After looking at industries that had the most jobs a few weeks ago, I wanted to know how certain industries stacked up in terms of applicant preference and interest. So I polled 6700+ Gen Y and asked how 9 industries compared in terms of overall appeal. Why these nine? I wanted to present industries that hired a wide spectrum of students and grads (healthcare and education tend to hire for specific skills sets and certifications).

As expected, technology and new media topped the list with 40% or more citing these industries as most attractive. Interestingly, liberal arts majors were just as interested in these industries as business and engineering majors, which signals the broad appeal of these types of companies.

I attribute their interest to the engagement that Gen Y has had with web 2.0 and social media and the fact that tech firms haven’t been mired in the recent Wall Street bank collapses and mortgage housing crisis that we have all been watching for the past 6+ months. I expect that these firms will have the “pick of the litter” this year in terms of talent.

On the other end of the spectrum are the least attractive industries - insurance and manufacturing. Two older industries with perceived slower growth and therefore less opportunity for Gen Y. The survey data clearly suggests that companies at the bottom of the list have a brand perception issue that they need to combat, because there are fast growing, exciting opportunities to be found in these sectors.

I can’t help but think that students and recent grads are overlooking companies in these areas simply because of an overall industry perception issue, rather than what one prospective firm can offer. A perfect example of this is GEICO, the fastest growing auto insurer in the nation who continues to take market share and win awards for best customer service. And I know for a fact that they continue to hire all types of majors to grow their business. Or if you look at the Inc. 500/5000, there are 400 manufacturing companies that make the list as the fastest growing private companies in America.

Of course, all companies need to put their best foot forward when recruiting, visiting campus etc. The challenge that these less attractive companies face is finding the right aspects of their business and company culture that appeal to Gen Y (stability, training, CEO that started at the bottom rung) that allows them to compete effectively with those in the top industries.

Did the past four months just completely fly by or what? It wasn’t that long ago we began blogging about the data that drives Gen Y and careers. As I look back at the batch of posts, I have to shamelessly admit I’m entering the holidays with a strong sense of optimism for the new year. Even in tough times, our discussions on Talent Insights have consistently demonstrated that Gen Y on a whole is determined to “make it work.”

Whether it’s taking the steps they need to take to explore career paths and find new jobs that they love, staying engaged with the political process on the heels of a new administration or remaining steadfast with their commitment to social concerns, millennials in 2009 have nothing ahead of them but opportunity. And generally speaking, that’s really how they see things: through a lens of promise and hope.

We’ll be taking the next few weeks off and will return in January with more insight to help you do what you need to do better - whether it’s finding that next great candidate, finding that next great job or anything in between. In the meantime, stay warm (especially to all of our friends here in the northeast), rest up and get ready for 2009. It’s going to be quite a year.

Happy Holidays!

Talent Insights launched a couple of months ago with the goal of offering employers, professionals in career services and candidates with relevant and actionable data-driven insight to help you do your job better – whether your job is setting recruiting strategy, helping others as they head down their paths or even just looking for a new career.

Since our start in September, we’ve seen our readership increase exponentially week after week. Many of you have engaged with your peers through leaving insightful comments on our posts. And we’ve been mentioned in industry-specific publications, regional newspapers and national-level media. As a matter of fact, last month BusinessWeek.com’s First Jobs blog referenced Talent Insights in its Best of the Web: All Things Gen Y post. What a great stamp of approval!

As you prepare to get together this week with family and friends, we’d like to thank you for your support of the Talent Insights Blog. You’ve been the drivers of our success. And stay tuned – we’ll be back next week with more Gen Y insight and analysis to help you as you plan for 2009 and beyond.

Happy Thanksgiving!