10.04.2007 - 06:00am ET

(CSRwire) ABBOTT PARK, IL - October 4, 2007 - With more than 70 million Generation Y employees starting to hit the pavement, knocking for opportunities in the global workplace, smart companies are paying attention, providing these future leaders with a workplace that is responsive to their wants and needs.

Among the best of these companies is the global health care company, Abbott, which was recently named one of the "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" by BusinessWeek magazine. For the second year in a row, Abbott was the highest-ranking health care company on the list.

"At Abbott, recent graduates have the opportunity to help advance medical science and care around the world, the type of meaningful work that appeals to Generation Y and all potential employees," said Stephen Fussell, senior vice president, Human Resources, Abbott. "We also provide work/life flexibility, well-defined career advancement opportunities, and support and tools, like online mentoring, training and career development programs, that help young professionals chart their own path to success."

Helping New Employees Build Meaningful Careers

Many recent college grads and other entry-level employees come to Abbott through the company's Professional Development Programs, which are two- to three-year programs that rotate new employees through several different positions in the areas of marketing, information technology, finance/accounting, engineering, human resources and management. These programs provide graduates with the opportunity to try different challenging assignments and develop well-rounded skills before they settle into a long-term career choice.

"Since my first day at Abbott, I've had a chance to make a contribution to projects that help improve lives, including developing a new computer application to expand production of biologic medicines," said Nirali Ahlowalia, who joined Abbott's Professional Development Program when she graduated from Northern lllinois University, and is now a senior business systems analyst at Abbott. "All of the managers I worked with in the program were very supportive and gave me meaningful work, providing training and assigning me to projects that gave me an excellent perspective of how projects were handled from start to finish."

Abbott also provides a work environment and programs that enable entry-level employees to succeed in their careers and maintain a healthy work/life balance, a combination that Gen Y employees are looking for these days. Some of the highlights of Abbott's programs include:

Abbott offers many other benefits that are important to young professionals, including 100 percent tuition reimbursement available immediately upon hire; on-site fitness centers; sports leagues and activity clubs; and opportunities to volunteer in local philanthropic programs.

Abbott's Award-Winning Internship Program

In addition, Abbott's U.S. internship program is recognized as one of the best in the country, offering 250 internships each year to qualified and highly motivated students in a wide range of fields including engineering, science, environmental health and safety, manufacturing, quality assurance, information technology, finance and accounting, and general business. This award-winning program structures internships to provide meaningful, hands-on learning that translates to a true understanding of the challenges and opportunities of a career with Abbott. This has resulted in more than 40 percent of eligible interns choosing full-time positions at Abbott.

Looking for a job?

Students and anyone interested in working at Abbott can visit the career center at www.abbott.com. Recruiters access resumes everyday and fill more than 90 percent of available jobs through Internet postings.

About BusinessWeek's 'Best Places to Launch a Career'
BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is based on extensive surveys of career services directors at U.S. colleges, the employers they identify as the best for new graduates, and college students themselves. BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is in the Sept. 24, 2007 issue. 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 from top companies.

About Abbott
In addition to being included in BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career", Abbott was included in the 2008 edition of the Princeton Review's Best Entry-Level Jobs. Abbott also has been named to Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" list for seven consecutive years. The company has been included on FORTUNE and DiversityInc magazines' lists of the top companies for diversity for many years, and has been recognized by Science and The Scientist magazines 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.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs 65,000 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 www.abbott.com.

For more information please contact:

Ann Fahey-Widman
847.938.6388

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