Quick, Bloomberg on the Web?

If you have access to the terminal BU is more than you'll ever have time to learn. For a guided tutorial, try the CERT courses...there's something like 8 for equities, 8 for fixed income, 1-2 for API (excel add-in), and I think 2-3 general topic courses. The whole CERT idea of video guided courses is explained on the BU homepage.

Alternatively, PDF's with straightforward shortcuts/guides can be found for free on most college's web sites. Google search (http://www.google.com/search?q=bloomberg+tutorial) turned up a few from Princeton, Cornell, etc.

It's a semester course at my school, so good luck cramming.

But I'm sure you can get a couple base commands down, just don't put "Bloomberg Certified" on your resume if you've only read a few online articles. Chances are you'll get quizzed in an interview/during your internship if someone sees that on your resume.

You really have to log time on a terminal to get proficient with it. If you can find a school in your area that has on see if you can get access to it.

Your profile doesn't say your location, but if you have access to NY Public Library there's a free terminal there. Most decent colleges have a terminal as well.

FYI the term "Bloomberg Certificate" / certified / cert are all terms referencing that you've completed the courses I mentioned above...Bloomberg actuall emails you a PDF certificate...hence the term. I would be wary of just throwing that term on your resume w/out actually doing the course. Not that it's prestigious or means anything, but if your interviewer happens to know about it you might find yourself with a little explaining to do.

Whoever said it's a semester course at your college - you have to be joking me, right? What sort of value-add does Bloomberg have to your degree?

http://firestone.princeton.edu/econlib/blp/bloomberg.htm

Yeah, I'm not looking to put it on a resume. I've been told I might be using it during my internship- downloading data and stuff- and figured I might want to learn some basic commands on it beforehand. Thanks for the input though- I appreciate it.

Knowing the commands, which are readily available on a variety pdf's, are more than sufficient. It's not hard. Most people, meaning anyone who doesn't work at bloomberg help, use about 2% of Bloomberg's possible functions.

Here's a tutorial.

(Whatever you want to look for), , GO.

There, i taught you everything you need to know.

if you PM me your email address i can send you some shortcuts I put together. If you ask me bbrg is very easy to learn on the spot. It has an auto fill feature so if your looking for say crude oil Jan 2011, you basically just type it in and it will autocomplete what your trying to say...

Learning the excel or .net api takes a few days to learn...

Yeah, you never use the total power of Bloomberg, but if you are interviewing for a fixed income position it might be helpful to know how to look up yield curves, bond issuance, bond news, whatever. Same thing for equities. I used probably 30 different commands regularly.

Keep in mind that bberg terminals are quite expensive, and a side effect of that is that you can get help from a live person who usually knows their sh*t pretty well by typing help (and jumping through a few more screens). The helpdesk can usually get you the function you are looking for quickly.