Making Use of the Bloomberg Terminals

In 2011 the Department of Economics introduced 12 new Bloomberg terminals housed in the Library IT Room 2. Yes I mean those computers with those funny coloured keyboards, they have a purpose. A little background information; a Bloomberg terminal is a computer system that enables professionals in finance to access the Bloomberg Professional service through which users can monitor and analyse real-time financial market data and place trades on the electronic trading platform. The annual subscription fee per user alone is very expensive but we are fortunate enough to have access to this machines for free.

As a University of Leicester student, you can create your own account for free on these computers. Not only will you be able to get access to financial news and information 24/7 but you will also be able to use the terminals to develop skills that leading employers are asking for using the industry standard platform. Bloomberg has a training course that allows you to know the ins and outs of the terminal. To receive the Acknowledgement of Completion (certification), you have to pass a core exam as well as a market sector exam by 75% or higher. This might come in handy for final year students when completing their dissertation or project as it is a huge database for financial data.

Familiarising yourself with the terminals might also help students who wish to participate in the Bloomberg Investment Competition. In 2014, two of our very own Economics students won this competition. A conversation about Bloomberg terminals would not be complete without mentioning the Bloomberg Aptitude Test. This is a test that helps students and recent graduates connect with financial employers worldwide. Upon completion of this test, the student scores are entered anonymously into the BAT Talent Search that is then used by employers to identify candidates for entry level role is business. For more information about how to take this test, visit the website.

So next time you are in the library, take a few minutes to create an account and play around with some of the commands, you never know when this knowledge might come in handy!