MY INTERNSHIP WITH BLOOMBERG

MY INTERNSHIP AT BLOOMBERG

It seemed like an ordinary day. I was on the campus of Clark Atlanta University, when I saw a Bloomberg booth with large letters manned by a friendly woman, Ms. Jamilla.

We started talking; and it was on. She explained a lot about Bloomberg L. P, the financial world and their internship.  She was exciting and informative.

After 30 minutes, Ms. Jamilla and several of us students went to dinner and we talked about the position for a long time.

A sizable number of other companies had been at the job fair, pitching their organizations and asking for resumes from students.  This occurred in the Fall semester of 2023.

As a finance major, I was drawn to Bloomberg.  I knew that the company was a leader in finance, and I wanted to know more. So I listened and asked questions.

Not all aspects of finance are inherently interesting. However,  Ms. Jamilla was extremely personable and she took a personal interest in me. Her presentation made all the difference in the world.

She carefully explained the process of applying for an internship and how to make my way through the three-interview process.

Ms. Jamilla seemed to have confidence that I could be a successful candidate.  In fact, a few days later, she called and asked if I had applied? I assured her that I had. She was confident and enthusiastic. I felt like she was really pulling for me. Perhaps she could see my lack of confidence under my youthful exuberance.

Later, I received an invitation to a second interview.  Then the company paid for me to fly to New York for a third, more in-depth interview.

I was disappointed in my performance, so I was surprised when Ms. Jamilla called and told me that I had been selected for a 10-week learning experience with pay.

During the program, we learned a lot about the Bloomberg core values, life in the big city, and much about the world of finance. My instructor was a department head.  He was extremely knowledgeable and thorough.

The program was quite fast moving. It was not always easy to keep up with the rest of the interns. This was the real stuff.  The content and the presentations were as professional as any I had seen.  I sensed that this was the big time for sure.

For years my goal has been to become a successful day trader, not working in sales and analytics.  That’s the position they offered me at the end of the internship. So I turned the offer down and explained why.  I left on cordial terms.

In retrospect, I realize that they liked my drive and determination, but I was not the most qualified in all ways for the job I sought. So I’ll just have to achieve my goal another way. People often ask, how did I develop such a drive?

As a small child, I always wondered why it was such a big deal for my parents to discuss even small purchases.  Common toys were denied me or delayed. I saw my family driving old vehicles, not expensive new sports cars.  And I wondered why we were not making major money.

So I set a goal of figuring out how to become financially free.  College was the first step.  Next I would need to find a good job in finance.

My 5-7 year goal is to work as a financial analyst and by 10 years at the latest to be a stockbroker. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.