Sankei Shimbun and HR consulting firm Works Japan have conducted a survey on career preferences among university and graduate students. This report uses data from three years of surveys: for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 graduating classes.

The analysis is based on responses from Kyushu university students (2025 class: 71; 2026 class: 86; 2027 class: 57). *Note: Data for 2027 graduates is provided as a reference due to the sample size of 57.

Career Preferences of Kyushu University Students: Key Points Three major trends have been identified:

1. Rankings show multiple food and beverage manufacturers increasing their scores over the three years, indicating growing interest in this industry. 2. The top reason for choosing a company is 'the company's business is stable,' which has seen a continuous upward trend from the 2025 class to the 2027 class. 3. There is a growing tendency to 'take time to conduct a satisfactory job search,' showing that students are carefully evaluating companies.

3-Year Trend in Popular Companies For 2027 graduates, companies in various industries such as food manufacturing, construction, pharmaceuticals, and energy are tending to rank highly. Some electrical and materials companies that were top-ranked for the 2025 class have declined, reflecting significant turnover in rankings across sectors.

[Trends] - Food & Beverage Industry: Ajinomoto and Suntory Holdings are gaining popularity. Nissin Foods is also increasing its presence. - Trading Companies: Mitsubishi Corporation and Itochu Corporation remain at the top, though their relative rankings have shifted. - Consulting/Think Tanks: Nomura Research Institute is seeing a downward trend, while Accenture is showing signs of recovery.

Changes in Reasons for Choosing a Company 'Business stability' reclaimed the top spot for the 2027 graduating class. A shift from focusing on job content back to valuing stability is observed. - 'Can do the work I want to do': Although slightly declining from the 2026 to 2027 class, it remains a top reason. - 'Possesses high technological capabilities': A gradual upward trend is observed from 2026 to 2027.

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Survey