On September the 28th, GEM Finance Society and GEM Career Center had the pleasure to organise the FINANCE BOOTCAMP at Grenoble Ecole de Management.
In case you missed it, GEM Finance Society had the opportunity to ask our participants questions about the sector and their company. We will post each one of the interviews on our blog, so keep posted.
INTERVIEW WITH MRS FROEHLICHS AND MR DAMJAN FOR BLOOMBERG
Today, meeting with Mrs Froehlichs and Mr. Damian, at Bloomberg. Good reading!
Could you tell us more about a normal day of work at Bloomberg ?
Mrs Froehlichs: I started in Analytics. So, half my day of work consisted of assisting clients by answering their questions with a “consulting” approach. This was an important part of my job because our customers need us to give them an answer as fast as possible. For that I must understand what their end goals are and think fast, even if this is stressful.
The rest of the day was more about pro-activity. For example, I called clients to tell them about new functions or uploads. With 3 or 4 years of experience in analytics, you also have to teach new co-workers how they can deal with their work.
For the past 2 months, I have been working in the sales department. Concretely, I have “accounts” such as banks and I must help them to use the Bloomberg terminal as efficiently as possible. When I meet them, I inquire about the tools and software they use to complete their job. I also have them use specific functions on the Bloomberg terminal and ensure that these functions are being used correctly.
Companies tend to cut expenses and it is my job to ensure that companies do not reduce their subscriptions to the Bloomberg terminal.
Mr Damjan: Our clients need a lot of information to make the right choices. Therefore, we have to sell a product that gives them high quality, complete data.
Every data analyst is working in a specific department like equities, fix incomes, or futures, and he or she is responsible for the data that they are covering. So, our core role is to monitor the inflow of data and standardized them. We also have to work on projects like developing in house offerings. For that, we have to deal with various sources of data and technologies.
The customer interaction at work is limited to when a client wants to know how we compile our data or what is the calculation behind a specific value.
Why have you chosen to work at Bloomberg ?
We both had an amazing experience when we applied for jobs. Compared to Banks or Funds, Bloomberg offers you a real opportunity to progress really fast. Moreover, the culture and work philosophy is different. At Bloomberg, you will have to work with people from all over the world and that is a really cool thing! Finally, people at Bloomberg all have a really entrepreneurial mindset. At Bloomberg, if you want to take responsibilities you will rapidly see a progression in your career. The dynamism of the company really encourages us.
What is the most important thing that you have learned at Bloomberg ?
Bloomberg taught us to be bold. So, we are no longer afraid of calling clients. We have developed ourselves to take risks and face challenges. We have to work hard and strive for the best.
Can you tell me about your career path ?
Mr Damjan: There is no greater path. I started to work in the legal department of a consulting firm but I was more interested in business. So, I studied the MIB in London and changed my career direction. Bloomberg was the best choice for me because it gave the best opportunities. One doesn’t need to specifically study finance to work here.
Mrs Froehlichs: I had a gap year in controlling but I was more interested in the financial aspect and getting in contact with clients. My interview experience with Bloomberg, along with their mindset convinced me that I should work with them.
What are the core values or qualities that have all Bloomberg’s employee ?
There are many qualities that can be useful to work at Bloomberg but here are some:
- An interest in Finance and technology.
- Curiosity
- Team Playing / Be collaborative
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurship
Where do you see yourself in the future in terms of job and company ?
Thanks to the numerous opportunities at Bloomberg, we don’t have a pre-defined career path. We are probably going to continue to develop our knowledge for specific niche markets or products. There is so much to do at Bloomberg that is really difficult to imagine our future career path.
Interview carried out by Nathan Brunel
GEM Finance Society