Los Angeles is an attractive city for young professionals for a number of reasons—and that’s not even to mention the weather or proximity to the beach. As the center of the nation’s entertainment, however, MBA graduates may be inclined to think the city is more a home to actors than business leaders. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is a thriving center of business for a wide variety of industries, from entertainment to healthcare to energy.
When one also considers the recent growth in employment in California—with almost 60,000 jobs added in just one month in 2016—Los Angeles is an appealing new home for an MBA graduate.
We’ve rounded up some of the top employers in Los Angeles for MBAs. Representing a wide variety of industries, these and a number of other top employers in the LA metro area make the city a perfect place for MBAs looking to get to work.
Walt Disney Studios
One of the most recognizable brands across the globe, the Walt Disney studios were founded 93 years ago and headquartered in Los Angeles County. Today, the Disney Corporation is one of the top employers of MBAs in the nation. In employees, Disney seeks many of the same values that are taught with an MBA degree—innovation and global thinking.
Disney offers several opportunities for MBA students looking to join the team, such as recruitment efforts at a number of schools in the country, summer internships and even a program which allows students to rotate recent grads through several different departments.
DirecTV
Headquartered in the Los Angeles metro area, DirecTV is a provider of direct broadcast satellite across the country. In 2014, AT&T purchased DirecTV, expanding its reach across the country in the pay-TV sector. AT&T currently employs more than 280,000 people in its locations and stores around the world.
There are a number of benefits in working for AT&T/DirecTV, which ranks fourth in DiversityInc’s Top Companies for Diversity. There are currently at least fifteen jobs available at DirecTV’s El Segundo location which require or prefer applicants to hold an MBA.
Amgen Inc.
Headquartered in Thousand Oaks in Southern California, Amgen is a multinational biopharmaceutical company and the world’s largest independent biotechnology firm. As of December of 2015, the company employed roughly 17,900 people with a net income of $8.47 billion.
Amgen is a top employer of MBAs in California and offers a number of MBA-specific opportunities through their internship program. Available for students who have completed the first year of their MBA program, Amgen offers internships in finance, global strategic sourcing, operations, sales & marketing and international sales.
Mattel, Inc.
Mattel is an American multinational toy manufacturing company and 403rd on the Fortune 500 list. Based in El Segundo, Mattel had a net income of $498.9 million as of 2014 and roughly 31,000 employees in 2015.
Mattel is consistently recognized as a top company for its employees, with a comprehensive benefits program and several career development opportunities in place to cultivate and retain talent. In addition to available jobs, Mattel offers an MBA specific internship for students in both full-time and part-time program. Several divisions within the company, such as marketing, finance, supply chain and human resources have available internships for MBAs.
AECOM
AECOM is an American multinational engineering firm offering services such as design, consulting and management to a wide variety of clients. Placing at 156 on the 2016 Fortune 500 list, AECOM currently employs roughly 95,000 people and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
AECOM is always looking for new and passionate employees, and focuses on recruiting both current students and recent graduates for internships and new careers. According to their website, AECOM is the place for you if “you are driven and love to work with creative, fun professional teams” and “you are looking for a career and career growth, not just a job.”