Bloomberg News is on the hunt for aspiring journalists to join its newsroom in Singapore, and is accepting applications for 10-week paid internships starting in May 2023. Telum Media spoke to Singapore Bureau Chief, Andrea Tan, Managing Editor, Ed Johnson, who runs the entry-level talent programme across Asia and Europe, and Reporter Sing Yee Ong, who was hired full-time after completing the internship earlier this year.

Ed, tell us about the Bloomberg News Internship programme.
The internship is at the heart of our efforts to build a diverse pipeline of talent for our newsrooms across the world, so we put a lot of time and effort into finding great candidates and ensuring they have a rewarding experience. We're typically looking for final-year students, and it helps if you have studied journalism. But that's by no means a prerequisite.

We've hired super interns in the past from an array of academic disciplines such as politics, philosophy, economics and computer science. So if you have a keen interest in current affairs, can demonstrate a flair for writing and are curious about the world of business and finance, we'd love to hear from you. We aim to hire five interns in Singapore, and are particularly keen on candidates with business-proficient Mandarin, Thai, Bahasa Indonesian, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Malay.

Andrea, walk us through a day in the life of a selected candidate.
Our interns join a diverse, collaborative, international newsroom and work with colleagues across print, digital, and broadcast. They get exposure to the biggest stories of the day, working side by side with reporters and editors across our coverage of companies, markets, government and the economy. This is definitely not a "go get the coffee" internship.

From day one, we'll treat you like one of the team and give you the opportunity to build up an impressive array of bylines and experience that will be a solid bedrock for a future career in journalism. Aside from the day-to-day flow of the news, our interns get in-depth training covering the rudiments of business and financial journalism, writing style and journalistic ethics. We'll have weekly workshops to broaden and deepen skill sets on data journalism, graphics, interview techniques, how to pitch a story, build sources, and break news.

Sing Yee, tell us about your experience as an intern?
The Bloomberg newsroom is a dynamic and fast-paced environment, so there was definitely a steep learning curve. But there was very strong support from the newsroom in ensuring that the interns grew and thrived in such an environment. All interns were treated just like a part of the team, and were encouraged to share our ideas. The best part - everyone in the newsroom is really generous with their time and advice so we could always feel free to ask for help and discuss ideas.

Did you have a detailed knowledge of business and finance before joining the programme?
Not at all. In fact many journalists in the newsroom don't come from a business and finance background and have built up their knowledge and expertise on the job. I spent 10 weeks with the commodities team, covering agriculture, so there were some unfamiliar and complicated concepts I had to wrap my head around. But as long as you are prepared to dig in and learn, you'll be fine. Developing an understanding of business and finance is so important to anyone trying to break into this industry. It gives you a better understanding of how things fit together.

How can people apply for this internship?
We'd love for people to come along to a launch event on Thursday, 10^th November in our Singapore office. We'll give you an overview of Bloomberg News, talk a little about how we cover business and finance, and hold a Q&A with Sing Yee and other former interns who now work for us.

Those interested in attending Bloomberg's event can register their attendance. To apply for the internship, send a resume and cover letter here, or here if you have business-proficient Mandarin, and Bloomberg will be in touch.