The New Zealand technology sector is a significant contributor to the New Zealand economy, with some 21,500 firms offering more than $16.5 billion to gross domestic product each year. It’s also an industry that has won the attention of New Zealand’s graduates. The release of the GradNewZealand 2020 Top 100 Graduate Employers report shows that young New Zealanders are eager to work in the technology industry, which emerged as the second most popular sector in the survey. It also took out the first and third positions overall, in the Top 100.
Topping the list was Microsoft, the multinational technology company, at number one, followed by Xero, the accounting software company, at number three. Also appearing on the list are Datacom (15), IBM (20), MYOB (22), Orion Health (29), Trade Me (31), and Cisco (33). Other entrants are Spark, DXC Technology, Vodafone, Fujitsu, and FNZ.
Part of the appeal of the technology sector is the opportunity it presents for graduates to have a sweeping impact across multiple industries. ‘The rapid development of technology, automation and cloud-based computing is changing the accounting industry,’ says Shailan Patel, a graduate now working as an Education Manager at MYOB. ‘clients. Accountants that harness technology to provide tailored insights and actionable recommendations will continue to be successful. Young people with tech in their DNA will hopefully find this a very natural progression.’
The popularity of the technology sector is likely tied to its growth in New Zealand. Technology is now New Zealand’s third-largest export, with the bulk of the country’s technology sector concentrated in Auckland.
‘As we’ve seen in Australia as well, the technology sector continues to be a major drawcard for graduates, who see it as providing an exciting, well-paid career with significant benefits,’ says Grant Robson, Director of GradNewZealand. ‘It’s exciting to see that graduates are willing to dedicate their skills to an industry of such great importance to New Zealand’s economy.’
The definitive list of the Top 100 Graduate Employers can be found on the GradNewZealand website (as of Thursday 13th February), and students can pick up a copy of the latest edition at career fairs and their university careers service centre throughout New Zealand in March. The Top 100 Guide includes 200 pages of comprehensive employer profiles, sector information, insider tips on how to get hired as well as real-life stories from graduates on the job.