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Bloomberg L.P.

  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Cathy Burbridge

Say yes to everything – I would rather try than regret missing an opportunity. 

What’s your job title? 

At Bloomberg, we’re not big on titles. It’s more about the work we do and the impact we have. That said, I am in the Financial Products Analytics and Sales team. 

What did you study?

Bachelor of Business majoring in Banking & Finance at Monash University. I graduated in 2018.

Where did you grow up?

I went to High School and University in Melbourne. I completed two study abroad programs at Peking University in China and Warwick University in the UK. During my time at university, I also completed three internships in Paris, Singapore and Beijing.

How did you get to your current job position? 

I have been working at Bloomberg since July 2019. I attended the Bloomberg Academy program and then applied for the graduate position when the applications opened.

What was your interview process like?

We have a five-step interview process including an online assessment, a pre-recorded video interview and three rounds of interviews with team leaders and managers. The interview questions center around your motivation for working at Bloomberg and your interest in finance, customer service and sales role.

What does your employer do?

Bloomberg is the global leader in business and financial data, news and insight. Using the power of technology, we connect the world’s decision-makers to accurate information on the financial markets – and help them make faster, smarter decisions.

What are your areas of responsibility? 

I am in the Analytics team, which provides support to Bloomberg Terminal users. We work with our clients to answer their questions and help them leverage our technology to improve their workflow. Within Analytics, I am currently in the Equity team but will be moving into the Trading Solutions team next week.

Can you describe a typical workday? 

Our day is split between time on queue and time proactively working with our clients. Time on queue is when we are on the desk answering client questions, both over our famous instant messaging system IB, on the phone and in person at offices across town. Clients ask us questions which can range from how to find particular data-sets to how to analyse their portfolio of fixed income derivatives. We communicate with many players in the industry across various asset classes who are all trying to solve different problems. We also train our clients on new functionality and features of the Bloomberg terminal to help enhance their workflow. It is important that we are always thinking of new solutions that are fully customised to the needs of the specific client.

What are the career prospects with your job?

There are so many opportunities that come with working in an international company. The typical pipeline for the analytics role is to move into the Sales department (Enterprise, Data, or Product). However, what makes Bloomberg so unique is that you can tailor the role to your specific interests, and no two careers are exactly the same. I've had colleagues move into roles with our programming team, research, news and more!

Could someone with a different background do your job?
 
Definitely! Bloomberg hires from a diverse range of degrees. New hires go through an in-depth training program for the first three months that teaches them everything there is to know about our clients, our product, and the market as a whole. Therefore, the company places an emphasis to hire individuals who are willing and passionate to learn and challenge themselves, irrespective of the degree they have.

What do you love the most about your job?

The opportunity to travel and build new connections in different offices. In the past six months, I have been to Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York - I don't think a lot of graduates can say they have been given this opportunity!

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student? 

  • Say yes to everything – I would rather try than regret missing an opportunity. 
  • When I have to make a decision, I tell myself to be the Cathy of my dreams. 
  • I always remind myself that "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."