I applied through a recruiter. The process took 1+ week. I interviewed at Bloomberg (New York, NY)
Interview
The first step was a phone interview with a pair of developers. Without any background or introduction, the interview proceeded for ~40 minute on technical questions on C++/Linux.
The second round was onsite with 4 different sessions: 2 technical, 1 HR, and 1 the senior manager. The technical interviews were with a pair of developers/team leads and some code was expected to be written on a provided pad of paper.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The C++ questions where straight forward covering design patterns, data structures, and algorithms, include big-O notation for various data structure procedures and performance of sorting techniques. Writing code on a paper is not traditionally how code is authored so you might want to practice, especially as the paper is collected afterwards.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 days. I interviewed at Bloomberg
Interview
Phone screen followed by onsite interview with couple of FOB types. Asked all kinds of minutia about C and C++. Interviewers were very rude. I had more experience then them in various areas so they seemed to be trying to take me down a peg. Didn't get any time to ask about the role.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Dig up the C++ faq and memorize. That's the only way to please these types. Even then look to be disqualified if the think you might potentially get into a lead position.
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Bloomberg (New York, NY) in Dec 2012
Interview
I talked to Bloomberg recruiters at a career fair at my school, and they suggested a position for me to apply online. They were at my school looking for undergrads, and I'm a soon-to-be PhD.
I applied online. Response was quick... a little too quick. I was in the airport, and they immediately sent a link to a timed online screening. I had to ask for postponement which they kindly granted.
The screening was simple. Two tests, each around 45 minutes long, multiple choice, with various questions about the details of C and C++ syntax and semantics.
A week later, the first phone interview. A week after that, second phone interview. Two weeks after that, fly in for two days of in-house interviews.
Interviews featured questions primarily on C++ semantics, C++ STL (Bloomberg publishes their own implementation on GitHub), networking, and concurrency. There were a couple of brain teasers.
Interviewers were nice, dressed primarily in polos or untucked shirts and jeans (I felt overdressed in a suit). Interviews on the first day lasted from 10am to around 4pm with no breaks, and I met mostly project leaders. Interviews on the second day were from 2pm to 5pm, with senior management and HR at the end.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What would you do to let a server provide high quality of service to well-behaved clients so that it doesn't get slowed down by a client that can't handle a high rate of traffic?