Those who have driven through the Plano Legacy area will know what I mean. The Toyota North America headquarters, JP Morgan Chase campus, and Liberty Mutual building are lined up, creating an overwhelming sight at first glance.

The so-called corporate campus rush actually started a few years ago. Toyota announced in 2014 that it would consolidate its North American headquarters, which were scattered across California and other locations, into Plano, and officially opened a campus covering about 100 acres in 2017.

JP Morgan Chase also decided to build a large campus in Legacy West around the same time. At that time, the bank estimated that about 6,000 people would work there.

However, looking at the numbers now in 2026, that estimate has been far exceeded. According to a press release from JP Morgan this year, there are 13,000 employees working at the Legacy West Plano campus.

That's more than double the initial plan. I was honestly a bit surprised when I saw this number.

Now, let's get to the real question of the day. What kind of people are these companies actually hiring right now?

First, let's look at Toyota. According to job aggregation sites, more than half of the North American job postings for Toyota are concentrated in Plano.

When looking at the positions, it's clear that there is a significant emphasis on technology. The job postings that have come up in Plano this year include roles like Senior Software Engineer, Cloud and DevOps Engineer, ServiceNow Engineer, and GenAI Development Lead.

It's not just technical positions, though. There are also business and management roles like Sourcing (Purchasing), Accounting Analyst, and Cybersecurity Project Manager listed.

However, this data is based on third-party sites, so you shouldn't take the numbers as exact. Job postings open and close frequently, so be sure to check the official Toyota career site and filter for Plano.

Notably, most of the postings are for mid-senior level positions. This suggests that they are looking for candidates with a few years of experience rather than entry-level applicants.

Now, let's move on to JP Morgan. The bank has stated that it is hiring over 12,500 people in Plano this year alone, with more than 800 open positions.

However, in June of this year, they announced the closure of the Plano campus call center, resulting in a WARN notice filed with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) for 244 layoffs. The bank explained that this was part of a process to consolidate smaller operational teams into a larger operations center.

On one hand, they are hiring, and on the other, they are reducing staff. I see this as the current reality of hiring in large corporations.

It seems to me that they are reducing repetitive consulting roles and shifting people to other areas. Those with call center experience should consider internal transfers or transitioning to different roles in advance.

JP Morgan has also opened a new office in the nearby Frisco HALL Park Tower. About 120 bankers in commercial banking, private banking, and wealth management are expected to move in, with occupancy scheduled for early 2028.

Let's also take a look at the local job market numbers. According to the Dallas Fed, the unemployment rate for the Dallas-Plano-Irving metro area in August was 4.2%.

In the same month, Texas as a whole was at 4.4%, and the national average was 4.1%. You can consider the market to be neither too hot nor too cold.

So how can we, as Korean Americans, prepare ourselves? I'll share my thoughts in the order I've organized them.

First, read the required skills section before the job title. If keywords like cloud, data, and security are repeated, that's what the company really wants right now.

Second, tailor your resume for each job posting. Large companies often filter applications through ATS systems, so the words in the job posting need to be present in your resume for it to reach human eyes.

Third, your Korean language skills can be a weapon, not just a bonus. Especially for customer-facing roles in banking, make sure to clearly list your bilingual abilities on your resume.

Fourth, whether visa sponsorship is available is often not specified in the job posting. It's best to ask the recruiter directly during the first call to save both parties time.

Also, keep in mind the legal aspect. Texas is an at-will employment state, meaning both the company and the employee can end the employment relationship relatively freely unless there is a special contract.

However, layoffs of a certain size must be announced at least 60 days in advance under federal WARN laws. The recent JP Morgan call center situation was disclosed following that procedure.

Personally, I believe this notification system is very important. Even two months' notice gives you time to look for your next job.

To summarize, it seems that Toyota is focusing on engineering and IT, while JP Morgan is centered on technology and banking roles in their current hiring.

They are prioritizing experienced candidates over entry-level ones, and repetitive tasks are being reduced. Therefore, adding a bit of technology to your current skill set is the most realistic strategy.

If I were in your shoes, I would start with an online cloud certification. In a few months, that one line on your resume can change everything, and that line can make a difference in getting your application noticed.

The Plano campuses will continue to be a major part of job opportunities in this area. There are definitely opportunities available, so let's stay prepared by consistently monitoring job postings.