For the fourth consecutive year, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) has been named one of the "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" by BusinessWeek magazine. The list highlights companies that excel at offering a superior workplace for entry-level employees. This year, Abbott moved up to No. 13, and was once again the top-ranked health care company on the list. Abbott has been included on the list every year since BusinessWeek initiated the list in 2006.
"In today's economy, graduates are looking for companies that can offer a long-lasting career with strong growth and leadership opportunities," said Stephen Fussell, senior vice president, Human Resources, Abbott. "While other companies are significantly cutting back on hiring, we see the current economy as an extraordinary opportunity to continue to bring in the best entry-level talent, and to help connect new employees with their potential in ways no other company can."
Abbott Helps Entry-Level Employees Build Extraordinary Careers
Many entry-level employees participate in Abbott's Professional Development Programs, which are two- to three-year programs that rotate new employees through several different positions across multiple divisions and locations in the areas of engineering, environmental health & safety, finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, manufacturing operations, marketing and quality. These programs provide graduates with the opportunity to experience a variety of challenging assignments and develop well-rounded skills before they settle into a long-term career choice, while making meaningful contributions to Abbott's business. Training and development are integral parts of the program, and participants also have the opportunity to interact with, and be mentored by, senior Abbott leaders.
"I pursued a job at Abbott because I wanted to have the chance to do meaningful work. Right out of school, I feel like I have been able to make a strong contribution to projects that have helped improve people's health and are important to the company," said Pathik Soni, participant in Abbott's Engineering Professional Development Program.
Career Opportunities at Abbott
Students and anyone interested in working at Abbott can visit the career center at www.abbott.com/careers. Recruiters access resumes every day and fill many available jobs through Internet postings.
About BusinessWeek's "Best Places to Launch a Career"
To compile the "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking, BusinessWeek polled 60 college career services directors across the country; collected data from a survey of 60,000 U.S. undergrads by Universum USA, a Philadelphia research company; and required employers to submit statistics on everything from pay and benefits to training programs and retention. BusinessWeek's "Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is in the Sept. 14, 2009 issue, on newsstands Sept. 4th. Expanded content is available on BusinessWeek.com, including the full methodology, profiles of each employer, an interactive table, slide shows and a video roundtable with recruiters.
Abbott Recognized as a Premier Employer Around the World
In addition to being included in BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career," Abbott has been included in BusinessWeek's list of the "50 Top Internships" for the past two years, and was profiled in the 2008 edition of Princeton Review's Best Entry-Level Jobs.
Abbott is recognized globally as a top employer, and has been honored among the best places to work in many countries around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Abbott also has been named to Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" list for eight consecutive years, and on DiversityInc magazine's list of the top companies for diversity for six years. The company also has been recognized by The Scientist magazine as a top employer for scientists. Additionally, FORTUNE has named Abbott as one of "America's Most Admired Companies" every year since the list's inception in 1983.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 72,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at http://www.abbott.com.