According to a survey by global information and media organisation The Nielson Company, the IT industry is the most-favoured sector for engineering students who will be graduating in the year 2009.

Presented below are the findings of Nielson's Campus Track T-Schools, a syndicated, nationwide study of  final year engineering students, how they judge prospective employers and the factors involved. The findings are meant to help companies attract the cream of the crop from engineering colleges across the country.

Of the top five most preferred employers (Tata Consultancy Services [Get Quote], Google and Accenture are the top three), four are IT organisations. Students in the non-IT sector, on the other hand, opted to try for the automotive industry.

Says Vatsala Pant, Associate Director, Client Solutions at The Nielson Company, "Information Technology has been the most sough-after industry for some time now. Even engineers specialising in other disciplines such as chemical, mechanical and civil, want to start their career in IT, because of the prospects the sector brings with it in terms of better pay and the opportunity to work abroad."

As for the top five industries of the future, students voted for IT services and products, nanotechnology, management consultancies, energy-oil and gas and the financial sector.

The IITs' top performers are more inclined at present to opt for jobs with management consultancies, investment banks and foreign banks. A particular favourite with them is Schlumberger, an oilfield services provider and a company perceived as 'Best Recruiter'. They also consider the energy sector and investment banks one of the top future industries.

The criteria on which the students based their choice of preferred employer was based on opportunities to work in a growing sector alongside experts and on-the-job training to gain expertise in a particular domain. The Campus Track T-School study also found that large corporates, good job content and hands-on exposure had a hand in the students' choices.

Surprisingly, salary did not figure as an important aspect, as students seem to expect that their requirements will be met -- if not, it reflects poorly on the organisation in question. This year, salaries from preferred employers are expected to make a 20 percent jump, with the average annual package at a little more than Rs 11 lakhs.