No busy work: Interns reflect on an unconventional summer
October 05, 2020
Each year, Bloomberg welcomes hundreds of interns into our offices around the globe. This summer’s internship experience, however, looked a little different — with more than 600 interns around the world participating in Bloomberg’s first fully virtual internship. Although there was no pantry to grab coffee in, or sit-stand desks next to your team, or fish to wave a fin to, Bloomberg interns were still able to get a sense of Bloomberg’s core values of mentorship, transparency and collaboration. They also had fun — check out this slideshow of some of our interns participating in an intern photo challenge:
As the first group of interns to have an entirely online program, we spoke to some of the cohort to understand how they dealt with the challenges of working remotely, and some of the unexpected positive aspects of the virtual program.
“I’m surprised by how much work I’ve gotten done so far! Every time I take on work, I am blown away by how well I can do it. I am certain it has to do with the time I save not traveling between meetings. Bloomberg has also been consistent with their investment in interns. They help us grow professionally through speaker series, mentors, exposure to communities, and advocating growing our network.”
– Lauren Lyttle, Continuous Improvement (CI), Support, New York
Interns have had the opportunity to gain valuable insight from experts at Bloomberg on diverse topics, ranging from diversity and inclusion to personal branding.
“Initially, I was concerned that I may not be able to exhibit my maximum potential by working online. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy working with others online; it feels like a tight-knit community. I was also concerned about developing relationships with my coworkers, but through group projects and game nights, I have been able to build meaningful rapport with my colleagues.”
– Bilad Asankomah, Global Data, London
Bloomberg is always on the search for new talent, particularly those who understand our unique corporate values. Part of this process is allowing interns to explore their diverse interests and develop their understanding of Bloomberg.
Lauren said, “Bloomberg breaks the stereotype of a typical office; the experience here isn’t easy to replicate elsewhere. Everyone is so open and friendly, there is always someone willing to help, and there is no definite hierarchy. I’m grateful for the opportunity to hone my skills and to be immersed in Bloomberg culture.”
Our offices promote collaboration and a sense of equality by having completely open floor plans. Even in a virtual setting, Bloomberg’s strong culture has enabled employees to maintain this sense of collaboration, openness, and transparency.
Jilly Mehlman, interning in Financial Products Communications in New York, describes the transition from an in-person to online internship:
“Despite the adjustment to virtual, the Bloomberg experience remains unchanged: approachable employees who schedule time for ‘coffee’ chats, transparent data and communication for grounded decision-making, and working with purpose.”
Crystal Wang, an Engineering intern in New York, appreciated the camaraderie that was fostered within her team:
“My team had a daily video call at 5 pm to catch up and check-in with each other and I looked forward to that meeting every day. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the team and let loose after a full day of work. We would usually talk about random topics from penguins to noodles, but through these talks, I definitely felt a lot closer to the team and it definitely helped remove some of the awkward obstacles of working remotely.”
As Bilad explains, it was easy to quickly recognize some of the best aspects of life at the firm. He says:
“I was immediately struck by a number of things about the philosophy and culture at Bloomberg. First, the company apportions much of its profits to philanthropy, which was surprising, and second, I always associated finance with a less collaborative, more competitive environment. The investment in personal growth was continuously echoed, and the culture of collaboration was immediately observable in how people communicated with each other. I didn’t once feel different or out of place — the environment was very welcoming, inclusive, and we were encouraged to be ourselves. I knew immediately that it is a place anyone can flourish, regardless of their background.”
Bloomberg emphasizes “working with purpose.” This means that we focus on giving interns exposure to their respective industries. At Bloomberg, there is no busy work: interns were able to work on various different projects with measurable impact.
“My favorite thing about this internship is the agency I have been awarded by my team. I’ve been given independence and autonomy to complete my project: from deciding what approach to take, to the breakdown of tasks, to the design of my solution – everything is mostly up to me, and I really enjoy having the independence to take this project in the direction I want. My mentor and my team leader have been nothing but encouraging during my time here. Under the umbrella of their support, my confidence has grown measurably during this internship, as have my technical skills.”
-Lei Ezz, Engineering, London
Not only do interns get the opportunity to work with various departments, but they are also able to do so across different regions. Given this virtual experience, interns were also able to network across different regions more easily.
“I really appreciated the Bloomberg Law project I had with the Dubai team. It’s a project that helps develop the enhancement of Saudi youth and education. Not only is education personally important to me, but it’s also a way to expand Bloomberg’s global presence, since young students would benefit from the excellent customer service we give.”
– Yasmine M’sehli, Analytics, London
Aside from collaborating with colleagues, interns learned invaluable lessons that can be translated into any future professional setting.
“As an intern, I also felt like I had a lot of opportunities for leadership and personal development. The engineering recruitment team gives interns the opportunity to share something they’re passionate about through a video talk, and I reached out to see if I could discuss multi-view machine learning algorithms. I spent a lot of time preparing and I was ecstatic when more than 90 people joined the call to hear me speak! It speaks volumes about the engineering community at Bloomberg that an intern can attract such an audience. It also goes to show that the people at Bloomberg are so eager and willing to listen and learn from anyone, regardless of their level or their career.”
-Joanna Guo, Engineering, New York
Yihui Hu, an intern in the Financial Products Analytics & Sales team in Shanghai, shares another valuable lesson that she learned throughout her internship, and will likely carry with her in her professional career: “Keep learning and do not be shy to ask for help.”
Through coffee chats, speaker series, mentoring programs, game nights, and more, Bloomberg created and maintained a cohesive community for interns. The firm worked to foster connections, and allow interns to experience our unique culture. Perhaps most importantly, interns were given hands-on exposure to their respective industries and learned valuable lessons they will carry throughout their careers. Although certainly unconventional, the firm has delivered on its promise to provide a real Bloomberg experience. We wish all of our interns the very best as they continue to pursue their studies and careers, and look forward to welcoming them back for coffee in the near future — in person.