I talked to a recruiter at my school career fair, who asked about my internship experience and then gave me a couple of on-the-spot logic questions. I then got a call that evening to go in the next morning for an interview.
I was then interviewed by two people for a technical interview- about 3 or 4 logic and programming questions. (Either pseudocode or actual syntax from a language of your choice is usually fine.) Only took about 20 minutes. They asked me to leave the room, and after a minute of deliberation, an interviewer asked me if I could go back in the afternoon for another interview.
I came back to another technical interview with two different interviewers. After another couple minutes of deliberation among the recruiters, I was asked to do a "senior interview" right then. They asked a few simple behavioral questions (nothing tricky) and one logic question. Seemed more like a conversation than an interview. Again, it was short, nothing more than 30 mins.
That was it. Seven days later I got a call and a job offer!
All the people who interviewed me seemed to be laid back and very friendly. They let me ask any questions I had and gave honest answers from their own experiences. (They are not allowed to go into specifics about compensation packages, however, i.e. typical salaries, relocation packages, bonuses, etc... but just know that it will be very generous.) The friendly atmosphere really helped put me at ease, which helped out overall. I realized that these guys weren't trying to grill me, they just wanted to get a feel for who I was and whether or not I would fit their culture.
Some tips for people interested in interviewing:
- They don't expect you to be a perfect programmer, though some computer science coursework will definitely help your resume get noticed. They are really looking for students from all technical backgrounds who know some programming fundamentals, have a logical mind, and have a passion for programming, especially in the financial services industry.
- During technical interviews, it's okay if you don't get all the logic questions perfectly correct right away. Use the pen and paper they give you to work things out. Talk to them as you're thinking through the problem. They want to see how you solve problems and that you have a logical mind. If you get stuck on a problem, don't freak out... they will give you some hints to help nudge you along the way.
- Show them that you're conversational. The Bloomberg culture is all about open communication. If you have a logical mind and you can hold a conversation, they want you on their team.
- As with all interviews: Relax, and be confident!!