Summer Internship Diary: Bloomberg Engineering Interns Anuja & Josephine
June 14, 2021
Each summer, Bloomberg Engineering welcomes more than 200 interns to our teams around the world. Internships are an important way we connect with and hire top talent while diversifying our workforce. Interns get to experience life at Bloomberg, and many choose to join us full-time.
Throughout the summer of 2021, we’ll be sharing regular updates from two college students in the U.S. — Anuja Badeti, a senior at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and Josephine Nguyen, a senior at Dartmouth College — both of whom previously interned with our engineering teams. They’ll be sharing information about the teams they’re working with, the projects they’re working on, the technical skills they’re learning, in addition to different anecdotes about their summer internship experience with us.
We’ll also be getting updates from another group of interns in EMEA and APAC once they start their internships later this summer, so keep an eye out for that starting in July.
Anuja Badeti
School: New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Graduating Year: Class of 2022
Major: BS, Computer Science & MS, Computer Science
Working from this summer: Plainsboro, NJ (Princeton area)
Internship Team: Core Analytics & Insights Engineering
Mentor: Connie Yee
Notable Extracurricular Activities: Grace Hopper Conference 2019, Women in Computing Society, Girl Hacks NJIT, HackTCNJ
Wrapping up my summer internship (August 13)
Your summer internship is coming to an end in the next few weeks. Tell us what you accomplished in terms of your internship project.
This summer, I was able to implement Reinforcement Learning algorithms for the purpose of reforming cache construction to reduce cache sizes, while maintaining target hit rates. In the beginning, the project’s goal was to only look into the caching strategy — meaning how iwas able to then implement RLCache, which utilizes reinforcement learning to figure out whether or not to add certain keys to the cache. I completed this portion of the project ahead of schedule and then had time to begin work on the reach goals for the project, which included looking into cache eviction strategies. I was able to implement RLCache’s eviction strategy, which uses a reward system algorithm to determine which key(s) to evict when the max cache capacity is reached. I was also able to run both algorithms on realistic simulated data, as well as test the algorithms on a small portion of real cache data to see how they performed.
What was your favorite event of the summer?
By far, my favorite event this summer was the puzzle challenge. This event was the perfect combination of working tirelessly on difficult challenges, as well as having fun with the other interns. This is probably the biggest thing that I am going to miss from the internship process.
Have you come across any Bloomberg employee perks during your internship?
I’ve heard from my colleagues that Bloomberg is currently offering complimentary breakfast and lunch in the offices in New York City. What a great perk to have!
How has your relationship with your team/mentor evolved?
My relationship with my mentor is another of this summer’s highlights. We are able to bounce ideas off each other, meet up whenever a question arises, and we have developed a great working relationship. On top of that, we are able to talk about our personal and career goals and have established a great dynamic where we can joke with each other throughout our daily meetings. My mentor has helped me exponentially with my software development skills, and they have been instrumental in helping me figure out what I want in terms of my career.
What’s one piece of advice you have for future interns?
I would definitely recommend that everyone talk to engineers on other teams. That was something I did this summer that I found invaluable, especially as I’m thinking about what I want for a full-time opportunity. Everyone is so helpful and eager to help you understand more about Bloomberg and what other teams do. I would definitely encourage everyone to reach out and network with as many people as possible.
You were elected President of the Student Senate Board at NJIT for 2021-2022 and one of your interests has been developing highly sustainable solutions. What lessons about sustainability did you learn at Bloomberg that you will take back to NJIT?
In this internship specifically, I noticed a huge drive towards creating eco-friendly solutions that would better the environment. When I go back to NJIT, this is going to become a priority because I really saw the dire need for cleaning up the environment, and I know that our Senate can help make a difference in and around Newark.
What’s one thing you learned about finding success working in a large tech company?
The biggest thing is communication. If you have a career goal, project idea, or anything else, communicating those ideas to your Team Lead is the first step in actualizing your goals and dreams. Everyone is very accommodating and wants you to work on things that you are passionate about. Letting people know your goals will help ensure that you find success.
Briefly summarize your Bloomberg Engineering internship experience.
This was one of the most technically challenging summers I’ve ever had. However, I’ve also never made more friends and connections to people than in these short months.
Working on my project, getting to know others & giving back (July 30)
What are some of the interesting technical challenges you are facing? What problems are you trying to solve?
My project this summer involves implementing Reinforcement Learning for caches to see if we can create a novel algorithm that decides whether or not to cache a certain item. RLCache is an idea that was conceptualized from a research paper and has minimal supplemental work that could be used in tandem with the paper. Therefore, one of the biggest technical challenges I faced was being able to have a working implementation of this code. Using the paper and some of the GitHub code that was created alongside the paper, I was able to fill in the missing gaps of code in order to build a working implementation of RLCache.
How do you spend your breaks?
I typically spend my breaks snacking in the kitchen with my family or taking much needed walks outside to get some fresh air. I find that both of these activities give me a nice break from the stress of the job, and I’m always able to come back to my desk feeling rejuvenated and ready to continue working.
How does your team stay connected beyond meetings?
My team goes out of their way to constantly keep people engaged by messaging on our team IB chat with work related and non-work related questions. We also have bi-weekly game nights where we pick a different online game to play with each other. Sometimes, some of my colleagues’ kids also join, so it’s a great way to get to know the rest of my team in a casual and fun setting.
What did you learn about the role of Guilds within Bloomberg’s Engineering department?
Guilds are a huge part of the learning culture at Bloomberg. I am part of the Machine Learning (ML) Guild. During my brief time there, I’ve been able to listen and participate in interesting discussions, learn from some of the most passionate people at Bloomberg, and have a space where I can gather more information from experts. The ML Guild even has a formal showcase for interns to present their machine learning related projects to people across the company who share our passion for this technology.
How did you do during the annual Puzzle Challenge? What did the Puzzle Challenge help you learn about yourself?
The puzzle challenge did not disappoint! Unfortunately, I did not even come close to winning. However, it was definitely a highlight of my summer. The puzzles were so entertaining and it was great to see so many Bloomberg employees getting into character and really making this event one to remember. The biggest takeaway I got from the puzzle challenge was that I love meeting and collaborating with new people. I was placed on a random puzzling team and it was so much fun to interact with other interns, talk about our projects, as well as get to know each other on a personal level. By the end of the weekend, I had definitely formed new friendships with a number of the other interns.
What was your project during the Intern Day of Service? What did you learn about corporate philanthropy at Bloomberg from this experience?
My project on the Intern Day of Service was annotating different plant types and recording important information from the artifacts in Zooniverse. Going into the event, I had no idea what to expect since many philanthropic activities are usually held in person. So I was very excited to see us doing a meaningful environmental project that was actually helping other organizations. I learned that corporate philanthropy is such a fun way to help the community, while also enabling you to meet new people and feel proud of the purposeful work that you are doing.
Each week, interns are connected for a virtual coffee roulette. Have you met anyone new?
I have met so many people from the intern coffee roulette. These meetings are typically in groups of 4-5 random interns, where we are able to talk about our projects, future career goals, and also just get to know each other. I’ve been met so many people, connected on shared hobbies, and gotten different career perspectives. It has been such a fun part of every week.
You recently heard from Bloomberg’s Chairman, Peter Grauer. What was one key thing you learned from him?
The biggest thing that Peter Grauer stressed during his presentation was the importance of relationships, both inside and outside of the workplace. He shared an anecdote about how both he and Michael Bloomberg had daughters in the same horse-riding camp. Through that, he and Mike were able to become fast friends and built respect for one other. I thought this story about how they established their solid relationship was so insightful and really showed how every relationship is valuable and can begin in random places.
Halfway through my summer internship (July 16)
You’re halfway through your summer internship. How do you feel it’s going?
The first half of my internship really flew by and I can attribute it to working on a challenging, but rewarding, project and collaborating with my mentor and other interns on the team. I feel very proud of the work that has been done thus far and am super excited to finish up the remaining work in the latter half of the summer. I’ve learned so much about different computer science topics, both through my own research and by attending tech talks hosted by other software engineers from across Bloomberg.
How do you make the most of your day?
I make the most of my day by staying organized and documenting everything I can. I am constantly taking notes, making to-do lists, and checking my calendar to make sure that I stay on top of everything that needs to be done. I also make sure to schedule in time throughout my weekly schedule to participate in tech talks that interest me, network with other interns and software engineers, and learn as much as I can about what Bloomberg is all about. This balance of working and networking is really important to ensure that my project gets done and that I leave a good impression on those that I meet.
You recently heard from Pamela Hutchinson, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). What did you learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion from her?
Diversity & Inclusion is prevalent all across Bloomberg. From the company’s hiring process to the philanthropic initiatives that employees take part in, it is very inspiring to see how Bloomberg leads with diversity and inclusion in mind at every step.
What did you learn during the recent resume workshop?
During the resume workshop, I learned about how important it is to consider who is reading your resume and the background they may have. A lot of the time, the recruiter looking at your resume may not have a Computer Science background, so it is very important to quantify everything and use as many well-known industry or technical “buzzwords” as possible, because that is what the recruiter will most likely take away from your resume.
Settling in With My Team & Starting My Summer Project (July 2)
How was your transition back into your previous team?
The transition back into my previous team was great! The scheduled coffee chats that connect people on the same team made reconnecting with the other team members very easy. Also, being able to listen to the weekly team meetings allowed me to understand the new projects that everyone was working on, as well as seeing the progress that they were making on the longer-term projects that I remember hearing about last year. My team has also started holding bi-weekly online gaming sessions, which have allowed me to talk to some new faces in a comfortable and relaxed environment.
Now that you have settled in with your team, have you re-connected with everyone or met anyone new since last summer?
I have definitely reconnected with everyone that I knew before, in addition to meeting some new faces. The team has grown a lot in the past year, and all the newer additions have been amazing to meet and work with. My project this summer connects multiple scrums across Data Services, which has allowed me to collaborate with people from different teams that I have not met previously. It has been very refreshing to see these new faces, work on new technology, and to collaborate with people who have different perspectives and skill sets than me.
What does your team work on?
The Core Analytics and Insights team is shepherding projects to further standardize and add features to the common interface through which application teams access and use Bloomberg’s core data services. The Insights team actively collects data on 180 billion hits per day to enable data-driven decisions about the company’s scalable data infrastructure, ensuring it is well-adapted to Bloomberg’s increasingly Linux-based microservice-oriented application architecture.
What is the main focus of your project this summer?
I’m working with my mentor this summer on a project to reduce our cache size, while still being able to meet our target hit rates. For some context, the cache that my team uses is one of the largest caches at Bloomberg, and it has a 90% hit rate. My project is trying to see whether we can use reinforcement learning algorithms to create a cache that doesn’t max out at capacity and can achieve a higher or equal hit rate than the current cache.
How do you stay motivated while working remotely?
What motivates me the most while working remotely is having a project that truly interests and challenges me. I’m constantly facing new problems and obstacles. so it makes every workday a completely different experience. I’m also thankful to have a very involved mentor who is very passionate about data science in general, and I believe her enthusiasm and intelligence really encourage me to keep working and persevere, even if I’m facing some difficult challenges.
You recently met your connector mentor. How does this relationship differ from your mentor on your team?
My connector mentor is someone who I look to to give me a broader view of what my career could look like and gain insight on some of the professional questions that I have. My connector mentor is from the Bloomberg Women in Tech (BWIT) community. They have given me a lot of perspective as to what it is like to be a woman in this field and have shared their career journey and experiences both getting to and at Bloomberg. She is completely separate from my project and my technical roles, and is serving as a guide to help me accomplish all that I want at Bloomberg and beyond.
Diving Into My First Week (June 18)
How did you prepare for the first day of your internship?
To prepare for my first day, I made sure that I was well-rested and energized for the first part of orientation. I also ensured that my computer and monitor were set up, as well as being able to access the Zoom link that would be our meeting location for the first day. Finally, I made sure that I had my Bloomberg notebook for taking down any important information. Then, I was all ready to get started.
What are you most excited about this summer?
I’m always incredibly excited for the Intern Puzzle Challenge that usually happens near the end of the internship. The event is a 24-hour competition where interns compete in teams of 4-5 to win the grand prize by working together on different puzzles that were created by other Bloomberg engineers. There are mini-games, swag bags, and so many different surprises, which always makes this event the most memorable event of the summer.
What was something you learned about Bloomberg this week that surprised you?
The biggest thing that surprised me was seeing my team from last summer and all the new faces of engineers who had joined recently. I was shocked by how much the team had grown and all the new projects that they had started in just a year. I think that speaks volumes about Bloomberg’s innovation culture, in that it is ever-growing with an abundance of opportunities.
What was the structure of your first week?
Returning interns typically get to immediately start working with your team and skip the week of intern training, which we completed the year prior. However, this year, they created a new training session on Docker, a technology that has recently been used by Bloomberg and one that I would be working closely with in my summer project. Therefore, the first two days of my first week were dedicated to Docker training. After that, I was able to meet with my mentor and get started on my project in that first week. I was also able to attend my first team meeting, where I was able to reconnect with everyone and get a general idea of what everyone on the team is currently working on.
Getting Ready for My Summer Internship (June 11)
This will be your third summer as an intern with Bloomberg, including when you were in high school. What did you enjoy about last summer / prior summers that you chose to intern with Bloomberg again this summer?
I’ve been at Bloomberg for the last three years, and the reason why I keep coming back is because of how much the company gives back to its employees, the community, and worldwide causes. In each of my internships, I’ve been able to work with technologies that I had never seen before, attend tech talks on projects that I didn’t foresee making headway until years later, and meet so many mentors who have spent hours sitting with me to help plan out my future. I’ve been part of beach clean ups and clothing drives to better the community the office is located in, as well as to educate myself and others on the many philanthropic initiatives that Bloomberg is a part of. When I compare my experience at Bloomberg to my peers at other leading tech companies, it’s obvious that the opportunities I’ve had are unparalleled.
What are your goals this summer?
This summer, my goal is to educate myself on machine learning techniques in a real-world setting. I’m excited to be working with an amazing mentor and to be given a project that allows me to grow tremendously as a software developer.
How are you preparing for your internship?
To prepare myself for this internship, I’ve already reached out to my mentor to get some preliminary information on my project, as well as gotten some links to online resources so that I can get a general idea of the technologies that I will be using.
What are you hoping to get out of your internship this summer?
By the end of this summer, I’m looking forward to feeling fulfilled in the progress I’ve made in my project as well as leaving with lasting connections to my team and other interns. I’m really excited to meet all the new interns this year and have a great and productive summer!
Josephine Nguyen (she/her/hers)
School: Dartmouth
Graduating Year: Class of 2022
Major: BA, Computer Science
Working from this summer: Houston, TX
Internship Team: Storage API Engineering
Mentor: Rohit Charantharayil
Notable Extracurricular Activities: TA for CS1, CS50: Software Design & Implementation, and CS65: Smartphone Programming; Out for Undergrad 2019 & 2020
Wrapping up my summer internship (August 13)
Your summer internship is coming to an end in the next few weeks. Tell us what you accomplished in terms of your internship project.
Through this internship I got to design the back-end and front-end components of my project, which I found exciting because it was a great opportunity to practice and improve my design and presentation skills. In terms of implementation, I wrote and deployed code for the changes I designed, incorporating feedback from code reviews as necessary. I also really appreciated that my project allowed me to use JavaScript and React for something that external users interact with.
What did you learn about the role of Guilds within Bloomberg’s Engineering department?
I recently heard from the Python and C++ Guilds at Bloomberg. Through this talk, I learned that Guilds promote best practices and technical help for their respective languages to Bloomberg’s engineering community. Engineers can also attend conferences related to these programming languages through their involvement in Guilds.
What was your favorite event of the summer?
My favorite event this year is the same as my favorite last year: the puzzle hunt! Not only were the puzzles interesting and fun, I think that spending an extensive amount of time on calls with fellow interns for two days straight (with a few small breaks each day) is a great way to connect in a virtual setting. Also, to solve a couple of the puzzles, instead of interacting with the puzzle hunt platform, we talked to some of the organizers who had dressed up and were playing as different characters. This was definitely the best part of the puzzle hunt!
Have you come across any Bloomberg employee perks during your internship?
I was pleasantly surprised to discover some employee perks in Houston through Best of Bloomberg (BOB), the company’s Corporate Philanthropy program! Some of these perks include complimentary tickets to the Houston Zoo and admission to the Museum of Fine Arts. I was thrilled to find out that Bloomberg offers employee perks like these in many locations across the U.S. and abroad.
Allison Jaffin, COO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, recently spoke to the Engineering interns. What was one key lesson she imparted to you?
I learned that data is crucial for both Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. In particular for the latter, data provides evidence needed to drive meaningful and impactful changes. For instance, the team in Bloomberg Philanthropies that works with government officials uses data to concretely identify problems that need addressing, defines what kind of work needs to be done, and estimates how much work still needs to be completed.
How has your relationship with your mentor evolved?
My mentor worked in the Storage API team when I joined as a first-time intern last year. Having them as my mentor this year has created more opportunities for us to interact, whether it was for code review or a general catch-up. Over the summer, the topics of our conversations have shifted to reflect the progress of my project. But one constant is how helpful he has been with my questions, no matter how small they are.
What’s one piece of advice you have for future interns?
Ask a lot of questions! I have found that asking questions opens up opportunities to do and learn new, interesting things. It also helps you efficiently resolve problems that could have taken much longer to resolve on your own.
What’s one thing you learned about finding success working in a large tech company?
A common thread in the advice provided by the execs who spoke during the Intern Speaker Series is the importance of reaching out to people and expanding one’s network at the company. As an intern at Bloomberg, some of the opportunities I have had to do this include meeting new people (full-time employees and interns) through randomized Coffee Roulette chat groups, attending intern events, and networking through both my connector and internship mentors.
Briefly summarize your Bloomberg Engineering internship experience.
The people and the culture are always pushing to help me become a better engineer!
Working on my project, getting to know others & giving back (July 30)
What are some of the interesting technical challenges you are facing? What problems are you trying to solve?
As I design and implement new endpoints and UI screens, I have learned that creating a good user experience is a thought-provoking challenge. Some of the things I need to consider when I tackle these types of problems include how to make the design feel intuitive and easy to use for the component’s intended user (internal vs. external), how to minimize the risk of user-input errors causing unintended changes, and ways to provide the user with informative error messages when things go wrong, etc. I find this challenge interesting, because there isn’t always a right answer, and I feel that thinking through the different possible solutions hones my design skills as an engineer,
How do you spend your breaks?
In order to give myself a break from the laptop screen and get some exercise, I often walk around my apartment, though the destination of these excursions is often the kitchen, where I make myself snacks! My favorite thing to snack on lately is s’mores, even though it’s not yet the right season for them. At other times, I also make plans ahead of time and/or prepare for (part of) dinner and the weekend.
How does your team stay connected beyond meetings?
Everyone on our team is active on chat; we have several channels where we discuss causes and fixes for tickets, design documents, in-progress changes, etc. We frequently hop on virtual conference calls whenever things come up that may warrant longer discussions. We even occasionally have virtual happy hours, and we have a team lunch coming up later this week!
How did you do during the annual Puzzle Challenge? What did the Puzzle Challenge help you learn about yourself?
My team was runner-up for the Couch Potatoes award, which is given to the team with the highest point total gained from successfully solving puzzles and attending side events (like participating in competitive Haxball and Codenames). During last year’s Puzzle Challenge, my team wasn’t a runner-up for any award, so I am thrilled about this year’s achievement! Through the experience I learned that struggling over a difficult puzzle for hours is a great way to connect with other interns! I also realized I need to brush up on my knowledge of pop culture.
What was your project during the Intern Day of Service? What did you learn about corporate philanthropy at Bloomberg from this experience?
This year’s virtual project, titled ‘Buzzy Bee – African Canopy Pollinators,’ helps scientists in their research on pollinators of African timber trees. We watched short clips of flowers and identified the types and numbers of insects that visited the flowers. This project took place on Zooniverse, which hosts a wide variety of data-labeling projects that anyone can contribute to!
Before we started the project, we learned about what Bloomberg has been doing to combat climate change and some of the milestones in that process. Some achievements that stood out to me were the funding of public transit expansion in San Antonio, TX, and legislation to remove the use of fossil fuels in the construction of new landmarks in Seattle, WA.
Each week, interns are connected for a virtual coffee roulette. Have you met anyone new?
Absolutely! It’s been really interesting learning about different interns’ teams (both current and previous) and the various team cultures across Bloomberg Engineering, including the ways teams communicate and the different levels of visibility into the products they work on. Some interns have also been going to the office this summer, and it’s been fun to vicariously experience the offices through their stories.
You recently heard from Bloomberg’s CTO, Shawn Edwards. What was one key thing you learned from him?
I was especially excited to find out about the CTO Office’s active efforts in both internal and external training and development, particularly through the machine learning and natural language processing training courses the office offers, including the Foundations of Machine Learning course (which is also excitingly open source!). In addition, the CTO Office also maintains high engagement in academic research; many engineers and technologists in the office contribute to published papers, and it also funds the research of Ph.D. candidates as a way to help advance the state-of-the-art of technology.
Halfway through my summer internship (July 16)
You’re halfway through your summer internship. How do you feel it’s going?
I think it’s going well! I have found that returning to the team I previously interned with has been really beneficial because I am working on components that I did not work with last summer. This has given me a broader and more in-depth appreciation of what my team has been working on over the last year. Furthermore, spending more time in team meetings and stand-ups this year has given me a better understanding of the specific technical challenges we need to consider as we build and maintain the interface.
How do you make the most of your day?
I work together with my mentor to plan my action items for my project ahead of time, which helps ensure that I do not find myself without anything to do during any given day. We also break down bigger objectives into smaller steps so I can more easily keep track of my progress and maintain my productivity. I also have active channels of communication with him and the rest of my team, which enables me to quickly resolve any confusion or technical issues that might block my progress. The emphasis on asking questions during orientation and training has been particularly helpful in preparing me for this.
You recently heard from Pamela Hutchinson, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). What did you learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion from her?
One key point that stood out to me was that it is important for Bloomberg to have an overarching Diversity & Inclusion goal and to achieve that goal by developing region-specific strategies that meet the different regions where they are in terms of both legislation and culture. Pamela also emphasized the significance of actively creating a broad, diverse pipeline for candidates when it comes to talent recruitment.
Tell us about your experience attending the Virtual Paint Night, an event in the Intern Wellness Series.
The event was lovely! We painted “The Starry Night” over NYC’s skyline, which I felt was a fun, yet flexible concept that allowed for a lot of creative freedom. I recall some folks painted their home cities’ skylines, while others were liberal with their color choices. It was a great creative outlet that let me immerse myself in something I don’t usually do, all while listening to relaxing jazz music.
What did you take away from the personal branding workshop?
I thought this event was a good starting point for me to reevaluate what I want my personal brand in a professional setting to be; the emphasis on branding keywords was particularly useful. Further, I learned about how someone can incorporate their personal brand into their elevator speech and ‘tell me about yourself’ responses.
Settling in With My Team & Starting My Summer Project (July 2)
How did the transition into your team go?
After my mentor virtually picked me up from training, we discussed my project in greater detail. I also got a chance to go through the code of the main components of the system that my team works on, and I was able to set some components up locally before meeting my manager and attending team meetings the next day. So, overall, I felt that the transition was quite smooth!
Now that you have settled in, have you met everyone on your team?
Absolutely! We’ve had a couple of meetings with the whole team, so I’ve had a chance to meet everyone. My mentor has also set up 1-on-1 meetings for me and the rest of the team, which has provided a nice space to chat and get to know everyone individually.
What does your team work on?
My team builds the interface that other teams interact with in order to use the technologies of our sister teams in Storage Engineering, such as cloud storage. There is a focus on provisioning and maintaining automated workflows related to these technologies.
What is the main focus of your project this summer?
This summer, I am working on a full-stack project that adds a release state management system to our automated workflows’ orchestration system, along with the UI components on a web application that allows users to easily interact with and use this new system. The goal of this project is to minimize the degree of impact of testing new workflows in different deployment environments, particularly in production.
How do you stay motivated while working remotely?
I try to create a mental barrier between work and life by setting my work area up away from my bed and from any space that lends itself to lounging. I also keep only stationery on my desk to avoid distractions while I’m working. A good Spotify playlist also goes a long way!
You recently met your connector mentor. How does this relationship differ from your mentor on your team?
Whereas my conversations with my internship mentor are mostly about my project and any technical questions I may have, my chats with my connector mentor gravitate toward networking at Bloomberg. For instance, they have added me to several D&I Communities’ persistent chats on Instant Bloomberg, as well as shared with me their experience meeting folks through the Coffee Roulette program!
Diving Into My First Week (June 18)
How did you prepare for your first day at Bloomberg with your team?
In the days leading up to my internship, the Employee Operations team helped me set up my equipment and account credentials so I could easily log on for orientation. Then, to prepare for joining my team, I met with my mentor during orientation to get an overview of my project and the tech stack. I did some background reading on my project, researched the software tools I wasn’t previously familiar with, and received training on how to use Docker on my second day.
What are you most excited about this summer?
Some components of my project are built with tools that I have never used before, like React, so I’m looking forward to learning and building out my technical skill set over the summer. I also can’t wait to see the creative ways that Bloomberg engineers have designed the Intern Puzzle Challenge this year!
What was the structure of your first week?
I spent most of my first day in orientation, where I met other interns and got a good refresher on navigating the Bloomberg Terminal. Then, I tackled software installation with a group of engineering interns to prepare our laptops for training and our internship projects. As I am a returning intern, I only attended the second day’s training session on Docker, which was not in the training curriculum last year. This course concluded in the afternoon of my second day, and I met my mentor and got to join my team right away. I’m excited to start planning out the details and timeline of my project with my mentor this week!
You attended a training session about Apache Kafka. What were some of your key take-aways from the session?
I found the training session very engaging and interactive, with a game of people bingo and a Terminal-themed crossword puzzle. I learned that Kafka is a distributed streaming platform with producers, consumers, and a broker that allows for consumers to receive producers’ messages in the order they were produced. Messages are put into different partitions in the broker, and consumers can subscribe to receive messages from a certain partition using an offset number. Specifying an offset number allows for replaying messages that have already been read; otherwise, the consumer receives unread messages. Consumers can also be part of different consumer groups. I found it really interesting to see how one component of numerous systems at Bloomberg works!
Getting Ready for My Summer Internship (June 11)
This will be your second summer as an intern with Bloomberg. What did you enjoy about last summer that you chose to intern with Bloomberg again this summer?
I greatly appreciated the importance of my project last summer within my team’s work. Between scrum meetings and rolling out my code to different stages of deployment, I felt like I was getting the experience of being an actual software engineer at Bloomberg. I also loved that my project’s scope was perfect for the duration of my internship, as I was able to get hands-on experience with everything from design to deployment!
More than that, I had a great time working with everyone on my team and meeting other full-time engineers and interns at Bloomberg; everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful. My supervisor, Ajitesh, made me feel very welcomed by introducing me to other teams within Technology Infrastructure and setting up meetings for us. I also enjoyed the frequent intern events, which made the WFH internship feel less remote. From the puzzle challenge and tech talks to intern-specific Q&A panels, everything was super well-organized, and I got to know many fellow interns through them.
What are your goals this summer?
I am aiming to complete a finished product that is ready for deployment, as I did last summer. Beyond the main project, I am excited to be attending more Tuesday Tech Talks and other tech events to familiarize myself more with the different kinds of work that engineers do across Bloomberg. I am also looking forward to staying involved with Bloomberg’s activities for interns—and this blog is a first step toward that goal!
How are you preparing for your internship?
I have mostly been occupied with school and finals. In my free time, I have been getting my workspace ready for WFH. This mostly involves decorating my desk with Bloomberg swag to hype myself up for the summer, as well as laying out my planner and stocking up on my favorite K-Cups!
What are you hoping to get out of your internship this summer?
I am hoping to have another productive summer. Plus, since I am returning to the team I was placed with last year, I am looking forward to spending more time working alongside everyone and getting more practical software engineering experience. Of course, I am thrilled to also meet new people this year! On a side note, I am happy to be using project management tools again. I want to become better at using them and get the most out of them, because I found they were extremely helpful for keeping me organized and focused last year.
