this translates to a strong average rating for ‘Enjoyment’ (8.0/10).

Graduates have plenty of schemes to choose from, ranging from Customer Operations to Finance and Engineering and, while each scheme and role is very different, they all offer “unique and incredible opportunities to gain experience”. On each one, the graduates report feeling “very supported”, “valued” and “encouraged to learn and grow”, with one reviewer summarising: “Centrica encourages personal and professional development, and truly cares about the welfare of its employees”. Unlike some other firms of this size, the culture is “very friendly and open regardless of seniority” (‘Company Culture’ scores a high 8.0/10). The highest average score however is reserved for ‘Colleagues’ (8.8/10); as one graduate puts it: “The best thing about Centrica is the other graduates: as well as having fun and regularly organising our own social meet-ups, we provide a massive network to offer support and advice in the work place”. There are “lots of different sporting activities and clubs” to get involved in and a free gym at the office as well, while other benefits at the firm range from a good pension and share scheme to fantastic discounts (“if you want to buy anything the chances are you can get 10% off!”) and a dedicated concierge service that can “arrange anything from a doctors appointment to sourcing vintage taxi engines!”.

GVA, “the largest independent property consultancy in the UK”, offers its graduates a great deal of variety in their work, including “very different challenges that constantly further my own knowledge/expertise”, “a good combination of site and office based work” and the opportunity “to work with different teams of people”. It also provides “significant levels of responsibility from the outset” and its graduates really appreciate “the strong level of trust and belief” that lies behind this responsibility.

There is a “very good in-house and external training” programme - described as ”one of the best in the property industry” (and given a 7.6/10 average rating) - to support the new recruits, as well as “good support towards the APC”.

“The main benefit of working for GVA” however “is the friendly and highly skilled individuals I get to work with” - the average rating given to ‘Colleagues’ is an impressive 8.7/10. The office is described as “friendly”, “approachable” and a “very pleasurable working environment”, while GVA certainly live up to the property industry’s social reputation. The firm insists that ‘it’s not all about work, work, work: there is always time for sporting and social events’ and they are true to their word, with “frequent social events funded by the office” such as “drinks for the whole office every other week”.

Finally, as an extra selling point, GVA are ”good at supporting charity activities” and score very well for ‘Ethical Awareness’ (8.4/10). The firm have an award-winning national charity campaign and this year the company donates 10p to Whizz-Kidz for every mile a member of staff walks, runs or cycles to and from work.

KPMG is the largest fully-integrated accountancy firm in Europe. Their graduates enjoy the fact that their job “is different every day - not just a 9-5 in front of a desk doing the same thing day in day out” while, at the same time, being a “good way to learn a great deal about a variety of businesses”. Given the firm’s size, it is no surprise that there are “great networks and resources available to help improve your skills” and a good salary and benefits package, including international secondments, sabbaticals on request and the ‘Flextra’ system, which allows employees to buy extra holiday so that they can end up with up to 35 days off per year. It is the people however who are “by far the best aspect of the company”, (scoring a high average rating of 8.5/10) “they are really good - they're knowledgable, but they offer more than that - they're all good fun to work with”.