I'm sure Bloomberg is an interesting company to work for, but unfortunately, they failed to really sell this job to me. I highly suspect I would have had several personality clashes if I had joined them.

Initially, I had to complete an IKM scripting test, which I passed. Then, I had a phone interview. The interviewer sounded like an employee from the bottom of the ladder and lacked any enthusiasm when describing the role. He also seemed to place heavy emphasis on checking my knowledge of FTP, which was carried through the entire interview process, as this is the protocol most of their feeds use. As much as I respect this, there are more modern protocols available now for file transfer (rsync, over SSH, etc.). I found it somewhat backward that a global tech company is using a protocol from the 1980s, which is nearly three decades old.

Anyway, I then asked about the scope for career progression within the business. He disclosed that he had been in the same position for around 7+ years with no movement. At this point, I wasn't really feeling it at all. Personally, if you have been in the same position for this long, you should really be re-evaluating your career path and the company that is employing you.

They called me in for a face-to-face interview, but this actually involved several video conferences with the US, and not speaking to a single person in the London office face-to-face. At one point, the video conferencing failed, and I had to complete part of the interview with a higher-ranked individual by voice only, which was disappointing.

In any case, I was then quizzed on my ability to schedule and manage tasks (the usual stuff) because he "wasn't sure if I was prepared for the workload here." My previous job was for a trading firm, so I found this a bit presumptuous, to say the least.

The nail in the coffin was when I was asked, "So, what do you think is your greatest weakness?" After a long pause, thinking at great length about how best to answer, I said, "I get bored easily." Needless to say, this took him off guard. He appreciated my honesty, but I could tell he was somewhat rattled by that response. The reality is, it was a truthful answer to his question.

They did not pursue my application, and I'm glad. I'm pretty certain I would have gotten bored. I highly suspect they are seeking drone-type employees for most of these roles, where you are micromanaged to execute fairly mundane tasks, with no scope for personal development, stuck working with a three-decade-old internet protocol—the world has moved on since then.

What do you think is your greatest weakness?