America’s 10 most sought-after jobs

Americans are always on the hunt for the next great job opportunity, but it can be difficult to find out how much competition you’ll face for that plum post.

So now, LinkedIn (LNKD) is providing some insight into the jobs that create the most buzz, posting its 10 most-viewed jobs last year. Surprisingly, they’re not all top-paying positions. Indeed, two intern-level spots garnerer outsized attention. Even if the jobs don’t share pay levels in common, they do all have one commonality: strong brands.

Workers seek out jobs at well-known brands because of the identity boost from aligning with a company that has a positive image. It’s also increasingly important to American workers that their employers take a stand on political issues, including community and social issues, which some top brands are increasingly doing.

Employment site Glassdoor found that three-quarters of millennials would quit their jobs if their employer violated their core beliefs, while a majority of employees of all ages want their employer to have a clear mission and values.

Working for a top brand may provide inner satisfaction, and some research indicates employees may not be averse to taking a paycheck hit to do it. Executives are willing to take a pay cut of 12 percent to work at in-demand brands, researchers at the London Business School and Texas A&M University found, according to Fast Company.

“Just as a strong brand can attract customers who are willing to pay higher prices, they also attract employees who will agree to lower levels of pay,” researcher Nader Tavassoli told Fast Company.

LinkedIn said tens of thousands of would-be hires looked at each of the U.S.-based jobs listed below, although it didn’t disclose details.

The most-viewed jobs on LinkedIn

• Communications manager – Tesla
• Summer intern – Royal Caribbean Cruises
• Entry-level engineer – Illumina
• Associate producer – The Ellen Degeneres Show
• Corporate intern – Michael Kors
• Corporate sales account manager – Southwest Airlines
• Temp project coordinator – BBC Worldwide
• Business strategy manager – Philadelphia 76ers
• Entry-level asset manager- Neuberger Berman
• Project coordinator – HBO