Bloomberg for Education Symposium

Last Thursday (20th Sept) I attended the Bloomberg for Education Symposium at Bloomberg L.P. Finsbury Square, London.

The theme of the day was the skills that graduates need for a career in finance, and how Bloomberg can help Universities to equip students for the world of work.

One key message is that you don’t have to do a finance/business degree to get a graduate position in finance.

What you do need is to demonstrate enthusiasm for working in the financial sector: your degree can do this but it is by no means the only way. Talent is useful, but remember that there are a large range of types of jobs and correspondingly a large range of appropriate talents. [I would struggle to get most jobs at Bloomberg because they and looking for business fluency in at least 2 languages and I don't think English and Latin would be sufficient.] Finally, recruiters are looking for a willingness to work hard, since no matter how closely your studies match your first job you will always have lots to learn.

How can Bloomberg help?

You can use  Bloomberg Professional to demonstrate your interest in a career in finance. Using the same system used by professionals gives you a greater understanding of how professionals monitor financial information, and helps to bridge the gap between academic theory and current practice. Functions BU (Bloomberg University) and CHEAT (Cheatsheets) are good starting points for self-study.

Bloomberg are also promoting the BAT (Bloomberg Assessment Test). This is a standardised test that provides aspiring financial professionals with a measure of their strengths and weaknesses compared with the global average in a range of topics: economics, financial markets, verbal skills, analytical reasoning … There is also an optional feature that allows recruiters to search for matching candidates based on their scores in the various topics.

BAT website screenshot (click to enlarge)

In terms of using  Bloomberg Professional, Bloomberg choose to highlight the Bloomberg Industries (BI) function. This provides users with an industry view including key drivers, company comparisons and industry specific data. (See previous post on Mobile phone industry data on Bloomberg.

Researching companies for your career

remember nothing impresses an employer more in the job interview than hearing a candidate speak knowledgeably about their company (cjbsinfo, 2011)

At the welcome presentations today, it was clear students should start thinking about their career plan as early as possible. A good opportunity then to mention how library company information resources can help.

Company profile – for example use Business Source Premier and the Company Profile link.

Business News – for example use Factiva to find about recent press items about specific companies.

Market Research – for example use Keynote (UK cos) or GMID (Global Market Information Database) to research key market developments.

For more detail: Careers help online (Apr 2012), How to target and research potential employers (Jun 2011), from Careers category.

Manchester Business Answers 24/7 Careers section answers updated to refer to the shiny new University of Manchester Careers Blog - a great place to start learning about the support available from the University Careers Service like the Finance Business and Management Fair on 18th Oct 2012.

References

cjbsinfo (2011) “Pre-interview database checklist” University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, Information and Library Services blog. Available at: http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/infolib/2011/06/10/pre-interview-database-checklist/ [Accessed 17 Sept. 2012]

 

Linkedin – Engaging new App for iPad

 As part of our commitment to supporting you with all your research needs, over the last year we’ve been recommending some useful business apps for you to download to your tablet devices, some of which are for accessing our databases and some which are for useful external sources.

The professional social network Linkedin has released an iPad app in an effort to encourage more users to engage with the service. Despite recent password protection issues the site is going from strength to strength and this new app will dazzle their competitors.

This app is designed like a personal assistant, with features such as calendar integration and a focus on Linkedin’s personalised news feed, which shows what news articles are popular among friends. Their mobile platform is the fastest growing consumer service on Linkedin and they are aspiring to be the site which every professional visits throughout the day, hence their new interactive app.

Although Linkedin’s 150 million members make it one of the world’s most popular social networks, only a third of users check the website daily. In comparison, more than half of Facebook members use the site more than once every 24 hours.  

The iPad app is an attempt to increase engagement with the site by adding bonus features and benefits.

Key features of the new app include the chance to:

• Find and connect with more than 161 million members worldwide.
• Stay up-to-date with people in your network.
• Sync your calendar to get LinkedIn profile information about the people you’re meeting with.
• View and save recommended jobs.
• Read the latest industry news.
• Keep up-to-date with your groups.
• Share content with your network.

The app is free and designed for both iPhone and iPad devices.

Remember if you’re using an iPad make certain to add the MBS Library Service page to your Home Screen for easy access to all the Resources we have to offer you for your research. Simply open our page then tap the arrow in a box symbol next to the top URL line and then select “Add to Home Screen”. You can even edit the name of the Web Icon, after you’ve done this – tap the “Add” button.

Careers Help Online

A selection of online career resources recommended by business school libraries worldwide:

• YouTube “Careers help” videos from Judge library at Cambridge
• What are the best job search sites outside of the United States? from IESE Business School library (Navarra, Spain)
• Where can I find advice on preparing for job interviews? from Baker Library at Harvard Business School
• Careers tagged posts on BizResearch from London Business School Library (who also recommend www.jobhuntersbible.com/contacts/  for networking)
• How to Research: Target Potential Employers (updated June 2011) 
  

In addition, there are our:

• Careers FAQ answers (e.g. Where can I find advice and information on CV writing, job searching and interviews? )
• Careers posts on this blog
• Library catalogue Subject – Careers search

Targeting Employers using the Bloomberg Careers Centre

Bloomberg is a specialist financial database which provides access to Equities, Commodities, Foreign Exchange and Price Indices data in addition to extensive Business News Resources. Another key feature of the database is the Bloomberg Careers Centre Facility. This feature enables browsers to:

• Search for jobs in your specified location or area
• Keep up to date with local Job Related Events
• Discover which Recruiters are in your area at the moment

Using the Bloomberg Careers Centre features enables you to build a comprehensive Job Search to uncover the ideal position for you in the location of your choice.

To begin your Careers Search on Bloomberg, simply enter: “JOBS” in the online search field and then hit “GO”

 

The Jobs Screen is divided into four sections:

• Jobs Available in your Area
• Job-Related Events in your Area 
• Recruiters in your Area
• Financial Hiring News

Many other Job Search Features are also available via the site.

How to access Bloomberg Careers Centre?

Bloomberg is available via designated PCs in the Eddie Davies Finance Zone (Please book online) and the new Bloomberg Suite without booking.

The Precinct Library also has a Bloomberg monitor which can be booked. Please call 0161 306 3200.A detailed guide outlining the key features of the Bloomberg Careers Centre is also available in the “How to” Guide Section of the Library Web-Site.

The MBS Library Service provides access to key resources and databases which can assit all Library users with their Job Search, Interview Preparation and Career Development.

Careers Guides

Find publications relating to your career development eg. Managing your Career, CV/Interview Preparation, Postgraduate Career Strategies and tips on Networking techniques, via the Library Catalogue.

Databases

Harness our extensive range of Databases to Target and Research Potential Employers, see our “How to Target and Research Potential Employers” guide available via the Library Web-page:

http://www.mbs.ac.uk/library

How to Target and Research Potential Employers

The MBS Library Service provides access to key resources and databases which can assist you with your job search, interview preparation and Career development plan.

Careers Guides

Find publications relating to your career developemnt eg. Managing your career, CV/Interview preparation and tips on networking techniques, via the Library Catalogue.

Company Research Databases

Use the databases located in the “Databases” section of the Library’s “E-Resources” page to:

• Target Listings of UK/International companies
• Locate details of top companies in specific sectors
• Research latest company developments 

Target and Research Companies: Access FAME/ORBIS

• Identify and create target sector lists for UK/International companies
• Establish top companies/key competitors in specific markets/sectors
• Examine and Compare Financial performance of companies
• Analyse a company’s performance against key competitors
• Examine Corporate structures, board members and key contacts

Research Company News and Developments: Access FACTIVA

• Enhance your background knowledge for applications and interviews
• Examine latest company/industry developments from leading global news and trade publications
• Examine the impact of the latest political/economic events on companies/industries
• Up to 20 years of news updated daily

Other Library Databases  

• Research Market Analysis – Access Mintel, Keynote, Passport GMID, Frost and Sullivan, providing detailed tailored analysis for international and consumer markets . See the “Markets and Sectors” section of the Library Databases page.
• Create Company/Industry Capsules – Access Business Source Premier (Business Searching Interface) providing brief company/industry snapshots for key international companies and markets. See the “Management Literature” section of the Library Databases page.

Specialist Databases: Access BLOOMBERG (available for use within the Eddie Davies Library)

• Locate essential data within the “Bloomberg Careers Centre”
• Provides the Facility to search for Jobs/Recruiters by region
• Details upcoming Job Related Events
• Lists latest Job Postings

Additional Sources: VAULT (Online Careers Portal)

In addition to the Library databases on offer, MBS students have access to an online careers portal via their own career service. Vault provides:

• Online career development guides
• Occupational profiles
• Articles and online videos offering career/personal development advice.

To access Vault contact your University Careers Service adviser

Further Information on how to find, access and search any of the library databases detailed within this guide can be found on the Library’s E-Resources page.

The Library is providing a season of Open Training programmes over the Summer including sessions in July on Targeting and Researching Potential Employers

A detailed guide which expands further on the information provided above is also available via the Library Web-site.