Each year, more top companies and eager employers are drawn down south to business centers like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. In fact, such growth has helped make Texas the state with the highest-growing hubs for more than a decade now. In first place among the state’s immense growth is the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, which recently took 5th place on Forbes’ 2016 Best Cities for Jobs ranking.
In 2015, Dallas boasted 2,459,100 jobs signifying an incredible growth of 4.58 percent since the previous year. With fantastic MBA programs right in town—at schools like the Baylor University – Hankamer School of Business or University of Dallas – Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business—and constantly growing career opportunities, Dallas is the perfect city both to earn your MBA and to put it to good use.
So you’re set on Dallas—but where to apply? Here are just a few of the top companies hiring MBA students in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro right now.
AT&T, a leading provider of phone and internet services, employs more than 5,000 people at its downtown Dallas headquarters. In 2015, AT&T scored high marks across the board in Diversity MBA’s ranking of employers for notable efforts in accountability and dedication to diversity, among other factors.
AT&T offers MBA students the opportunity to intern with the company during a 10- to 12-week program that allows students to pursue experience in their area of interest. The program gives the MBA students the chance to network with fellow interns and take part in innovation sessions and case challenges.
Just last year, Toyota relocated its U.S. headquarters to Plano, Texas, along with 4,000 new jobs.
MBA students interested in working with Toyota might consider applying to the firm’s yearly Graduate Management Team Member (GMTM) program, which provides graduates with a number of opportunities within Toyota Financial Services. The GMTM program allows MBAs to rotate through various roles within the financial services department, such as corporate finance, risk management, and sales and pricing analytics.
Headquartered in Dallas, Southwest Airlines employs more than 52,000 people across the country.
Each summer, Southwest Airlines hosts an 11-week internship program for students working toward an MBA or MS in business, with the opportunity for students to focus in a number of fields, such as operations planning or supply chain management. Even more programs exist for students after they’ve earned their degree. One example, the Emerging Leader Development Program (ELDP), recruits and develops graduates to take on leadership roles as soon as they become available.
Established in Chicago in 1991, the Corner Bakery Cafe today combines fast casual dining with the feel of a traditional food-to-table restaurant. While the cafe is headquartered in Dallas, it has 192 locations across the country.
A growing company, the Corner Bakery Cafe is ever on the hunt for future leaders. With a focus on promoting from within, MBAs needed for roles like marketing project manager have the opportunity to grow and take on new challenges within the company.
Sonoco fuel can be found in 27 states across the nation, and the company has established itself as the official racing fuel of NASCAR. Sonoco employs more than 20,000 people throughout the country.
A global company with tremendous growth within North America, Sonoco offers plenty of opportunities for MBA holders looking to dive into the automotive or energy field. With the important place the state of Texas holds within the U.S. energy industry, there’s no doubt that there will be plenty of opportunities to put your education to work at Sonoco.