Tag Archive for: human resources
I’d been working at Vanguard for about eight years when my mother, and best friend was diagnosed with Stage 3 Urothelial Cell Carcinoma. As you can imagine, this turned my family’s world upside down as my mom is the heart & soul of my family unit. My mom, who had cared for me, my brother and my dad, all (or most of) our lives was now the one who needed care. This was a role no one in my family, except my mom, had really ever done. I knew I would play a key part in my mother’s appointments as my family wasn’t sure what questions to ask or notes to take. Needless to say, having served in auditor-type roles most of my Vanguard career, I was well prepared for the challenge. During the first quarter of 2017, while my personal life was turned on its head, a new leader was assigned to my team. I was experiencing changes both at Vanguard and in my personal life. My first one-on-one was conducted through video conference from my parent’s house. It was during that conversation I finally said the words out loud…my mom had cancer. Not knowing how my new leader would respond, I waited. He took a moment and said, “Family comes first,” a concept I heard Vanguard was known for but never experienced firsthand. To my relief, my manager and I worked out a flexible schedule so I could attend all of my mom’s chemotherapy treatments. My mom’s 68th birthday in our matching red panda onesies
My first leave occurred in July 2017, for mom’s surgery to remove the cancer cells. Knowing I could assist in her care, this was my first experience with Vanguard’s Family and Medical Leave Program (FMLA). I took the steps necessary to ensure that everything would go smoothly, and it did.
I was nursing my mom back to health, with my dad and brother and other extended family by my side. Every morning, I went straight into mom’s bed where we spent hours talking, laughing and praying. During that leave, I wore many hats, some included: Doctor, nurse, caretaker, therapist, chef, butler, and chauffeur. Before I knew it, the two months had passed & I was back to work.
When I returned from leave, I was notified that my team was undergoing changes. I had a new team and leader. Like the leader before, she was caring and understanding. She went out of her way to help support me, and therefore, my family.
Having been home for the holidays, I asked mom if she needed me to stay. She was hesitant; worried that her diagnosis that was now Stage 4 was affecting my work. Always a mother. But she did ask me to stay. I went back through the seamless FMLA process and was back at home, supporting my family by the first week of 2018.
The first day of that leave we found out that the cancer metastasized in mom’s liver. She was given six months to live… A time frame no spouse, son, daughter, mother, sibling, or friend is ready to hear or accept. However, a few weeks after that appointment, mom was on an upswing responding positively to her new treatment. My mom, our family, was going to win this fight.
Mom graduating from chemo for the first time on my Vanguard work anniversary
I returned to work in early February of 2018 in hopes of making a career move. I wanted to challenge myself now more than ever considering the flexibility Vanguard had given me. Then, my perfect job appeared. I was hesitant to apply, worried that a new department and leader wouldn’t be willing to work with me through this trying time. With that in mind, I went for it and luckily I did, because I began an exciting new journey at Vanguard.
Having the same insecurities I’ve had before, I explained my home situation. My new leader exceeded my expectations even more so since I had only just gotten the job. She didn’t know me, but she didn’t need to. She knew what I needed.
Shortly after starting my new job in June 2018, my mom stopped responding to treatment and my family was overwhelmed. I needed to be home as taking care of mom had become a full time job that did not include sleep. For a third time, I submitted for FMLA. Another straightforward and successful process.
I was on leave from the end of July 2018 until Labor Day. I did my best to remain optimistic. Mom surpassed the six month expectation her doctor gave her in January. Every moment with her beyond six months was a blessing but I wasn’t naive; things looked bleak.
We had mom’s palliative care appointment the Friday I returned to work. The night I arrived home, I knew things were bad. During that appointment, mom was admitted to inpatient hospice care though she had been using their home services for months. I was told she may not make it the 15 minute ambulance ride. My world was falling apart.
My brother, mom & I visiting the casino with dad
Saturday morning, September 8, at 12:08 AM EST, after a year and a half of fighting, my mom passed away, unable to beat the courageous battle all cancer survivors and victims have to go through. More than anything, I wish this blog was ending differently, not only for you, but for me…for my family.
From that experience, here’s what I can tell you: If I wasn’t working at Vanguard, I don’t know how different this story would have been. I don’t know if I would have been at every chemotherapy appointment. I don’t know if I would have been at every doctor’s appointment. I don’t know if I would have been as available to my family. I don’t know if I would have been able to be home.
However, I was working at Vanguard. I was able to be there when my family needed me the most. I was able to go to every doctor’s appointment. I was able to be available for my family. I was able to be home. I was able to take multiple leaves of absence through FMLA. I was able to use personal leave to handle my mother’s affairs. I was able, and that – that is a blessing.
Hospice of the Sacred Heart Memorial walk
I’d been working at Vanguard for about eight years when my mother, and best friend was diagnosed with Stage 3 Urothelial Cell Carcinoma. As you can imagine, this turned my family’s world upside down as my mom is the heart & soul of my family unit. My mom, who had cared for me, my brother and my dad, all (or most of) our lives was now the one who needed care. This was a role no one in my family, except my mom, had really ever done. I knew I would play a key part in my mother’s appointments as my family wasn’t sure what questions to ask or notes to take. Needless to say, having served in auditor-type roles most of my Vanguard career, I was well prepared for the challenge. During the first quarter of 2017, while my personal life was turned on its head, a new leader was assigned to my team. I was experiencing changes both at Vanguard and in my personal life. My first one-on-one was conducted through video conference from my parent’s house. It was during that conversation I finally said the words out loud…my mom had cancer. Not knowing how my new leader would respond, I waited. He took a moment and said, “Family comes first,” a concept I heard Vanguard was known for but never experienced firsthand. To my relief, my manager and I worked out a flexible schedule so I could attend all of my mom’s chemotherapy treatments. My mom’s 68th birthday in our matching red panda onesies
My first leave occurred in July 2017, for mom’s surgery to remove the cancer cells. Knowing I could assist in her care, this was my first experience with Vanguard’s Family and Medical Leave Program (FMLA). I took the steps necessary to ensure that everything would go smoothly, and it did.
I was nursing my mom back to health, with my dad and brother and other extended family by my side. Every morning, I went straight into mom’s bed where we spent hours talking, laughing and praying. During that leave, I wore many hats, some included: Doctor, nurse, caretaker, therapist, chef, butler, and chauffeur. Before I knew it, the two months had passed & I was back to work.
When I returned from leave, I was notified that my team was undergoing changes. I had a new team and leader. Like the leader before, she was caring and understanding. She went out of her way to help support me, and therefore, my family.
Having been home for the holidays, I asked mom if she needed me to stay. She was hesitant; worried that her diagnosis that was now Stage 4 was affecting my work. Always a mother. But she did ask me to stay. I went back through the seamless FMLA process and was back at home, supporting my family by the first week of 2018.
The first day of that leave we found out that the cancer metastasized in mom’s liver. She was given six months to live… A time frame no spouse, son, daughter, mother, sibling, or friend is ready to hear or accept. However, a few weeks after that appointment, mom was on an upswing responding positively to her new treatment. My mom, our family, was going to win this fight.
Mom graduating from chemo for the first time on my Vanguard work anniversary
I returned to work in early February of 2018 in hopes of making a career move. I wanted to challenge myself now more than ever considering the flexibility Vanguard had given me. Then, my perfect job appeared. I was hesitant to apply, worried that a new department and leader wouldn’t be willing to work with me through this trying time. With that in mind, I went for it and luckily I did, because I began an exciting new journey at Vanguard.
Having the same insecurities I’ve had before, I explained my home situation. My new leader exceeded my expectations even more so since I had only just gotten the job. She didn’t know me, but she didn’t need to. She knew what I needed.
Shortly after starting my new job in June 2018, my mom stopped responding to treatment and my family was overwhelmed. I needed to be home as taking care of mom had become a full time job that did not include sleep. For a third time, I submitted for FMLA. Another straightforward and successful process.
I was on leave from the end of July 2018 until Labor Day. I did my best to remain optimistic. Mom surpassed the six month expectation her doctor gave her in January. Every moment with her beyond six months was a blessing but I wasn’t naive; things looked bleak.
We had mom’s palliative care appointment the Friday I returned to work. The night I arrived home, I knew things were bad. During that appointment, mom was admitted to inpatient hospice care though she had been using their home services for months. I was told she may not make it the 15 minute ambulance ride. My world was falling apart.
My brother, mom & I visiting the casino with dad
Saturday morning, September 8, at 12:08 AM EST, after a year and a half of fighting, my mom passed away, unable to beat the courageous battle all cancer survivors and victims have to go through. More than anything, I wish this blog was ending differently, not only for you, but for me…for my family.
From that experience, here’s what I can tell you: If I wasn’t working at Vanguard, I don’t know how different this story would have been. I don’t know if I would have been at every chemotherapy appointment. I don’t know if I would have been at every doctor’s appointment. I don’t know if I would have been as available to my family. I don’t know if I would have been able to be home.
However, I was working at Vanguard. I was able to be there when my family needed me the most. I was able to go to every doctor’s appointment. I was able to be available for my family. I was able to be home. I was able to take multiple leaves of absence through FMLA. I was able to use personal leave to handle my mother’s affairs. I was able, and that – that is a blessing.
Hospice of the Sacred Heart Memorial walk
When I started out on my own after college, like so many people I furnished my apartment with items passed down from family members—drinking glasses from my grandmother, dishes from my aunt, lamps from my parents, and a well-used sofa from my older brother. It was a great new adventure as I had my own place and I was now a “wise, all knowing adult.” One day some friends visited and laughed at the lamps. I knew the lamps were older, but they were still cool-looking and in good shape. But my friends were actually joking about the plastic wrap that was on the lamp shades. You know what I am talking about—that protective plastic covering that is on lamps in the store when purchased (and that remained on those lamps all those years). I was perplexed and thought, “EVERYONE has the original plastic wrap on their lamps. At least everyone from where I grew up left the plastic on. What’s wrong with these friends for thinking this was odd?” It was eye opening for me that, in fact, not everyone leaves the plastic wrap on lamp shades. Who knew?!?
I look back on this story with humor and great pride. Those covered lamp shades linked to the history of the people where I grew up in central New York State. The area had been settled by European immigrants who came to the United States to establish a better life for themselves and for their children. They worked hard to make it in the U.S. and experienced the Great Depression. Their past financial struggles gave them an appreciation for preserving and protecting their assets. Those lamp shades were a reflection of the culture and the values of my upbringing.
We all have our unique ways of doing things based on who we are and our previous experiences. Sometimes we may feel that our approach is similar to everyone else, and other times we may feel like the outsider, not fully understanding the norms of the group we are in. The opportunity for this variety of feelings is even more likely at work where we have the incredible opportunity to be around colleagues who come from various backgrounds and experiences. It’s the intertwining and interaction of all of us and all of our backgrounds that help create a diverse and inclusive environment.
For me a key element of inclusion is simply having a conversation and getting to know more about others, and being open to understanding and appreciating different approaches. I ask questions and try to get to know others and their story. I may not always fully understand or even agree, but I always walk away with a better appreciation. And, most often, I find I have more in common with other people than I could have imagined. In times I have felt like the outsider, I have always appreciated when someone took the time to welcome me, get know more about me, or seek my opinion. It was through these actions of others that I felt a greater sense of belonging and comradery.
So, the next time you run into someone with “plastic wrap on their lamp shade,” be curious. Strike up a conversation, and seek to know more about them. If you are like me, you will be amazed by what you learn.
-Ken O. (The Vanguard Group, Diversity and Inclusion, PA)
There’s a famous scene at the end of the movie Cast Away (if you’ve never watched the movie put it on your “to do” list”) in which Tom Hanks is standing in the middle of the crossroads trying to determine which direction he’ll take his life after spending 1,500 days alone on a deserted island. The scene highlights the power of having options and the factors involved with making decisions that shape the direction of lives. The power of choice can never be undervalued. We have so many choices to make in this life and perhaps none more important than what shapes the direction of our careers. In July 2015, after 11 fantastic and rewarding years with Vanguard, I found myself at a career crossroad. I chose to leave the organization to explore a different path. It was a very difficult decision as I knew what I was leaving behind: the crew, the relationships, the stability, the mission, and the pride in saying I worked for Vanguard. I chose to leave to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I was intent on taking the life and career lessons learned at Vanguard and positively impacting an entrepreneurial start-up organization. I knew what I was leaving behind, left on the best of terms, and was excited by the unknown ahead.
Returning to Vanguard
My career tenure outside Vanguard did not last long. Fast forward 9 months…in April 2016 I returned to Vanguard as a contract recruiter – a return that was possible based on previous performance and the strong relationships I had built during my time with the organization. While there are many reasons why the other career opportunity did not pan out as I had hoped, the lessons learned, both positive and negative, further solidified my drive and passion to return to Vanguard. Most importantly, I learned the value of humility, as I left Vanguard a full time crew member and returned as a contract resource with no guarantee of being rehired as a crew member. Despite the risk, other full time job offers, and lack of guarantee in being rehired, my heart was set on Vanguard. I was eager to reconnect with my peers and positively impact the organization for a second time.
When I share my Vanguard career journey with external candidates and internal crew, I’m always asked the same question: “Why did you come back to Vanguard?” It’s a fair question as people don’t often return to a former employer. My “why” can be categorized in three key groups: the people, the purpose, and the possibilities.
The People
Vanguard’s people (crew, contractors, interns, etc.) drive business initiatives and innovations that positively impact our shareholders. Throughout my collective 13 years with Vanguard, I am grateful to have worked with smart, inventive, engaged, passionate, and dedicated people who have helped me grow personally and professionally. In turn, they have become my best friends, confidants, teachers, counselors, and extension of my family. I am also grateful to have led so many talented professionals. Watching their growth and development is as equally rewarding as my own career success.
Vanguard’s continued commitment to clients, crew, and community is unwavering. It’s rewarding to work for an organization that strives to put the best interest of clients first, provides rewarding career opportunities for its crew, and consistently serves our surrounding communities. The business initiatives, strategies, and innovations implemented at Vanguard are done to create the best possible experience for our shareholders. For crew who make a personal commitment to own their career journey, perform well in their existing role, and continuously push themselves to learn, opportunities await – whether it’s interesting projects, coaching and mentoring, or a new position. Lastly, I am proud to work for an organization where supporting our communities by volunteering our time, talent, and treasure is part of our cultural fabric and not an organizational obligation.
The Possibilities
I originally started my Vanguard career as an entry-level Processing Associate. In the subsequent years, through hard work and taking an active role in my development, I’ve built a successful career in Human Resources in both individual and leadership roles. I’ve gained something from each of my positions at Vanguard while embracing the challenges of new roles and pushing myself outside my comfort zone. I define career possibilities as the opportunity to combine my passions with organizational needs and openings. With hard work, initiative, and an open mind, there are no limits to what your career can be at Vanguard.
At some point in our lives we are all in the same position as Tom Hanks’ character in Cast Away. Each of us will encounter a career crossroads at some point in our lives. Defining your “why” is a critical step in determining the path you take. I have taken the road less traveled and my “why” has allowed me to come back home to Vanguard. The very last words spoken in Cast Away are “thank you”. The words simplify the gratitude Hanks’ character had for his journey and the ability to determine his path – regardless of which road he chooses. Thank you Vanguard for allowing me to choose the road less traveled and ultimately to choose the road back home.
-Chris E.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re featuring a series of blogs dedicated to working mothers and their experience at Vanguard. In this blog, Schuyler T. discusses working at Vanguard and what happened when her baby came earlier than expected. I started at Vanguard as a Client Relationship Specialist answering phone calls from our clients. To be honest, I took the job because my Dad informed me that if I wanted to remain living under his roof I would have to get a job. Considering I wasn’t entirely sure if he was kidding or not, I accepted the job and started a few weeks after graduating from Bucknell University. In my mind, I thought this job would satisfy my Dad’s request and allow me the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life… Finding the flexibility I needed Thirteen years later, I am still with Vanguard and have had an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Today, I am a Manager who sits on the Talent Acquisition Leadership team, but more importantly, I am the mom to two great kids and the wife to an amazing husband who is also a crew member. I love my job and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, in fact, I would go as far to say I love being a working mom. There is no secret formula to create a balance or even a magic number of how much time should be spent at home vs. work. Instead, it is all about flexibility. Vanguard has offered me the flexibility that I need to be the best mom to my kids and succeed in my career. Flexibility comes in many shapes and sizes – some weeks I may put more time in at work to finish a project. Other weeks I may need to put in more time at home to be there for my family. Either way, I have never felt that I had to choose between work and family. Coming back to work As a new mom to two, I had 4 months of paid time to spend with my newborn son and help my daughter adjust to being a big sister. This time was invaluable to me and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I was able to enjoy my leave and bond with my family. And guess what? Work didn’t stop, and I didn’t get any emails or phone calls. The only communication I had with my team was me sharing pictures of my adorable (I may be biased) kiddos. After my 4 months of leave, I was ready to come back to work. I knew my kids were in great hands with our childcare provider as their days were filled with learning, socialization, art, and songs. Much more exciting than a day spent with mom. In fact, for a few years every time I shared with my daughter that tomorrow was Saturday, she would sigh and respond with “that’s nice, but I can’t wait for Monday”. Comments like these validate that, just like me, my kids have their own lives too. They have friends and activities at school that they get excited about, just like I have projects and initiatives that I am excited about at Vanguard. Working full time and being a full time mom is not easy, and it’s definitely not glamourous (so what if my house isn’t perfectly tidy, my garden needs weeding, or we sometimes have pizza for dinner) but I wouldn’t change it for the world. In my opinion, I get the best of both worlds and they complement each other quite nicely. Every day I have the opportunity to challenge myself at work, which keeps me driven and energized, and there are still so many things that I aim to do with my career. I know Vanguard and my family will support me every step of the way. -Schuyler T.
If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
As more and more employers search for candidates online, it’s more essential than ever to have a strong brand on social media. In this step by step series on creating your brand, you’ll learn how to get started, glean tips from branding experts, and discover what really hooks an audience. Kick start your social brand by… Personal versus professional branding – it’s a blurred line. Information that can be found in a Google search (try it!) or on social media is part of your brand. Make sure what you send out into the social universe reflects the impression you want to make.
2. Growing Your Professional Network
Your profiles look great and you are ready to connect with others! But your current network only includes a smattering of co-workers, past and present. Let’s help you make some fresh and impactful connections.
You’ve updated your profile and you’ve made more connections to enhance your network. Now it’s time to tell your story and shape your brand. LinkedIn is your digital business card – so how can you communicate your value and make a memorable impression across social media channels?
Your profile looks good, your network is waiting, and you’ve got a good strategy in place – now it’s time to get more engaged! In this blog, we share tips on finding content, staying organized, how to avoid common disengagement traps, and more.
For more career tips and advice follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. And if you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. We’ll cover looking your best, growing your network, shaping your story, and staying engaged. Read our last blog about telling your story and shaping your brand. Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t let that be you. You’ve worked hard to get to this point. Your profile looks good, your network is waiting, you’ve got a good strategy in place – now it’s time to get more engaged! But first, be careful of these disengagement traps: Staying engaged IS possible and we’ll make it easy for you with a few tips. How do I find content that supports my brand strategy? When thinking about what to write and share it’s always helpful to start by brainstorming a list. Based on the content you learned about in the previous blog, start to jot down a few ideas for each one. Here are some examples:
How do I get organized?
Curating content to read and share can be as organized or unorganized as you like. It all depends on what you are comfortable with and if you need extra help staying active on social. For example, you can use some of the tools and ideas below to streamline content that is meaningful to you.
Don’t feel you need to do all of these things. If you are already very active on social media, you may not need an organized approach and can try one or two of the ideas above.
What should I write when I introduce content in my post?
We are all lazy sometimes when it comes to sharing content, but remember, it’s your honesty, generosity, and authenticity that gets the attention of your network. Talk like a real person.
If you are struggling to come up with an original introduction for your post, try some of these approaches:
How often should I post?
With the variety of content we discussed in a previous blog post there are plenty of options to differentiate your posts. Here are some guidelines broken down by channel:
LinkedIn, 1-2 times a day
Facebook, 2-3 times per day
Twitter, 5 times per day
Instagram, 1-2 times per day
Pinterest, 5 times per day
Snapchat, constantly (just kidding)
If LinkedIn is the only channel you use for your professional network, once a day should not be too hard.
“On LinkedIn, you may not have control over how often your content or profile is viewed, but you can increase the chances of your brand getting noticed by being more visible to your network. And that starts by increasing your activity. The more active you are on LinkedIn, the more “known” you will become to your network who will potentially like and share your content, reaching a much broader audience.
So stay engaged, and don’t forget that passion is personal branding fuel, so post and share content that you are passionate about. Always make sure to introduce the content you share. Your network is more likely to read your post if it has your personal touch.”
-Kendall W., Recruiter
Set a goal!
Schedule time on your calendar each day to review content (similar to the way professionals used to open up the newspaper with their morning coffee). When you like, comment, and share others’ posts, that is an act of engagement. LinkedIn is a professional networking channel, so it’s not only about your content. Talk to others!
Schedule your social posts for the week if that works best for you or set aside 5 minutes every day to post. Staying engaged doesn’t have to be impossible. Figure out what methods work for you and be consistent.
We hope you enjoyed this series about kick-starting your personal brand on social. With these tips you can move forward to make a positive impact and lasting impression. Don’t forget to own who you are and how you make people feel. It’s the reputation you’ve built, your story, and your image on social that makes you unique.
For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. Want to read more from this series? Check them out here: looking your best, growing your network, and shaping your story.
Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. Read the last blog to learn how to make connections and build your network. You’ve updated your profile and you’ve made some more connections to enhance your network. Now it’s time to tell your story and shape your brand. LinkedIn is your digital business card – so how can you communicate your value and make a memorable impression across social media channels? Try asking yourself some of these questions to find topics that feel right for you.
When sharing content consider these ideas:
Set a goal!
Take a few minutes to outline focus areas for what types of content you will write and share. This will help keep your story, and brand, consistent and easier to manage.
Remember, the content you write and share is your voice on social. Branding yourself doesn’t happen overnight. But once you try a few of the suggestions above, your audience will grow and perception will become reality. We’ll talk about staying engaged in Part 4 of our series.
For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are looking for additional tips to create a content marketing strategy for yourself check out Neil Patel’s helpful blog.
Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. We’ll cover looking your best, growing your network, sharing your story, and staying engaged. Read the last blog to learn how to improve your LinkedIn profile. Your profiles look great and you are ready to connect with others! But your current network only includes a smattering of co-workers, past and present. Let’s help you make some fresh and impactful connections. Who is in your bubble that would make a good professional connection? Who is not in your immediate circle, but would be a good connection? Connecting gets easier the more you do it. Here are a few ideas on how to reach out. Keep it short and to the point. In fact, LinkedIn has a character limit for their connection notes, so you’ll have to keep it brief. You can always hit the connect button without an additional note, but the chances of someone accepting your invitation greatly increase if you reach out to them in a more personal way. Don’t take it personally if they don’t accept or never respond. It happens. People are busy. And since people can be reached a variety of ways nowadays, they are wary of spam, so be careful of phrases that sound too “salesy” or too self-serving. Don’t forget about Facebook. Yes, Facebook! Another good way to gather professional connections is through Facebook. More and more people are starting to use Facebook groups professionally. To find these groups all you have to do is ask either on your own newsfeed, in a community group, an alumni group, school group, or even neighborhood group. For example, “Hi everyone. Does anyone within this group work in the XYZ space? If so I’d like to connect and pick your brain about something. I work for XYZ company in ABC department.” You can reply to any respondents, connect with them on LinkedIn, and possibly message them to schedule time to chat. Respondents might also refer you to other groups on Facebook that are applicable to your profession. The most active and targeted professional discussions sometimes take place within private Facebook groups. If you already use Twitter you might consider creating a separate work related handle. Once you do, you can start to follow influencers in your professional niche, leaders you admire, peers at other companies, and news and professional outlets that publish relevant content. It’s a great way to stay updated. If you choose to tweet, share useful professional content and retweet valuable content that you’ve found by following others.
“As professionals, building a network of other talented individuals gives you the support we all too often lack in both our personal and professional lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to move up in your career, or if you’re perfectly happy in your current role. Having a network of other professionals will make your work life richer, more interesting, and may just help you grow your talents.”
– Allen P., Department Head, Editorial & Creative Operations
Set a goal!
Try to make 1-2 new connections a week. Block time on your calendar to do this. Remember, the quality of your network is more important than the size. When you open up tabs in your browser every morning make LinkedIn one of them. Read some updates from your network, conduct a search or two, and send a connection request if you find someone of interest.
Networking isn’t always easy and it doesn’t come naturally for many people. But once you try a few of the suggestions above, and have a few new connections under your belt, you’ll be well on your way to building a great network. We’ll talk about sharing and shaping your story in Part 3 of our series.
For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are interested in learning more about personal marketing and branding check out this Harvard Business Review Article, How to make the right connections when you don’t already have an in by branding expert Dorie Clark.
Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. We’ll cover looking your best, growing your network, sharing your story, and staying engaged. Personal versus professional branding. It’s a blurred line. Any information about you that can be found in a Google search (try it!) or on social media is a part of your brand. Make sure that what you are sending out into the social universe reflects how you want to be perceived. Personal branding is the image you portray and the lasting impression you make. Speaking of your image, do you look like this on LinkedIn? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered below. Is your LinkedIn profile stale? Maybe you set up your profile when you were job hunting, but haven’t updated it since. LinkedIn offers more than just jobs. It’s a legitimate professional networking site and your image on it is important. It’s also a good starting place to create a professional persona that can carry over onto other channels. Your story on LinkedIn begins with your profile. Here are five things you can do to start building your brand. *Source: LinkedIn Once you look good on LinkedIn, take a look at yourself on other social platforms. Looking at other people’s profiles is the #1 activity on LinkedIn. Job seekers now behave like consumers, but they trust people more than brands. Job seekers research people currently in roles they are interviewing for and follow leaders at companies they are interested in. When networking, LinkedIn users search for peers at other companies in similar roles to connect with and follow influencers and experts working in their space. People will find you. And on LinkedIn especially, you not only represent yourself, but also your company and your company’s brand, so make sure you represent it well.
“The one thing you can control in today’s war for talent is having a completed LinkedIn profile. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online business card. It’s the first thing someone will see when they’re researching you about your next potential job, or when you’re recruiting someone to come to work at your company. This is your chance to build your personal brand and be visible to your network. When you have a completed profile you build authenticity and credibility. Brand or be branded.”
– Brian U., Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant
Set a goal!
Work on one section of LinkedIn at a time – sitting down and doing it all at once can be overwhelming. If you schedule 10-20 minutes every day for one week, you’ll have it updated by the weekend!
If you follow through with the tips above, you will look great and be ready for the next step in building your brand on social media– growing your network. We’ll talk about what you can do to build your own community in part two of our series.
For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are interested in this niche of personal marketing and branding check out some great LinkedIn advice from J.T. O’Donnell on the WorkItDaily YouTube channel.
I recently completed Vanguard’s annual submission to The Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index survey. Published annually, the survey evaluates a company’s corporate policies, practices, and benefits with respect to LGBTQ+ employees. HRC awards points for workplace achievements in the following areas: Companies that attain the maximum 100 total points earn the coveted title, “Best Place To Work For LGBTQ Equality”. The survey criteria is both robust and challenging, and HRC has continued to raise the bar for companies striving to attain the “Best Place…” accolade. Vanguard has participated in the survey for 5 consecutive years, and will continue to engage because it is the global standard for LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusion in the workplace. The survey is just one of the avenues Vanguard uses to benchmark our practices for continued improvement. We also participate in the survey because of you! When any potential crew member (Vanguard employee) learns about our score, they get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a crew member. Recognition of workplace achievements always feels great, however the awards don’t provide insight into how we are personally impacted. So as I prepared to write this blog, I decided to pulse a few of my LGBTQ+ friends to share what was most relevant to each of them. I am humbled to admit that I did not foresee the large number of examples in their responses! So much so, that my blog evolved into blogs…with a Part I and a Part II. Here are a few of their thoughts: “Part of the reason I joined Vanguard back in 1998 is that Vanguard had explicit protections for LGBT crew spelled out in their diversity statement even way back then. I was only out to few people at the bank I worked at previously, and there was no mention of LGBTQ+ in their diversity statement. That made me nervous about prospects for advancement if I came out, and that explicit statement was one of the reasons I chose to leave the bank and join Vanguard. Even so, coming out at work was a slow and deliberate process. But, once I got to know Vanguard and saw firsthand how “out” leaders were just as respected and successful, I became more comfortable being my true self.” – Mark O. “There is so much that has made an impact on me regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion at Vanguard. For example, as an OPEN (Out Professional Engagement Network) Ally Workshop facilitator, I get to share my personal experience as an LGBT crew member with supportive allies. After each session I’m newly energized by the caliber of people that we call crew members. I always make several new connections through these workshops that have proven to be lasting and valuable! Speakers such as Ash Beckham, Amita Gupta, and JoDee Winterhoff have made a lasting impact by bringing LGBTQ+ issues outside the walls of Vanguard to life, and help crew members connect and relate to each other. Finally, the support from Senior Leadership – seeing our former CEO sign a letter voicing opposition to exclusive legislation and “walking the talk” when it comes to inclusion and support was comforting in a challenging time for the community.” – Laura T. “Two events that I found particularly inspiring (albeit for different reasons) at Vanguard over the past couple of years were when Matthew Shepard’s mother was brought in for OPEN’s guest speaker event, and a Vanguard Day Of Caring community volunteer event that I attended in Philadelphia. I was impressed that Vanguard took the time to bring in such an impactful speaker and by the level of participation at the event – both by LGBT and ally crew. I found her presentation to be moving and inspiring. As a Philly resident, I had never been to the William Way Center, the LGBT community organization that provides service, recreational, educational, and cultural programming. The Day Of Caring event allowed me to understand their mission and feel as though I was making a contribution to the community. As with other volunteer events, I was really impressed by the numbers of both LGBT and ally crew that donated their time.” – Chris D. As for me, one thing I think is really impressive is our Transgender Guide, which serves as an internal resource for open dialogue and further understanding of transgender issues in the workplace. The intended audience is a broad range of crew, including transgender crew members, their leaders and peers, Human Resources specialists, and client-facing crew. Topics include common terminology, overviews of gender identity and sexual orientation, guidance and tips for managers and allies, and thoughtful considerations for transgender crew members. How cool is that? -Chris H.
(Pictured are members of Vanguard’s 2017 OPEN Crew Resource Group Leadership team)
Read Part 2 of this series here and learn how an inclusive workplace can benefit home life. You can read more stories like this one at www.vanguardjobs.com/career-blog.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.