Demystifying the world of finance for underrepresented students

Bringing transparency and demystifying the financial markets was at the heart of Bloomberg’s mission when it was created 40 years ago. Today, our employees are working to make the world of finance more accessible and relatable to a new generation of leaders who have been traditionally underrepresented in our industry.  From our work as a founding partner of the Girls Who Invest program to our recently launched CUNY Futures in Finance, Bloomberg’s Corporate Philanthropy program is committed to providing young people from diverse backgrounds with a look into the world of financial markets and careers in business, finance, and technology.

This year, we expanded our Finance and Business training programs, welcoming three new non-profit partners (Youth About Business, Greenwood Project and SEO) to our summer finance program, and growing our programming with Girls Who Invest.  Bloomberg employee volunteers designed and led training sessions for high school and college students focused on how to use the Bloomberg Professional Service, otherwise known as the Bloomberg Terminal. As part of our summer finance program, students learned ways to explore market trends and the role of data and news analysis in financial decision making.

While sharing this glimpse into what careers in finance might look like, Bloomberg employees have learned a few things along the way:

Gen Z is not intimidated by finance and business

Students are incredibly eager to learn about the world of business. Many are opting-in to programs like Girls Who Invest and Youth about Business to learn about careers in finance, but lack access to guidance from mentors with business backgrounds. Our new partner, Greenwood Project works to introduce Black and Hispanic students to career pathways in the financial services industry. High school and college students apply for intensive summer training programs to learn about the financial services industry and hone their career development skills with corporate partners through internships and mentoring.

“The students were very engaged, asked many questions, and seemed interested in learning more. They asked pointed questions not only about the functions themselves but also about their use case.” — Yascarlo Gonzalez, Bloomberg Analytics.

“My experience was phenomenal with both Youth About Business and Girls Who Invest. I could see the impact on the students. They were excited to learn and some even reached out to let us know how their projects turned out afterward.” — Kristin Mascolo, Bloomberg Sales

You don’t have to “dumb down” finance when talking to students

This summer, more than 900 high school and college students from our four finance programs across the United States were offered free access to our Bloomberg Market Concepts certification, a self-paced e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets. The young people in our programs may not have been knowledgeable with the acronyms and occasional jargon of the finance world, but with clear and deliberate communication, they participated in our interactive introduction to the financial markets. Learning about economic Indicators, equities, and portfolio management is a key part of SEO’s mission to close the opportunity gap for Black, Latinx, and Native American college students through professional skills training programs, mentorship, and internship placements.

“When we take the time to explain complicated financial terms and make them relatable, students tend to make them their own and become excited to contribute. Knowing how to use the Bloomberg Terminal feels like knowing a secret code language that can help people stand out in business, and students realize that very quickly,”  — Joy Lowenwirth, Bloomberg for Education’s Head of University Engagement for the Americas.

Young people’s enthusiasm and entrepreneurship are not to be underestimated

High school students from our partner Youth about Business (YAB) were among 470 students from underserved communities who received free access to the Bloomberg Terminal this summer. As part of their annual business camp, students participate in training sessions on how to use the Bloomberg Terminal to analyze the markets and complete financial workflows with a curriculum created by Bloomberg employees. This training enables the students to produce  simulated Merger & Acquisition transaction presentations with an aim to develop business literacy and leadership skills.

“I participated in the mock M&A for a high school summer camp, and my biggest takeaway was how smart and engaged these students were. For being in high school, they were very interested in Finance and learning, and it was a great experience to be able to help them and get a taste of what Bloomberg is doing outside of my personal day-to-day.” — Max Goshen, Bloomberg Analytics.

“Learning how to use a powerful tool like the Bloomberg terminal helps students flex their entrepreneurial muscles, analyze market trends in real-time and better understand how business decisions are made.”  — Sam Kirk, Executive Director, Youth About Business

Mentoring and teaching create a deeper connection to your field

Teaching and mentoring helps to strengthen the lessons you have already learned. Employees in our Analytics department have found themselves more connected to their everyday work thanks to the lesson plans they create. By sharing their knowledge about the Bloomberg Terminal with young women in the Girls Who Invest program, they are also supporting the organization’s mission of bringing more women into the asset management industry.

“We have access to such unique and powerful experiences at Bloomberg. It was great to see the young women from Girls Who Invest so engaged and ready to learn, it made what I learn at work have meaning in new ways,”said Victoria Sanzo de la Vega, Bloomberg Analytics.

“After learning about the different asset classes during the Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program, accessing and using Bloomberg helped me solidify what I learned. I enjoyed learning about different shortcuts for functions and seeing all the data that can potentially be used in making financial decisions,” said Ridha Mirza, Girls Who Invest scholar

Leadership development opportunities come in different forms

Our skills-based volunteer programs provide Bloomberg employees with opportunities to develop leadership skills, gain new perspectives, and showcase their strengths by sharing them with students. Through stretch opportunities ranging from teaching hard skills such as Python coding to soft skills such as interview best practices, Bloomberg employees from all walks of life serve as role models for students from our more than 75 education partners around the world.

“I loved having the ability to help broaden the skill set of women in the finance industry. I think it was a unique opportunity to be able to give back and be a part of a philanthropic effort that you got to see the change in real-time. I felt I was able to make an impact.” — Molly Pontius, Bloomberg Sales

“At Girls Who Invest, we prioritize making sure that our scholars are prepared to succeed in a real-world internship environment.  Bloomberg has provided invaluable support in taking that preparation to the next level. By providing terminal training, our students become familiar with a resource that will help them throughout their internships and well beyond as they embark on their careers. The Bloomberg team goes above and beyond and also provides coaching and mentorship to our girls. It is a true partnership in every way.” — Katherine Colsher, CEO, Girls Who Invest.