I spoke with a recruiter at my school's career fair, who asked about my internship experience and then gave me a couple of on-the-spot logic questions. I then received a call that evening to come in the next morning for an interview.

I was then interviewed by two people for a technical interview, covering about three or four logic and programming questions. (Either pseudocode or actual syntax from a language of your choice is usually acceptable.) The interview lasted only about 20 minutes.

They asked me to leave the room, and after a brief deliberation, an interviewer asked if I could return that afternoon for another interview.

I returned for another technical interview with two different interviewers. After a few minutes of deliberation among the recruiters, I was asked to proceed with a "senior interview" immediately. They asked a few simple behavioral questions (nothing tricky) and one logic question. It felt more like a conversation than an interview and concluded within 30 minutes.

That was it. Seven days later, I received a call with a job offer!

All the interviewers seemed laid-back and very friendly. They allowed me to ask any questions I had and provided honest answers based on their own experiences. (While they cannot disclose specific compensation details, such as typical salaries, relocation packages, or bonuses, know that it is very generous.) The friendly atmosphere put me at ease and contributed positively to the overall experience. I realized they were not trying to "grill" me but rather understand who I was and if I would be a good cultural fit.

Here are some tips for those interested in interviewing:

• They do not expect you to be a perfect programmer, although some computer science coursework will certainly help your resume stand out. They are primarily seeking students from diverse technical backgrounds who possess fundamental programming knowledge, a logical mindset, and a passion for programming, particularly within the financial services industry.
• During technical interviews, it is acceptable if you do not answer all logic questions perfectly right away. Utilize the pen and paper provided to work through problems. Communicate your thought process as you solve them; they want to observe your problem-solving approach and logical reasoning. If you become stuck, remain calm; they will offer hints to guide you.
• Demonstrate strong communication skills. The Bloomberg culture emphasizes open communication. If you have a logical mind and can engage in conversation, they want you on their team.
• As with all interviews: Relax and be confident!

You have 25 horses, and you want to know which are the top 3 fastest, but you don't have a stopwatch. You can race the horses, but the track is only big enough to fit 5 horses at a time.

How do you find the first, second, and third fastest horses using the least amount of races possible?