News Apprentice Review

I am working in the news department, and will spend six months each on three different teams. At the moment I am in the Daybreak team, which means I write sections for the Daybreak product, compiling and summarising the top stories of the day. Before I was on the Equities team, which involved researching and writing stories about company news and share prices.

I have learned more about journalism, how to contact sources and improved my writing style. I have learned a lot about financial and corporate concepts, terminology, how to read analyst notes and how to read a balance sheet. Through the apprenticeship coaching course, I have learned and improved my general professional skills.

I enjoy working here as the team is supportive and willing to help me learn and meet new people. I really like the company culture, which is inclusive and encourages meeting new people through networking events and community organisations. I enjoy the work itself as it enables me to use my skills, and challenges me to improve them.

On my current team I am receiving a lot of support, feedback and training. On my previous team I didn't receive as much, possibly due to the nature of the work there, but there was still some support. The coaching programme is well-organised, but many of the things we learn haven't been relevant to the work I do, so at times that has felt like a distraction rather than complementary to my work.

I receive a lot of support from my manager, members of my team, and the HR team. The manager of my current team has assigned another member of the team as a kind of mentor for while I'm here. I also have a newsroom mentor. I have regular meetups with the HR apprenticeship co-ordinators.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider. My coaches have always emphasised that they are available to be contacted if we have any questions or concerns. When I have emailed them they replied quickly. The coaches are also happy to talk about work, and offer helpful advice.

I don't think there is a strong link between the qualification and my role, other than in improving general professional skills which helps. I have had to be creative to try to fit the requirements of the qualification around my role, and sometimes I feel the qualification is a distraction from my actual work.

There are many professional networking events, organised by the HR apprenticeship managers, and the Bloomberg Communities. There are a few informal social events. There are no sports teams that I know of. I'm in the BPROUD Community which organises some meetups during work days, but these are at inconvenient times for my current role. There are opportunities to get involved with Bloomberg Philanthropies, although I don't know if it's encouraged that you take time off work to do them, or if that would look bad.

Yes

Bloomberg is a great place to work, with friendly people who will help you succeed and improve your skills. As an employer, Bloomberg treats you well and will support you if you have personal issues. The office is very modern, which makes it a nicer and more productive working environment.

If you're applying for an apprenticeship, your attitude matters more than your qualifications. Have a positive attitude and show a willingness to learn, which is the most important thing. If you're applying for a news role, get to know the sort of content the company produces, and show that you want to find stories.