Rejected After Bloomberg SWE 2025 - Round 2 (NYC) – Lessons Learned

Wanted to share some insights from my Bloomberg interview experience (position: 2025 Software Engineer - New York - 10038808) to help others in their prep. I got to the second round but didn’t make it

Wanted to share some insights from my Bloomberg interview experience (position: 2025 Software Engineer - New York - 10038808) to help others in their prep. I got to the second round but didn’t make it through. Got some personal feedback from the interviewer, and here are the biggest takeaways: 1. Pick the Right Approach Quickly I initially stuck with BFS/DFS even when it wasn’t the best choice, and the interviewer had to nudge me before I switched. Don’t be too stubborn—if something isn’t working, pivot fast. Recognizing patterns early is key, so practice a variety of problems and understand why certain approaches are better than others. 2. Don’t Rush into Coding I jumped into coding too soon and ended up making small mistakes that wasted time. Instead, take an extra moment to double-check your logic before writing. It’s better to get it right from the start than scramble to fix bugs later. 3. Write Clean & Readable Code My variable names and logic weren’t as clear as they should’ve been, so the interviewer had to ask clarifying questions. Make sure your code is self-explanatory—use meaningful variable names and structure it in a way that’s easy to follow. If someone else were reading your code for the first time, would they understand it? # Final Thoughts Bloomberg has a high bar—they want candidates who can quickly identify the right approach, write bug-free code, and communicate clearly. I was close but didn’t quite get there. Hopefully, these insights help someone else in their journey. Good luck to everyone prepping for interviews! [UPDATE] In Round 1, I was asked the problems "Combination Sum" and "Level of Binary Tree Having Maximum Width." In Round 2, I was asked the same question that appeared in

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Round 3 Onsite Technical - 1** from the following interview experience: LeetCode Discussion.