Philanthropy Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement. The internship was incredibly worthwhile and very insightful. I learnt a great deal about the workings of the company and whether I would be interested in following a career in the philanthropy ( corporate social responsibility) field. A very eye-opening experience filled with great opportunities to network with other organisations, I felt like I was making a different and each day was full of activities. I couldn't have asked for a nicer bunch of lovely ladies to work with, who were incredibly cooperative and passionate.

I was very included and very valued by my colleagues and felt very pleased with by the level of kindness and cooperation they exhibited. I could not have asked for a better group of workers in the philanthropy department and everyone worked extremely well together as a team. The other people I met within the office seemed different but also equally lovely outward looking and the mix of backgrounds and skills meant there was never a dull encounter.

I worked closely with [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] in the Arts department (I was an Art Intern) as well as the rest of the team who were very helpful and taught me a lot about the workings of the department and what level of professionalism was expected. I learnt a tremendous amount about the company and especially the Bloomberg Foundation and how to achieve the goals set out by those higher up the chain of command. Discussions were encouraged and I always felt like an equal.

There was always a task for me to do which I felt very grateful for as I know from experience that this is not always the case in an internship. I got involved in a variety of activities that weren't just computer based. I helped with a lot of the voluntary activities and off site trips/ meetings. It was important for me to manage my time and prioritize my tasks accordingly. My team were so busy all the time, so it was important for me to take initiative and get on with work.

I managed the Bloomberg corporate benefits system which allowed employees to register for events organised through our arts partner organisations. I was tracking the ticket allocations and managed guest lists. I had a lot of responsibility - in this environment you cannot hide away. When a few of the colleagues were away at various times I was given their duties which show the levels of responsibility bestowed. Being thrown in the deep end allowed me to grow a huge amount in a short space on time.

The skills that I acquired during my internship at Bloomberg will helped me learn more about the charity sector as well as improve my work ethic and organisational skills. It is also important in the modern era to learn office skills necessary in a high pressure context I believe that the internship at Bloomberg has done this for me. Learning about the professionalism and high standards expected everyday has given me an understanding going into the real world of work.

The office was the lovilest corporate building ive ever been to! It is extremely visually stimulating through the great work done through philanthropy on the Waste Not Want It project. The fishes are beautiful and I was always very happy watching them during my very breif breaks. The philanthropy department was in the best location within the office - next to the pantry! Everyone was really nice. Also the layout of the office meant I was able to talk to people from all different types of departments are from different levels of the corporation, which was really exciting. I think this system is really good for interns and organisations in general. The office layout and culture was also incredibly fruitful and I think it helped get the best out of employees.

The beginning of the internship was the best where there were a lot of events and programmes which made me feel very included. The Lunch & Learns were also very informative and made me very excited about the entire summer. I think the trip to the Bank of England was not as good as it could have been and later on in the internship the number of events seemed to lessen. Having said that, the Summer Party was incredible and was really eye-opening in terms of how the Bloomberg culture is perpetuated outside of the office. I also loved being able to volunteer during working hours which didnt feel like I was working! The system was just so inspiring.

I felt that the company were investing a great deal on me which was very encouraging! we were given a subsided pantry and there were so many opportunities for personal development. You have the opportunity to shadow people in other department and the fact they I was given 10 weeks paid work over the summer was incredibly kind and generous of Bloomberg and the fact that every colleague helped me each day when they had a lot on their plates means the firm did invest considerably in me. I felt like one of the other workers there, rather than a simple intern and being able to attend events with other employees attenuated that. However, other interns were given weeks of training at the beginning of the scheme and although I was not part of sales/analytic/global data, it meant I was probably invested in slightly less than the most.

They are quite appealing as far as I am aware. I think the department is more focused on bringing more interns and giving different people a chance. Having said that, a couple of the colleagues there were previous interns and so I guess anything is possible! You are also encouraged to apply for internal roles so once you're part of the Bloomberg family it make things slightly easier to move around the different departments and learn more about the company. I was also offered to apply for a permanent role after the internship - having said that I am not aware how what percentage of interns actually get offered a position after the interviews.

The social scene was ok in terms of going to the pub and Human Resources organised lots of events for everyone so there were a lot of opportunities to meet and network. There was definitely the idea that if you wanted to socialize with others, you had to make an effort yourself to see them because everyone's lunch breaks and time off work varied. I didn't get much of a lunch break because there was just so much to do, however, there was always a group ready to go out and that was helpful and good to hear! I was also offered tickets to our arts organisations which meant that there was also something fun to do and go and see!

The cost of living and socializing was expensive because as we were based in London and everyone knows its not the cheapest place to be. I know people that had to rent flats and I think that took a large chunk out of their salary which isn't great. It also depends on where you go out and how savvy you want to be with your expendable income. The free pantry meant that you saved on drinks and snacks though!

The nightlife was standard London bars and clubs so it was great

There was a regular football match and interns were often asked to go to bowling matches throughout the week. As I worked in the philanthropy department I had access to all the voluntary opportunities such as helping at the soup kitchen on weekday evenings which was a great way to get involved with a good cause in the local community while meeting people within the company in other departments! It also allowed me to mingle with the permanent employees and not just interns.