Four key ways competitions at Bloomberg offer hands-on experience in finance and technology

For an ever-evolving technology company committed to finding the best talent, it’s essential to seek out the next generation of financial specialists, coders, and technologists. Introducing these skill sets to students via exciting and educational competitive activities is an ideal way to share Bloomberg’s message while showcasing our technology and the acumen of our employees.

This strategy is exemplified in two such contests – CodeCon, a programming competition aimed at reshaping the way people improve their coding skills, and the Bloomberg Trading Challenge, designed to help students develop their skills in financial data analytics and view the market through the eyes of those who use the Bloomberg Terminal every day. By meeting enthusiastic, talented students via these competitions, we’re able to build relationships based upon our shared values of curiosity and excellence — and the fact that technological innovation is in Bloomberg’s DNA.

We design these contests to be fun and fast-paced, while also showing students the challenges and rewards inherent in providing the best products and services for our clients. Since the company looks to hire engineers and others who need to become Terminal experts, providing hands-on experience in an engaging format is a great way to introduce our technology and products to the next generation. Here are four exciting elements that set Bloomberg’s most popular competitions, CodeCon and the Bloomberg Trading Challenge, apart.

Solve real world problems – in real time

Bloomberg values giving our employees tangible, targeted experience in our products and services. That commitment extends to students participating in events at our offices, and the Bloomberg Trading Challenge is a perfect example. The BTC was designed to help students develop their skills in financial data analytics and view the market through the eyes of those who use the Bloomberg Terminal every day – such as portfolio managers, investment analysts and traders.

“My biggest takeaway was how actually structuring a portfolio within that time frame was really valuable,” says Brendon Lyons from this year’s winning Christopher Newport University team. “That’s what portfolio managers and hedge fund managers do, and it’s great to get a snippet of that while we’re still in college. I could definitely use that in the future.”

Similarly, CodeCon isn’t just a resume builder or a fast-paced, fun experience for students – it’s a chance to solve practical, reality-based problems that Bloomberg employees solve every day.

“CodeCon relates a lot to the work we do,” says Rangan Prabhkaran, a developer at Bloomberg and inventor of the CodeCon platform. “All the problems we solve for involve extreme amounts of data, and we have to provide real world solutions. You have to write code that can execute within milliseconds and react to the market. These may be fun, hypothetical problems the students are solving, but the skill set involved is very real.”

Exclusive access to the Bloomberg Terminal

The biggest beneficial gain for the participants in the BTC is exposure to the Bloomberg Terminal. Students who are learning financial analysis in an academic fashion are able to consider that content in real world terms.

Working directly with a Terminal, and having their investment methodologies evaluated by Bloomberg employees, gives students a perspective they might not have access to otherwise.

“As freshman engineering majors, finance can feel really intimidating, and we didn’t have much time to get involved in the business school our first year,” reports Amelia Rosenbaum from the University of Pennsylvania. “This competition was such a low barrier to entry and a great opportunity for us, and now I feel a lot more comfortable in this kind of atmosphere.”

Be part of a coding community

Coding competitions, as with all forms of competitive programming, are ubiquitous these days, but Bloomberg’s CodeCon stands out. Like other such contests, it gives participants a chance to hone their coding, strategic thinking, and time management skills. But it also brings hundreds of top college coders together, giving them the chance to network, mingle, and, of course, write programs that solve a series of increasingly difficult problems (each of which is presented as a fun, interesting scenario) ‒ all in person, in Bloomberg’s New York and London offices.

“There’s nothing like CodeCon. You get to go to a physical event and meet people, and see what people are like in the industry and what other graduates are doing,” says Despina Malai, a prior competitor from the University of Essex. “I would definitely encourage other students to participate.”

Win your investment bragging rights

The six teams that participate in the Bloomberg Trading Challenge finals have already proven themselves as the best among 266 teams from 81 universities. As the first university investment competition to take place entirely within the Bloomberg Terminal, the BTC gives teams a $1 million notional amount to invest across any number of securities – and the strongest strategy wins.

In addition to bragging rights, winners receive a $2,500 donation in their name to a cause of their choosing from Bloomberg Corporate Philanthropy, a reflection of our employees’ work serving a higher purpose.

Engaging with the future

The technology landscape is constantly changing, and this evolution is undeniably driven by the newest generation of computer scientists, engineers, coders, and programmers. With that in mind, we’re always looking to adapt, tailor, and even revamp our competitions in order to provide the best experience and engage the best talent. As new advancements enter the market, Bloomberg’s programs, technology, and approach will change with them, meaning new, exciting challenges for students all over the world.

Interested in participating in the next generation of competitions at Bloomberg? Future challenges will be announced in regions around the world soon. Until then, learn how you can make it happen here, by exploring career opportunities with us.