30 Companies That Offer Exceptional Professional Development Programs for Entry-Level Employees
For students deciding where to begin their careers, professional development opportunities can really make a company stand out. While things like company culture and job security are important, structured opportunities to progress in a career can pay dividends – and students are aware just how valuable these opportunities for growth can be.
Luckily, there are many employers that offer outstanding professional development opportunities for new grads. From rotational programs to structured mentorship to online learning, top employers are ensuring that their new employees have the tools and framework to succeed in their careers. While countless companies offer great professional development programs, these 30 stand out to us as being truly exceptional – check them out below.
Want to check out rotational programs specifically? Here are 10 strong rotational programs to kickstart your career.
Abbott
As a top healthcare products manufacturer, Abbott’s new hires participate in a two to three year development program with six areas of focus: finance, IT, manufacturing, quality assurance, engineering, and environmental health. What’s unique about this professional development program is that Abbott gives their participants the ability to personalize their experience based on their strengths or interests. For example, within the six areas of focus, members are provided with a variety of different learning paths and disciplines in their field of interest. This allows participants to personalize their learning experience to best fit themselves.
Adobe
Donna Morris, Executive Vice President of Customer and Employee Experience at Adobe told Forbes that it’s extremely important “if someone early on in their career knows there’s a path for growth and career progression.” A 2018 survey conducted by Forbes and marketing research company Statista found that Adobe was the number one employer for recent graduates. Adobe starts building the experience and skills needed early, sometimes before candidates enter the workforce. For example, Adobe recruits a large and diverse internship program by visiting college campuses and organizations like Girls Who Code. In 2018 alone, there were over 800 individuals who were granted Adobe internships to learn the ins and outs of the computer software company.
Career-building doesn’t stop there, however. Adobe also offers a variety of educational resources on the company's practices for all new recent college graduates or individuals entering the workforce called Accelerate Adobe Life. In this program, individuals receive regular check-ins, performance reviews, and training programs before starting their new positions. From there, employees are given certain benefits like educational reimbursement and leadership development courses. These benefits empower entry-level employees to achieve continual growth and advancement in the company.
Allstate
Allstate offers several rotational development programs, with one highlight being their Technology Leadership Development Program (TLDP). The goal of TLDP is to develop “versatile technology leaders by providing cross-functional experience through three rotations”. These rotations expose members to technology ops while simultaneously building business acumen and leadership skills. Three different rotations results in three distinct perspectives which allow members to build stronger networks and understanding of how the company functions as a whole. In terms of assignments, these involve people management, financial management, project management, client-facing work, operations, strategy, change management, and technical skills development. Specifically, these assignments can range from “developing architecture and infrastructure to support digital transformation” to actually “leading projects and managing teams”.
Allstate’s other rotational programs include a Leadership Development Program, Investments Development Program, and a Finance Risk Development Program. To learn more about these opportunities or TLDP, check out their Rotational Development Programs page.
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps believes that professional development isn’t just a benefit for its fellows — it’s a job requirement. According to their 80/20 rule, 20 percent of AmeriCorps fellows’ time should be spent on personal and professional development. A great way of doing so is by becoming a member of their well-known VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program, which aims to strengthen organizations that help poverty.
As a VISTA member, fellows are provided with face-to-face and online development trainings in order to “build capacity, strengthen communities, and develop [your] career.” AmeriCorps aims to provide VISTA participants with lifelong leadership, collaborative, and project management skills.
Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes offers a robust early-career development program for innovative students who are excited about changing the future of energy. In Baker Hughes’ program, recent grads rotate through different business functions and solve critical business challenges, all while developing strong technical skills and working in cross-functional teams. Throughout the program, recent grads also have access to mentorship from senior leadership, as well as training to grow as future leaders within the company. What’s more, the inclusive culture ensures that new employees feel comfortable asking questions and growing within the company. Of the development program, one employee in finance said: “My coworkers and assignment leaders in all my rotations have been amazing - kind, caring, approachable. I've learned immensely because I am always encouraged to ask questions and learn as much as possible."
Boston Consulting Group
At Boston Consulting Group, every employee “is hired with the belief that he or she will be a long-term employee, capable of substantial professional and personal growth within the firm”. This statement is reflected in their LAB Learning Portal, which is available to employees across the world and gives employees an on demand access point to training and content from their 20-plus areas of expertise. There’s even virtual classrooms offered almost every day that provide access to their “global experience and latest thinking”. And if that’s not enough, there’s also individualized training recommendation in order to help employees “develop problem solving, analytical, communication, leadership, and client service skills, helping you to learn more and continuously expand your potential through your on-the-job experiences”. BCG truly “recognize and value each individual’s desire for career development and work to create world-class opportunities and programming in order to enable that growth.”
Box
Box, a cloud computing business with clients like Morgan Stanley, Allstate, GE and more, has opened applications for Sales Development Representative program (2020 & 2021 graduates). What makes this opportunity stand out from the thousands of sales roles out there is that Box has a specific dedication to investing in entry-level talent. The ‘Work as One’ company mentality creates a collaborative environment between teams and senior leadership. This offers early professionals opportunities to network and receive mentorship on a consistent basis. Another awesome Box initiative: Project Elevate. This internal mobility program paves the way for sales professionals to move into management and leadership positions. The company even prides itself on how many Box leaders started in SDR roles. Graduates looking for a starter sales role with a built out roadmap for upward mobility should definitely consider becoming a Boxer!
Chubb
Chubb has an Associate Program for early career professionals to “help them develop expertise and technical acumen as an insurance professional”. The program includes a vast array of benefits including training sessions with peers and leadership as well as mentoring from prior program graduates to help early career professionals navigate the organization. One of the programs’ learning event highlights is the Early Career Workshop, in which associates have the opportunity to learn about the insurance industry directly from Chubb executives. The workshop culminates with early career colleagues splitting into groups to create projects based on learning in the session. According to Chubb, these efforts are to ensure their early career professionals “have the chance to hone [their] skills and talents and ultimately reach [their] career goals and contribute to the future success of the company.”
Cigna
Cigna has a Leadership Development Program that recruits for nine different areas, including marketing, finance, technology, operations, and sales. Members of the program – referred to as associates – not only work in a variety of positions, but have access to mentorship and have a dedicated program manager who oversees their career growth and progression throughout the program. Associates in full-time rotational programs also get to attend the biennial Cross Program Summit. Attendees of the summit expand their professional network, interact with members of the Cigna leadership team (including Cigna's CEO) and attend sessions and seminars to enhance and deepen their understanding of the business.
Cushman & Wakefield
When choosing your first job out of college, it can be hard to choose a specific role that suits your goals. That’s why Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate firm, offers multiple area-specific programs to help graduates discover the positions right for them based on their personal hands-on experience. These programs are 2 years long and cover many areas: Commercial Property, Quantity Surveying, Project Management, Residential, Planning, Development, Interior Design, Building Services Engineering, and Real Estate Consultant. Each of these programs offer strong training from colleagues and seniors in the respective fields. The flexibility of being able to become an expert in the field before landing in the role make these programs awesome options for young professionals eager to start exploring without committing to a singular position and path.
Deloitte
In the midst of a recession, former CEO of Deloitte, Barry Salzberg, took a bold but rewarding risk for the future of his company. Deloitte University is a 300 million dollar learning center in Texas dedicated to providing employees the opportunities, training, and tools to create a strong company. Salzberg believed in taking intelligent risks and investing in his employees, which he discusses in the Deloitte Resilient podcast about Deloitte University. By building Deloitte University, Salzberg believed it would show current and future employees the company’s long term commitment to their development and advancement. Deloitte University acts as a continuous education resource for all employee levels at the company, although interns and new hires receive specialized training as well. In order to better acclimate to a new company, each intern and recent graduate is given access to a mentorship team, including a counselor and onboarding advisor. The counselor, typically a manager or senior manager, provides career guidance and feedback throughout the course of the internship or onboarding process for a new hire.
Goldman Sachs
Before kick-starting their careers, undergraduate and graduate students during their final years of study can apply to Goldman Sachs’ New Analyst Program, designed to provide students with little business and professional experience with the networks, resources, and skills to achieve success. However, Goldman Sachs believes in maximizing the potential of all employees, old and new. That’s why each employee has access to valuable educational resources through Goldman Sachs University.
At GSU, junior employees have special access to classes that “focus on building foundational professional and technical skills.” From there, employees of Goldman Sachs continue to receive education. No matter the career milestone, Goldman Sachs makes sure to provide their new employees with the proper training programs and attention to building a strong company culture and leadership base. All employees are encouraged to participate in a classroom or online-based training program each year. In addition, senior employees receive specialized training in order “manage people and projects effectively, exhibit strong leadership and exemplify the firm’s culture.”
Honeywell
Honeywell has an Early Career Engineer Rotational Program (ECERP) that ‘was developed to provide recent chemical and mechanical engineering graduates with the opportunity to be exposed and trained across multiple businesses and functions.’ Through project-based assignments and problem solving, the program introduces recent grads to different segments of Honeywell over the course of 36 months. This allows graduates to grow their network across Honeywell’s various fields, gain work experience, and develop relationships they might otherwise not have the chance to. At the end of the program, they will have the opportunity to be placed in one of Honeywell’s key sites.
Honeywell also offers other career development opportunities, such as UOP Career Development Program and a Supply Chain Professional Accelerated Career Entry Program (ISC PACE) to ensure that recent graduates have ways to maximize their learning while advancing their career.
The ICSC Foundation
The ICSC Foundation serves as the non-profit, charitable arm of ICSC, and has a shared commitment to fostering a dynamic retail real estate industry by cultivating a pipeline of talented and diverse individuals to drive progress within the field. To support this mission, the ICSC Foundation offers a comprehensive range of professional development resources, including internships, scholarships, and mentorship programs to emerging talent. Among these initiatives is the Launch Academy, an experiential learning and internship program meticulously designed to recruit and equip students, particularly from historically underrepresented backgrounds, for promising careers in the retail real estate and marketplace industry. Participants in the Launch Academy gain exclusive access to paid summer internships at top real estate companies, receive industry-specific skill training, benefit from the guidance of industry mentors, and even receive relocation assistance. Additionally, the ICSC Foundation's commitment extends to supporting students interested in pursuing retail real estate careers through various scholarship programs, facilitating academic achievements and fostering connections with industry professionals. To learn more about the professional development opportunities offered by ICSC Foundation, click here.
Macy's
Macy’s Executive Development Program offers recent graduates the opportunity to learn all about the retail industry and business before being placed in a specific role. Participants will not only have the opportunity to have a mentor throughout the time in the program, but will also have unparalleled access to leadership - giving them the opportunity to ask questions, receive advice, and network with industry leaders. The program also provides a dynamic learning environment to make sure their workers are comfortable with their new role! Don’t take our word for it – check out what members of the EDP had to say about their experience and how it helped them succeed in their roles at Macy’s.
Mastercard
Mastercard offers a variety of programs and initiatives to ensure that their employees have access to professional development opportunities. Their ‘MasterCard Launch’ program provides recent graduates opportunities to learn about MasterCard’s business and customers while networking, receiving mentorship, and enhancing their professional skills.
Similarly, their MBA program, and 18 month rotational leadership program, allows graduates with MBAs to experience three, six-month placements across several business units. Some of the placement rotations include: creating new economic models for business development in Europe, developing a strategy for cyber security and intelligence products in North America, implementing marketing strategies for new products around the world, and creating innovative solutions for the underbanked population in Africa’. By the end of the programs, participants will have gained the valuable professional opportunities and connections to help them be successful at Mastercard.
McMaster-Carr
At McMaster-Carr, a business-to-business e-commerce company, learning and development is embedded in the company’s culture – and its programs for new grads. For recent graduates, McMaster-Carr offers two standout programs for students to develop their skills and kickstart their professional careers.
McMaster-Carr’s Management Development track provides an avenue for new grads to hone their leadership skills, take ownership of high-impact projects, and gain exposure to multiple areas of the business. In this article, McMaster-Carr employees shared just how beneficial Management Development was for their overall career trajectory, highlighting the opportunities they’ve had to manage people early on in their careers and tackle complex projects – all with support and mentorship from leadership.
McMaster-Carr also offers a Development and Design track, a training program that teaches the fundamentals of programming and system design. What’s unique about this entry-level program is that McMaster-Carr seeks out problem solvers from all academic backgrounds – not just Computer Science majors – to join their Systems department. Through immersive training and a culture of development, new grads have the opportunity to begin a rewarding and challenging career in tech. You can learn more about this unique program by reading this article here.
Outside of these entry-level programs, McMaster-Carr invests in the long-term career growth of its employees by offering formal mentorship programs, regular meetings with managers for coaching and advice, and tuition benefits for any college program, including an MBA.
M&T Bank
M&T Bank has several professional development programs, with one of the highlights being their Technology Development Program. M&T designed the rotational program to “help you plan your unique path”, and over the course of two years program members play an active role in the M&T Tech transformation journey while interacting with Senior Technology leaders at the company. By the end of the program, members will have had visibility to all opportunities within tech and begin selecting their permanent assignment.
M&T offers several other programs, including the Executive Associate Program, Management Development Program, Technology Internship Program, and other internships. To learn more about any of those, check out their Student, Graduate, and Professional Training Programs page.
NBCUniversal
Established in 1933, the NBCUniversal Page Program is one of the most well-known early career development programs in media today. The 12-month learning and development program gives Pages exposure to various facets of the NBC portfolio through 3 to 4 rotational periods. During their rotations in ambassadorship, business, consumer, and content, Pages acquire hands-on work experience and acquire skills they can take with them in the next phase of their careers. Upon graduation from the program, Pages have a three-month paid transition period where they are eligible to apply for roles across the NBCUniversal portfolio, all while receiving guidance and support from the Page Program team.
Owens Corning
Owens Corning is a global building and construction materials leader committed to building a sustainable future through material innovation. Their three integrated businesses – Composites, Insulation, and Roofing – provide durable, sustainable, energy-efficient solutions that leverage their unique material science, manufacturing, and market knowledge to help their customers win and grow. Owens Corning's leadership development and co-op/intern programs provide an opportunity for highly-skilled and motivated participants to learn in a dynamic environment while contributing to the company’s change agenda. Owens Corning offers internships/co-ops & leadership development programs across a variety of fields from engineering to sales. Owens Corning interns will be challenged with valuable and impact driven assignments that incorporates collaboration, exposure, and connections to equip them to develop the necessary capabilities to develop into future leaders. The Leadership Development Programs are rotational developmental programs that provides participants the opportunity to engage in challenging assignments; while being encouraged to find innovative ways to create value and consistently improve results to grow professionally, and acquire in-demand skills to propel their careers. Learn more about Owens Corning here.
Palo Alto Networks
Global cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks is dedicated to helping its employees grow in their careers. In fact, Palo Alto Networks offers its team members the chance to participate in a unique program, ‘FLEXLearn’, in which they can utilize a personalized development and learning experience platform tailored to their learning needs, interests, style, and where they are on their career journey. Plus, Palo Alto Networks also offers employees access to professional development opportunities through Coursera, which offers a wide range of courses that can help team members develop new skills, advance their career, and achieve their personal and professional goals with courses on topics like AI, AWS, Leadership Development and more.
In addition, both the Palo Alto Networks global internship program and LEAP Program for new grads offer early career professionals a slew of professional development events and the chance to gain additional skills in areas such as consulting, product management, sales, and systems engineering. Learn more about Palo Alto Networks here.
Plenty
Plenty is an ag-tech startup that's building the world’s most advanced indoor vertical farms to make fresh food accessible to everyone. This company offers incredible summer internships for students and new grads, which allow you to gain hands-on experience and make meaningful contributions to Plenty’s mission of revolutionizing agriculture on a global scale. With mentorship from senior leaders and the ability to work on cutting-edge technology, early career candidates receive the tools to grow personally and professionally with career coaching, workshops, and opportunities to network with the Plenty team. Through Plenty’s programs, you gain a thorough understanding of how agtech is transforming the agriculture industry while honing your technical and communication skills.
Polaris
Polaris, a global leader in powersports, is committed to providing employees with opportunities to learn, grow and kickstart their development. That’s why they offer development programs for recent grads that run from 24-36 months and help them gain industry experience and valuable knowledge. These skills help to excel them in future careers at Polaris, with programs for recent grads interested in sales, marketing, engineering, finance, HR, and more. With a focus on real-world experience, intentional coaching and mentorship, Polaris’ programs aim to create a supportive and inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive. Learn more about Polaris’ development programs here.
Roivant Sciences
Roivant Sciences, a global healthcare company focused on rapidly developing innovative medicines through a novel form of industrial organization in R&D, invests in its early-career employees as much as it invests in the future of healthcare.
Roivant's analyst program trains and develops recent graduates to become future leaders of the organization. The program has three tracks – general, tech, and accounting – and gives analysts the opportunity to develop Roivant’s health and pharmaceutical companies (what Roivant calls “Vants”) in their early stages. While the exact responsibilities vary depending on the track, analysts have the opportunity to do meaningful work early on in their careers, working side-by-side with experienced professionals and senior management to drive critical investment and development decisions. Analysts rotate between four different departments or functions over the course of the two-year program, giving them the chance to take on different responsibilities before settling into long-term roles across the Vant Family.
One Roivant analyst described the company and the opportunity for new graduates as follows: "The combination of our small, entrepreneurial size and our vast vision for transforming healthcare makes Roivant an all hands on deck environment. This enables young employees looking for an intense challenge to contribute at the highest levels of the company."
Stryker
Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, offers many strong internships and entry-level positions for students. The strongest opportunities for recent graduates at this company are in the Business Rotational Program and the Engineering Rotational Program. Each has two subsets, for the Business program Stryker offers the Finance & Accounting Program (FAR) and the Operations Leadership Program (OLP). And for the Engineering program, there is the Rotational Intensive Specialized Experience Program (RISE) and the Advanced Operations Global Engineering Development Program (AOGEDP). These programs offered hands-on experience, formal mentorship, and professional certifications across a variety of fields within Stryker – all in 2-3 years! Stryker’s Rotational programs are the perfect place for graduates who want to advance professionally in a timely and organized manner.
Success Academy
At Success Academy, the largest and highest-performing public charter school network in New York State, a background in teaching is not a requirement for first-year teachers. That’s because Success Academy teachers are provided with an unprecedented amount of support, including 20 weeks of training each year. New teachers start with a summer intensive, continue with half-day trainings every week, and receive daily coaching. With regular collaborative team meetings, new teachers feel fully supported in their development.
Teachers don’t only receive training in educational best practices – in order to develop the skills to effectively lead a classroom and progress in their careers, they also learn skills like data analysis, public speaking, and project management. On top of that, teachers are eligible to pursue a master’s degree in education for free after one year of teaching with Success Academy!
Texas Instruments
This global semiconductor design & manufacturing company invests heavily in the development of their employees, and that includes recent college grads. Texas Instruments' "Make an Impact" program is a one-year development program designed to help employees build on their education and make an impact at TI their first year on the job. The program includes engineering and professional classroom courses, quarterly hands-on sessions to learn from internal experts, as well as opportunities to network with other new grads and senior leaders.
TI also offers a robust set of rotational programs with varying lengths and focuses; the company has nine different tracks in engineering and 5 different tracks in business.
Triage Consulting
Triage Consulting provides a variety of resources and benefits for their new hires adjusting to a new office as part of their award-winning professional development program recognized by Modern Healthcare, Glassdoor, and the Great Place to Work Institute. Entry-level employees in particular benefit greatly from these opportunities through continuous support and confidence-building opportunities. For example, every new Associate and Analyst participates in a formal training program proctored by experienced Triage staff. During the first two years at Triage, this training program aims to educate and strengthen new employees’ technical capabilities, communication, and project management skills.
After the training program, employees then enter a Professional Development Program focused on leadership and gaining the hard and soft skills to excel at Triage. A formal mentorship program connects new employees with others for continued guidance and an expanding network afterwards. Additionally, Triage invests in over 100 hours of training opportunities during every new employee’s first year, according to a video on their “Join Our Team” page. There are several employee testimonials throughout the course of the video. One employee said, “whether you’re technically-minded, clinically-minded or more interested in managing a team. Triage really gives you the opportunity to really develop those skills and excel.”
Trimble
Trimble, a hardware, software and services technology company that works within several global industries including Agriculture, Building & Construction, Geospatial, and Transportation among others, offers a number of professional development opportunities for its employees. One of their most significant offerings is their robust Rotational Development Program for skilled graduates, which provides participants with extensive on-the-job training across disciplines. Trimble’s Application Engineer, Software Engineering, Financial Analyst and Operations Specialist programs allow new graduates to gain deep and varied experience while rotating through a number of different job functions during the two-year program. Participants also get to work across a number of divisions, such as Agriculture, Civil Construction, Buildings, Geospatial and Transportation. This experience across divisions is invaluable for developing skills and a professional network that will set them up for success in a number of different career paths, in a way that would be difficult to replicate through classes or traditional entry-level roles. Trimble employees at all stages of their career also get the chance to participate in a yearly Hackathon that brings together teams from across the world to collaborate, learn, and innovate for two days. It’s an invaluable opportunity to gain skills, knowledge, and experience, while having fun and coming together as an organization.
Veeva
Veeva is dedicated to acquiring and maintaining new university talent through various professional development programs. The Engineering Development Program allows recent grads to build their software development expertise by allowing them opportunities to work in various application, platforms, and product teams. Similarly, the Consultant Development Program allows participants to gain experience and knowledge in consulting, application functional knowledge, technical platform skills, and life sciences industry. These skills and experiences “provide the gateway to taking your career to the next level in one of our Services, Sales, or Product Management teams,” according to Veeva’s website. Check out their success stories here and learn how Veeva can offer you a seamless transition from university to your future career.
Vitech
Vitech is a global provider of benefits administration software solutions for insurance, retirement, and investments, giving its clients a competitive edge. Recently selected as a 2023 Campus Forward Award Winner for their unwavering commitment to seeking out and hiring early career talent, Vitech is committed to providing students with the best possible experience and training to help them grow professionally. That's because Vitech believes their employees are their most valued assets. Their goal is to drive and promote talent by providing their employees with support and ongoing access to training and tools. Vitech's early career program includes real-life experience, special projects, mentorship, and extensive training on the company’s core products and technologies.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo has a plethora of internship and development programs for both undergraduates and post-grads. There are several benefits to joining one of these programs at Wells Fargo, which include specialized training that will grow technical and non-technical skills, learning from mentors, attending exclusive events for early career participants, and access to senior leaders across the company. Undergrad programs include opportunities in finance, tech, investment management, securities, audit, consumer lending and more. All of these fantastic opportunities are designed to “give you the tools, network, and experience you need to achieve - and even surpass - your goals.”
These are just a few of the many companies that have made an effort to create a culture of learning for all of their employees, especially recent college grads. Whether or not you've landed your dream job or just started your search, these are great companies to have on your radar if you care about career growth.
Are you a student looking for awesome entry-level jobs and internships? Sign up for a RippleMatch account here and get matched with exciting opportunities from top companies.
