Bloomberg is a global provider of 24-hour financial news and information, including real-time and historic price data, financials data, trading news, and analyst coverage. It also provides general news and sports updates.  The Bloomberg Terminal, is an integrated platform that streams together price data, news and trading data to more than 300,000 consumers. It delivers fast and deep access to news, data and insights and its technology powers much of the financial markets.

The Bloomberg Terminal goes beyond the graphs and charts that we see on TV. Also known as the Bloomberg Professional Services, the Bloomberg Terminal is a software system that gives financial professionals the ability to analyze global news in real-time. The Bloomberg Terminal assists in facilitating communication and trades between large institutional investors and is a fantastic resource to include in any generalist’s professional tool box.

Bloomberg Certification creates a bridge between what students are learning in the classroom to real world investment practice. Experience with the Bloomberg Terminal establishes a competitive edge and adds to marketability in the financial arena.

The Bloomberg Lab at UMASS Boston provides students with access to the same information platform used by leading decision makers, asset managers and policy architects in business, finance and government around the world. There are a number of benefits to becoming Bloomberg Certified:

• Access to Bloomberg Alumni, a great networking opportunity
• Access to perform thorough research on a company to prepare yourself for an interview
• Upload your resume, increase your employment opportunities
• Participate in national championships.

Bloomberg Market Concepts is a 10 hour, self-paced e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets. The BMC course consists of four modules that cover the essentials of the financial market and integrates more than 70 Bloomberg Terminal functions.  At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of completion. It will enhance your knowledge of Data-driven marketing. You will learn how to pull Bloomberg data (industry data, social media data etc.) to develop business (or marketing) strategy. In conjunction, you will cover Social Responsibility data. Detailed and reliable Environmental, Social and Governance data helps decision-makers in corporate sectors and government to build a sustainable business and society. Hence knowing how to collect and understand those data becomes crucial for students who are interested in working in those entities.

On July 2^nd and July 9^th from 4:30-5:30pm, an introduction to the Bloomberg platform (and certification) is available at the Bloomberg lab.  Hugh will be your Bloomberg mentor and can be reached at helpwithbloomberg@gmail.com. One to One mentoring is available every week through July and August. We encourage you to take advantage of this invaluable opportunity!

According to a Harvard Business School survey, 94% of service professionals put in 50+ hours of work per week. Long hours might be necessary, but study after study shows that when a balance of professional obligation and personal life is not struck, there can be many negative outcomes.

We realize of course, that a 50-50 work-life balance is not a reality, it just doesn’t work that way. In a survey conducted by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) 54% of women said they found it challenging to manage time or delegate work to find a better balance . One recent study noted, Generation X and Millennial women seem to be losing ground compared to Baby Boomers at the same phase of life.

The Economist recently published an in-depth look at some of the research into how men perceive and utilize parental leave and other professional flexibilities. It was found that one of the largest hurdles to men taking a considerable role in their family life is that they’re afraid to take leave or work less.

The Conference Board reports that 53% of Americans are currently unhappy at work while American workers forfeited nearly 50% their paid vacation in 2017. Nearly 10 percent take no vacation days at all. According to a study by Glassdoor, the fear of falling behind is the number one reason people aren’t using their vacation time.

Though this is the case and you may feel stuck; there are some steps that you can take:

Prioritize

You may have a to-do list with 50 tasks on it, so you need to prioritize those tasks into four categories:

• Urgent and important
• Important but not urgent
• Urgent but not important
• Neither urgent nor important.

Plot some personal time

When personal issues arise, it can be tempting to bury yourself in your work. Don’t do it If you don’t make time for your personal life – your “me” time, including your family and your health – you won’t have a business to go back to. Set work hours for yourself and stick to them.

Manage your time

Create a timeline of your activities. Specific computer programs can help with this, or you can customize your own Excel spreadsheet or Word table. Include family commitments – such as holidays, birthday parties, etc. – so you don’t forget that you are unavailable for work on those days.

Tap into technology

Instead of driving to a meeting, use Skype or conferencing technologies. But remember to switch them off.

Be realistic

At the end of each working day, perform a little self-analysis. Ask yourself what worked today, what didn’t, what went wrong and how the issue can be fixed. Remember there are thousands of businesses just like yours learning the same lessons every day. Don’t forget to tap into the valuable resources around you.

Take a break

Remember to take time out throughout your day. Some tasks are easier than others, so if you find yourself with an hour up your sleeve, be realistic about whether you can “afford” to rest or not.

Additional education is also an invaluable tool to propel you forward to a career that you’re passionate about. You can now complete the UMass Boston MBA entirely online.

Take the necessary steps to find your balance!

Failure isn’t about the outcome, it’s about not trying- Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx

Only 14.2% of the top five leadership positions at the companies in the S&P 500 are held by women, according to a CNNMoney analysis. Forward momentum is projected to be slow, without educated, capable women in the pipeline or the critical support from professional advocates who are willing to actively campaign for their progression.

In 2013 women held 16.9% of the board seats in the Fortune 500, up from 11.7% in 2000, according to Catalyst. That’s important because these directors are the ones in charge of hiring CEOs and identifying future leaders in the pipeline.

It’s been proven that gender diversity in the work-place benefits all, including the bottom line. Companies with a high representation of women board members significantly outperformed those with no female directors, according to a 2011 Catalyst analysis of financial results at Fortune 500 companies. 

Unfortunately, men are more inclined to take risks than women and those who’ve made it big repeat; one of driving factors of their success has been taking risks. This finding has been reproduced in a wide range of studies with researchers pointing to economic and evolutionary reasons. A study by Mara Mather and Nichole R. Lighthall determined that these gender differences are intensified even further under stress. It’s been established that there are gender differences in brain activity involved in determining risks and taking action. As professional arenas often times are laden with stress, this could lead one to believe that women might be too cautious with their decision making.

Societal giants proclaim recurrently the importance of failure:

• “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” —Robert F. Kennedy
• “Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” —Oprah
• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

The College of Management at UMass Boston is actively engaged in the support of gender diversity in the academic and professional environment. A study of our graduate student population determined the split to be 54% female, 46% male. UMass Boston offers a number graduate programs to support all prospective students in securing that raise or promotion and turning that ‘failure’ into success!

For many years graduate education, with a focus on management was centered upon the ever prominent Master of Business Administration (MBA). As new economic landscapes have emerged, so have postgraduate degree options. Many prospective business school candidates are moving away from the traditional path of an MBA to focus on specialized master’s degrees such as finance, accounting, business analytics or information technology. Let’s drill a bit deeper to help you decide on the best fit.

An MBA is often pursued by students who have spent at least a few years in the workforce. Most MBA programs require such professional experience. U.S. News & World Report publishes an annual survey regarding MBA schools and students. In 2016, they found that close to 90% of the new full-time MBA students had over four years of work experience whereas almost all of the executive MBAs had over 13 years of work experience.

An MBA will cover finance and economics, but is more general in nature with a focus on other business concepts that might include operations management, or organizational analysis. A benefit of a more generalized approach is acquiring a broad range of skills and understanding how multiple branches of an organization function. The UMass Boston MBA with specialization in accounting gives students broader coverage in business topics, such as operation management and marketing with a specific focus on the area of accounting. Additionally, the salaries for graduates of an MBA are huge (in comparison to those with a four-year undergraduate degree).

One guiding factor toward a specialized degree is the amount of exposure to more specific accounting subjects. For example the MSA at UMass Boston, is designed to provide in-depth coverage in accounting topics and to meet the needs of accounting professionals. Since the MSA at UMass Boston, is classified as Level One status by Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy, students will be qualified to sit on the CPA exam upon the completion of the program. Students will develop specific skill sets that make them more attractive to employers who are in search of experts in the field.

Government statistics show that all business and financial occupations are projected to experience 9% growth from 2016 to 2026. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median salary for all accountants in 2016 was $68,150. The top 10% earned in excess of $120,000 per year.

In summary, if you’ve decided on accounting as your future career and would like to take the CPA exam upon graduation, the MSA is likely the best choice. The MBA with specialization in accounting may be more suitable for those who want to understand different business perspectives in relation to accounting, or those who have already met the CPA exam requirements through undergraduate curriculum.

Graduate school is a challenge.  As a full-time, employed student, taking on additional coursework part-time doesn’t come without its challenges. We’re with you. That said, the end result is more than worth the effort. This is absolutely the case for any class but especially an industry research practicum course which is structured differently than others.

This academic work is a fantastic opportunity to distinguish yourself amongst  peers and colleagues. Not only will you gain valuable research skills, but you’re in a position to potentially be included in a future publication which is a great resume builder, especially for those that want to focus their careers in research or incorporate their research skills into their daily work life. It’s a test of time management, but absolutely doable with the right milestones and project planning set in place.

Besides gaining the chance to be in a publication down the road, you’re challenging yourself to reach new heights with research of your industry and pursue a topic of interest that will help elevate your career. This positions you to bring something to the table at your company and propels you forward. Depending on your subject matter, you can open new doors and aquire resources and skills that are helpful in building any sort of proposal or argument in the future. The principles of this course work help you to think of things from a different perspective and the structure of these courses allows for collaboration skill development, which is in high demand in today’s professional climate.

Academic research courses like the ones offered through UMass Boston’s College of Management help to expand understanding of your academic field, define your pursuits and interests, foster valuable connections with faculty, provide experience that will expand your resume, develop critical thinking and leadership skills and explore research techniques. All while earning academic credit that is directly applied to your masters degree. A phenomenal investment of resources!

The  MBA AF 690 Research Colloquium, offered in the College of Management is a tremendous opportunity to complete hands on research in your field.  As the first part of our Master’s Thesis Option this course covers research methods with lectures and discussion surrounding the skills required to formulate research strategy.

Getting involved in research helps with gaining hands-on experience in your field and provides the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor while connecting with academic colleagues in your area of interest. This course also lends  academic credit which applies directly to your program. Upon completion you can  continue on with the second part of this course, MBA AF 699 Master Thesis Option . If not, MBA AF 690 Research Colloquium still applies, as an independent study, to your overall degree.

These courses are offered in a hybrid format; you’re only required to visit in person occasionally throughout the semester. A great way to combine an on-campus experience, with the convenience of a course taken remotely.

The tuition for this course is $1725 for all and is not effected by residency status.

Check back for our next post on how academic research can propel your career forward.