How Has Job Hunting Changed at Tokyo University of Science? A Three-Year Survey Shows Shifts in Student Preferences | Works Japan Co., Ltd.

The Sankei Shimbun and HR consulting firm Works Japan Co., Ltd. conduct a job preference survey for university and graduate students. This article uses three years of data for students scheduled to graduate or complete their studies in March 2025 ('25 grads), March 2026 ('26 grads), and March 2027 ('27 grads). The analysis in this article is based on responses from Tokyo University of Science students (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology) from each survey (25 grads: 60, 26 grads: 58, 27 grads: 120).

Job-Seeking Preferences of Tokyo University of Science Students | Key Points from the 3-Year Survey Three key points about the job-seeking preferences of Tokyo University of Science students can be identified from the three-year survey data: - Companies in precision machinery, heavy industry, automotive, and consulting have newly entered the TOP 10. The industry composition changes noticeably year to year, showing no fixed concentration in specific sectors. - For reasons to choose a company, 'stable business performance' rose from 5.0% for '25 grads to 41.7% for '27 grads. 'Being able to do the work I want,' which was number one for '25 and '26 grads, fell to 1.7% for '27 grads. - While 'looking at various companies without narrowing down the industry' increased from 28.3% for '25 grads to 48.3% for '27 grads, 'meeting employees to see if the company is a good fit' decreased from 40.0% for '25 grads to 24.2% for '27 grads.

Changes in the 'Most Popular Companies Ranking' for Tokyo University of Science Students Over 3 Years Companies in precision machinery, heavy industry, automotive, consulting, and food have newly entered the TOP 10. Although five trading companies dominated the TOP 10 for '25 grads, their rankings fell for '26 grads, only to return for '27 grads, highlighting a characteristic trend of changing industry composition each year among Tokyo University of Science students.

【TOP 10 Most Popular Companies】 (Weighted by preference rank) - Sony Group has remained in the top 2 for three consecutive years. It ranked 1st for '25 grads (68pt), 2nd for '26 grads (32pt), and 1st for '27 grads (67pt), gathering consistent interest. - General trading companies tended to occupy many of the TOP 10 spots for '25 and '27 grads. Five trading companies were ranked in '25, but only Mitsubishi Corporation (8th) remained in '26. For '27, three companies, including Itochu Corporation (2nd), made a comeback. - Precision machinery, heavy industry, automotive, and consulting firms newly entered the TOP 10 for '27 grads. Murata Manufacturing (4th), Honda Motor (7th), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (9th), Kyocera (10th), and Nomura Research Institute (NRI) (3rd) ranked, diversifying the lineup. Suntory Holdings also rose to 6th place.

Changes in 'Reason for First Choice' Among Tokyo University of Science Students Over 3 Years 'Stable business performance' rose from 5.0% for '25 grads and 8.6% for '26 grads to 41.7% for '27 grads, becoming the most common answer. In contrast, 'being able to do the work I want,' which was number one for '25 and '26 grads, fell to 1.7% for '27 grads. This shows a shift from focusing on job content to emphasizing stability and future prospects. Furthermore, 'has future potential' is also on the rise, while 'possesses high technical capabilities' is declining, suggesting a stronger tendency to prioritize a company's long-term growth potential over its technology itself.

Changes in 'What Students Are Conscious of in Job Hunting' Over 3 Years While 'looking at various companies without narrowing down the industry' is trending upward from 28.3% for '25 grads to 48.3% for '27 grads, 'meeting employees to see if the company is a good fit' is trending downward from 40.0% for '25 grads to 24.2% for '27 grads. This suggests a change in attitude towards wanting to conduct job hunting efficiently while keeping options open, rather than deeply pursuing specific companies. 'Taking time to conduct a satisfying job search' is also declining, while 'conducting a job search efficiently' fluctuates but is comparatively high for '27 grads.