Software
Development (R&D;)
Overview
Research & Development (R&D;) is the digital software and product development wing of Bloomberg; the majority of all Bloomberg products, functions and analytical programs originate here.
We develop some of the world’s most advanced financial and business software–launching three functions a day on average. Our developers are immersed in all stages of the software lifecycle, from planning & design to implementation to testing & deployment.
Developers have the opportunity to visit clients, see the product in action and generate enhancements. They can conceptualize and implement new Bloomberg functions intra-day. That’s right, you can come up with an idea in the morning and launch by the end of that business day.
Who thrives here? Technological problem-solvers. Opportunities to contribute here are vast. That’s why the majority of our internship projects have ended up as in-market production functions. It’s how we constantly advance our premier line of products.
Case Study: Bloomberg Designer
We’ve built our own best-in-class IDE designer. If you’re familiar with any standard Integrated Design Environment, such as Eclipse or Visual Studio, you’ll be blown away by our capabilities.
What’s it like?
You have a palette and the tool kit. Drag and drop components to build a screen. We have the flexibility to innovate, customize and try new things.
The Bloomberg IDE enables developers to make changes to applications instantaneously.
What sets it apart?
Developers can collaborate and work on the same code from multiple locations. In essence, we’ll crowd-source our collective expertise to resolve "unsolvable" challenges within minutes. We’ll then test by putting the product into use. First, we’ll deploy to one user, then to one firm, then to one city and beyond.
Why does it matter?
This flexibility gives us the freedom to make enhancements throughout the process of launch. What we’ve done is dramatically shorten the timeline from conception to delivery.
Internships
Summer Internship opportunities are designed for students intrigued by software development. Come learn from the best instructors at Bloomberg. Through intensive training during your internship, you’ll apply core skills in a practical, fast-paced business environment. A manager will guide your experience with career advice, constructive job feedback sessions and insight into our culture.
Specialty Internship Programs
B-Trained Internship Program: U.S.
Do you have an interest in software AND finance? Are you eager to learn how to program? Bloomberg is offering "B-Trained for Summer in the City": a spring evening training class and paid Summer Internship designed for students who have basic programming knowledge and are interested in a career in software development. This training class occurs in the evening for 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week paid Summer Internship as a Financial Software Developer.
Team with colleagues and learn from the experienced instructors in Bloomberg Research & Development. You’ll apply your knowledge in a practical, fast-paced business environment. Successful graduates of the program will have the opportunity to join the Financial Software Developer Summer Internship class.
The Co-op: U.S.
Bloomberg co-op terms are offered year-round. These full-time job positions are designed for forward-thinking college students. Throughout a rigorous four-month term (40 hours/week), students are thrown into the action.
Co-op visibility is high, and these positions are highly sought after. Each student is assigned to a senior developer who serves as a mentor, providing on-the-job guidance, training and supervision. Periodically throughout the program, you’ll meet with your senior developer to ensure that the co-op is progressing according to plan.
Our recruitment process differs, depending on the program calendar of your college or university. Terms may begin in January, May or September. You may be pursuing a bachelor’s or advanced degree and must be registered in a technical discipline.
Iterative Process
R&D; developed the iterative process that defines the pace of our company. Championing one of the most aggressive software release cycles in any firm, R&D; facilitates the speed and responsiveness to customer needs that sets Bloomberg apart.
What’s it like in practice?
Company-wide, we develop rapidly and launch iteratively. Within R&D;, turnaround times are legendary. Our "small a" agile development process accentuates the rollout of quick, short deliverables. Our emphasis is on getting it done: putting solutions to use and improving incrementally.
What does it mean day to day?
As developers, we have lofty goals, but recognize that you never go from Point A to Point B in one swoop. Big improvements happen over a course of steps. In our results-oriented mentality, we prefer to pinpoint exact problems and then solve those problems in their functional environments.
What’s your core methodology?
"Small a" agile (not "capital A" Agile). We’re not married to a single development methodology. We believe that challenges are too complex for any one methodology to pre-plan the perfect means of solving them.