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Think of it as a popularity contest for companies. Each year, research firm Universum surveys MBA candidates on where they'd most like to work for an exclusive Fortune.com list. Here are the list of top 10 companies where MBA graduates wish to work most of all.
1. Google
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 20.58%
Headquarters: Mountain View, CA
Locations: Over 40 offices in more than 20 countries
Type of company: Technology
Number of employees: More than 12,000
Hiring plans: Looking for people with "the right mix of talent and enthusiasm, who are excited by taking on challenges in a team-oriented environment," the company says.
2. McKinsey & Company
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 16.31%
Headquarters: NYC
Locations: More than 80 offices in 40 countries
Type of company: Management consulting firm
Number of employees: About 6,500 consultants
Hiring plans: "To continue to hire exceptional candidates from a wide range of backgrounds for generalist and specialist consulting roles," according to the company.
3. Goldman Sachs
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 13.95%
Headquarters: New York, NY
Locations: New York, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other financial centers around the world
Type of company: A global investment banking, securities and investment management firm
Number of employees: More than 26,000
Hiring plans: This year, Goldman Sachs plans to hire about 300 B-school graduates into their 2008 full-time associate program, and about 250 MBA candidates (between their first and second years of business school) for summer internships. Goldman Sachs considers its incoming associate class to be a key pipeline for leadership positions at the firm. They also look to convert many of their summer associates into the full-time program upon graduation.
4. Bain & Company
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 10.99%
Headquarters: Boston
Locations: 34 offices in 22 countries
Type of company: Management consulting
Number of employees: 3,700 employees worldwide
Hiring plans: Bain says it's "always looking for people who are passionate, motivated and rewarded by...helping our clients achieve results."
5. Boston Consulting Group
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 10.89%
Headquarters: Boston
Locations: 63 offices in 37 countries
Type of company: Global management consulting firm
Number of employees: About 3,300 consultants
Hiring plans: "To hire exceptional candidates from a wide range of backgrounds for generalist consulting roles," the company says.
6. Apple
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 10.78%
Headquarters: Cupertino, CA
Locations: Elk Grove, Calif.; Austin, Texas; Cork, Ireland; Singapore; and other cities
Type of company: Maker of computers, iPods, the soon-to-be-released iPhone, and more
Number of employees: 17,787
Hiring plans: Held MBA recruiting events this year at Duke University, University of Michigan, MIT, University of Texas at Austin, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and University of California - Berkeley.
7. Microsoft
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 7.82%
Headquarters: Redmond, WA
Locations: Offices in 103 countries worldwide
Type of company: Software
Number of employees: More than 71,000
Hiring plans: Company says it aims "to hire smart and passionate people who truly enjoy tackling the biggest challenges" and driving tech innovations.
8. General Electric
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 7.71%
Headquarters: Fairfield, CT
Locations: Operations in more than 100 countries
Type of company: Diversified technology, media and financial services company
Number of employees: 320,000
Hiring plans: Looking to hire 1,500 top college and MBA graduates into its Leadership Development Programs and other positions.
9. Nike
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 7.21%
Headquarters: Beaverton, OR
Locations: Nearly 200 offices and more than 400 retail outlets in more than 160 countries
Type of company: Footwear and athletic apparel
Number of employees: 28,000
Hiring plans: You need to think like an athlete to work at Nike, according to the company's website. Some current job postings on their website where an MBA is preferred include: business manager, in Culver City, Calif.; financial analyst, in Beaverton, OR; and global process manager, digital commerce in Portland, OR.
10. Bank of America
% of MBAs who put in their top 5 most desirable workplaces: 6.91%
Headquarters: Charlotte, NC
Locations: Worldwide
Type of company: Financial services
Number of employees: About 200,000
Hiring plans: In 2007, the bank plans to increase its recruiting of new B-school graduates in an effort to hire the best MBA talent. For example, the bank seeks bilingual MBAs to help it meet its diverse customer and business needs, the company says.
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