How Bloomberg Academy can give you a head start in your career
April 05, 2021
For students, deciding on a career path after graduation can be daunting. There are so many sectors to consider, not to mention numerous companies – so how does one go about choosing the right job?
For those interested in the financial industry, the Bloomberg Academy can shine a light on potential career options. The Academy is a personal and professional development program for high-potential students in Asia-Pacific keen on pursuing a career in financial services and technology. It is designed to offer participants a taste of life at Bloomberg – from the company’s culture to its products and internship opportunities. This year’s program runs for a week, and is open to students in their second year of university.
Candidates participate in workshops, undergo interview training, attend networking events and engage in volunteer work – all of which are designed to equip them with the skills they need in their future careers. They are also invited to apply for Bloomberg’s internship program, with top performers potentially being expedited through the interview process.
Here, two Bloomberg employees share how attending the Bloomberg Academy gave them a head start in their careers.
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“Bloomberg Academy helped me work on building up the relevant skills.”
Ruby Nhan Duong, Global Data, Singapore
In May 2018, during my second year of university, I flew to Singapore to attend Bloomberg Academy. At that time, I was looking for opportunities to better prepare for my career after graduation, and I wanted to gain more knowledge of the financial industry so I could work on building up the relevant skills. In that sense, Bloomberg Academy was a good starting point – it gave me a good picture of the different departments and roles within Bloomberg, and also helped me to see how I can add value to the company.
One of my favorite parts of the program was attending a workshop on interview skills. During the last two days of the Academy, I got the chance to do mock interviews with managers, who shared a lot of practical feedback and tips – all very useful takeaways for university students preparing for their future job search.
In addition, as part of Best of Bloomberg (the company’s global employee giving and volunteer program), my peers and I visited a nursing home, where we organized painting activities and lunch and tea sessions for the residents. This showed me how Bloomberg really emphasizes on giving back to society via philanthropic initiatives.
After the Academy program, I was fortunate enough to land an interview for an internship position at Bloomberg, and this eventually led to my current full-time position as a Data Analyst with the Global Data team. I decided to accept the role because of Bloomberg’s positive culture, values and sense of purpose. Ultimately, while Bloomberg is a key player in the financial industry, the company also enables me to give back to society through philanthropic initiatives – and this makes the work I do so much more valuable and meaningful.
“I really enjoyed experiencing Bloomberg’s caring and supportive culture”
Spencer Zhang, Analytics, Shanghai
I attended Bloomberg Academy in August 2019 in Shanghai, right before embarking on my Master’s degree at the University of Chicago. I was thinking about my future career path then, and felt that the program would give me insights into Bloomberg as a company as well as offer valuable networking opportunities.
The program proved to be really varied, and I found myself participating in many different activities. For instance, I worked as a group with other participants to present a stock pitch (a short presentation that argues for or against investing in a company’s stock), as it enabled me to utilize the Bloomberg Terminal functions I had just learned about. When my group encountered some difficulties, the Bloomberg employees overseeing us offered constant support and feedback, and we pulled off a great presentation. I really enjoyed this group project as it helped me to put theory into practice, train my presentation skills and make friendships with others.
Overall, Bloomberg Academy gave me a clear picture of Bloomberg’s mission and vision, as well as a glimpse of what daily life in the company would be like. After the program, I managed to secure an internship with Bloomberg. Thereafter, I decided to accept a full-time position with Bloomberg’s Analytics team, thanks to the positive experiences I had during the Bloomberg Academy and my internship. I really admire the company’s caring and supportive culture, and also appreciate its commitment to giving back to society. In short, Bloomberg seems to be a place where I can learn and develop, and I am excited to start my full-time role later this year.
For those joining the next Bloomberg Academy program, I recommend seizing the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about the company and the financial industry at large. Also, don’t forget to build friendships with your fellow participants and employees, as you could find yourself working alongside them in the future.