Pros: It is a stressless environment to work in.

Cons: Not a good place for consultants.

Pros: Has internal "Bloomberg University," which is especially good for R&D folk. Many well-respected technical authors come and speak from outside. Staff and colleagues are generally very smart. Opportunities to learn about many areas of finance as well as technical subjects. Has a big snack kitchen and excellent fish tanks. The London office is generally very nice and gives you a sense of pride. There's not any necessity to move into managerial positions if you are strong technically and want to stay doing hands-on programming. Bloomberg is very much involved in charities and encourages the involvement of its employees in various volunteering activities. These are a great experience. The summer parties are excellent.

Cons: Hours are long and the workload is large. It's not a good work/life balance. People sometimes get shuffled around against their will into different teams. Your experience in a team can depend a lot on the luck of who your manager is. Some managers are great, others get put into managerial positions because they were good programmers but don't necessarily have any people skills. Review process is somewhat opaque. Atmosphere on the development floor is very quiet. You may find this a plus, but I found that it doesn't give a strong sense of belonging to a team, as most people are working independently. This can also lead to disjointed projects. Most programming teams have their own business department, so if you like interacting with clients on the creative side of coming up with a new product, then you might find your opportunity to be involved in this a bit limited.

Pros: The company seems to take reasonably good care of you, with a good compensation package and benefits, and a bright, lively working environment. There is a lot of expertise around to learn from if your objective is to develop an understanding of financial markets. The work is fast-paced, and you will seldom find yourself bogged down in your job. The ability to handle pressure and look at problems from a business perspective is valued. Good kitchens.

Cons: The codebase is old and can be frustrating at times. Core technical people who want to develop their technical skill set will be put off by the demand to get the solution out to customers, often sacrificing quality. If you're in a team that works on legacy products rather than new ones, the skills you pick up will be in proprietary tech that is not transferable. The flat hierarchy (3 levels from a new, fresh-from-college hire to the head of R&D) may not leave room for advancement that you can show on your resume.