How you can build a dynamic career path with Bloomberg’s Customer Service team
September 12, 2018
As the front line and entry point of customer support at Bloomberg, Bloomberg Customer Service (BCS) representatives have been exposed to all businesses and products at Bloomberg from day one, working to provide exceptional service to global clients and internal employees. Their experiences in BCS not only help them discover their passion and career goals but also equip them with transferable skill sets that help them succeed in their next role.
We sat down with a few BCS alumni to talk about their time as BCS representatives and their exciting new roles.
Lyla
Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Tokyo
How long were you in BCS for and what were the roles you had in the department?
I was in BCS for one year and nine months, managing client inquiries in English, Japanese and Korean. I initially joined the team as a Japanese representative but stepped up to take on Korean requests after receiving comprehensive training by the Korean language team. Despite the fact that I was already proficient in both languages, the training was extremely helpful in brushing up on business terms. In addition to my core responsibility, I was also a member of a few projects including Office Tour, Financial Buzz (the department newsletter focusing on financial and business news), and workflow enhancement and documentation.
What do you do now and how did working as a BCS representative prepare you for this role?
Now I am a sales associate in Bloomberg New Energy Finance (Bloomberg NEF) based in Tokyo, supporting account management and sales planning for Japan and Korea. My experience in BCS made me realize that I genuinely enjoy interacting with people and building relationships with them. That’s how I first started looking for sales opportunities across businesses. I also grew more interested in the energy sector, especially renewables because of their relevance to daily life and growth potential. Thanks to the communication skills and “extra mile” mindset that I cultivated in BCS, I never hesitated to reach out to the NEF team to learn about the products and express my passion about the role. After joining Bloomberg NEF earlier in April, I found out from my Team Leader that this proactive attitude was one of the biggest pluses in my application.
You worked at an IT software company before Bloomberg – why BCS and how did your prior work experience help you succeed here?
I was doing digital marketing in my previous company, establishing online marketing strategies for e-commerce models and measuring their KPI. I learned extensively about strategic thinking in that role: What is the outcome of this activity? Who will benefit from this? This was crucial for both BCS and Bloomberg NEF, as both departments require strong logical thinking and problem-solving skills. My previous professional experience allowed me to focus more on enhancing my product and workflow knowledge, as well as helping new graduates transition coming into BCS. The transparent, open culture and great work-life balance at Bloomberg also drew me in and still keep me motivated today.
Learn more about Bloomberg NEF here
Melvin
Analytics, Singapore
How long were you in BCS for and what were/are the roles you had in the department?
I joined BCS in January 2017 right after completing my studies in a Hotel Management School in Switzerland. During my time in BCS as a Mandarin representative, I led the Business Continuity Planning project, which managed system migrations and all technical matters relating to Work from Home. I was also an Operations Specialist who planned, strategized, and monitored the department’s daily coverage across Asia Pacific – meaning the number of representatives ready to take on client queries in each of our ten supported Asian languages.
What do you do now and how did working as a BCS representative prepare you for this role?
After spending one year and three months in BCS, I moved into Analytics, also known as the Help Desk, where I use Bloomberg’s chat system “IB” to answer all client queries pertaining to all Terminal functionality, from desktop setup and alerts setting to Excel functions/ formulas. BCS certainly equipped me with great customer service skills and immense knowledge about our internal workflows: how every department fits into the bigger picture of our business. My time there made me more tech-savvy and helped me discover my interest in the dynamic financial markets, as I worked with a variety of businesses within Bloomberg and external market players. That said, my preparation for moving into Analytics was a not an easy process. It involved many hours of studying as well as networking to learn more about the department and familiarize with the workflow. All of this happened on top of my day job at BCS, which would not have been successful without the flexible arrangement and tremendous support from both departments.
Analytics also has opportunities for university graduates. Why did you choose to join BCS instead of Analytics after graduation?
As a hospitality student, I had limited exposure to finance (and finance-related roles), while customer service was my bread and butter. Joining BCS was natural after I learned that Bloomberg would be a great place for my career development. Now that I am in Analytics, I see how the two departments interact with clients differently but with a common goal to provide the best client experience. While BCS provides broad, end-to-end technical (hardware and software) and client account support, Analytics proactively works with our clients to offer in-depth product expertise and helps them better understand Bloomberg’s solutions. The stellar customer service and communication skills I learned in BCS are also highly transferrable, as Analytics strives just as diligently for service excellence.
Learn more about working in Analytics here
Catherine
BCS Team Leader, Hong Kong
How long were you in BCS for and what were/are the roles you had in the department?
I joined BCS in 2015 as a Cantonese/Mandarin representative based in Hong Kong. Before becoming a Team Leader in early 2017, I held a number of roles in the department, including Project Captain for Quality Assurance, Cantonese Captain responsible for language training as well as coverage planning, and Deputy Team Leader.
What do you do now and how did working as a BCS representative prepare you for this role?
It’s been a year and seven months since I took on the Team Leader role in BCS, which has been absolutely exciting and rewarding. I now lead a team of nine focused on advancing our quality of service to global clients as a whole and developing each individual’s skills to achieve their long-term career goals. Because we operate as a global team – meaning that our representatives assist clients from all over the world who speak their respective languages – I am always ready to offer guidance to not only my team members but also those based in other regions including London and New York. Having been in their shoes not long ago, I am well aware of the challenges they may have in building strong multi-tasking and communications skills, as well as business knowledge. Together with the whole global leadership team, I want to ensure that they have the ongoing opportunity to learn and take ownership of their work.
What does leadership mean to you? How did you prepare yourself for this role in less than two years’ time?
Leadership to me is about being able to inspire others to work towards the same goal while fostering their personal development. I certainly didn’t get to where I am overnight but rather took small steps along the way: for example, becoming the project leader and Deputy Team Leader while excelling in my core responsibilities in customer service. I also focus on how to bring a diverse group of talent together and ensure that they can complement and learn from one another. Given how diverse and inclusive Bloomberg already is, it only took some good communication for the team to start working very well together. By the way, it is not rare at all for BCS representatives to become trainers or Team Leaders in less than two years!
Learn more about global job openings in BCS here