The LSE Library has over 95 online and terminal-based data subscriptions, many of which can be useful for your careers research. Our series of blogs outlines some of these subscriptions and how you can make use of them to enhance your applications and interview answers. Our final post focuses on Bloomberg for your careers research.
The Library has four Bloomberg terminals which provide access to the Bloomberg Professional service, located on the Data PCs in the group study areas on floor 4 of the library. Bloomberg contains near real-time and historical financial information on individual equities, stock market indices, fixed-income securities, currencies, commodities, and futures for both international and domestic markets. It also provides company profiles and financial statements, analysts’ forecasts, news on worldwide financial markets, and audio and video interviews and presentations by key players in business and finance. You don’t have to have a career interest in the financial markets to benefit from using Bloomberg for your careers research.
The top ways Bloomberg can help your careers research
1. Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC)
Many students who don’t come from finance based degrees at LSE wish to enter the banking and financial services sector. Whilst graduate employers tend to understand this knowledge gap, many students feel they would like to be more prepared when facing technical interviews as part of the recruitment process. BMC is a modular based elearning platform which gives you the basic knowledge to make you feel more confident when entering interviews through learning about economic indicators, currencies, fixed income and equities. You’ll be accredited as part of a CFA qualification on completion of the course.
2. US politics
Using the function BGOV in Bloomberg yields results relating to what is going on in US politics. This is particularly useful if you’d like to work in this area, and need to keep up to date with related news, whilst also assessing how it might affect business more widely. It’s also broken down into policy area, making your specific policy area interest research even more straightforward!
3. LSE alumni
Using the function PEOP allows you to search by keyword for professionals using Bloomberg. Why not use this to find LSE alumni working in a particular country, city, and company? You’ll then be able to contact them to find out more about their career, their route into their role or company, and anything else you think could help you make your career decisions or give you information relevant to include in your applications or at interview.
4. Company information and competitors
Search for public limited companies to find out more about them, such as any news stories related to them, the price chart, how they compare to others in their industry to name a few aspects which might be useful during the application or recruitment process. Check out the competitors’ revenue and general information on the BI company primer menu item. This should help you identify how each company is performing against each other, potentially giving you some understanding of how one company might differ to another, or giving you some solid reasons for why you might be motivated to apply to one company over another.
For advice on how to effectively and professionally discuss your careers research on your applications or at interview, book a careers appointment via CareerHub.
Current students and staff can access Bloomberg by visiting the terminals on floor 4 of the Library. If you require assistance using it, use the help function on the Terminal to speak to a Bloomberg representative. If you use this subscription for your careers research, please email us at careers@lse.ac.uk with any feedback you have.
