Tag Archive for: information technology and security
Vanguard encourages a cooperative culture by building teams of people with different backgrounds and experiences in technology and business. This diversity truly expands your knowledge base by encouraging multidimensional thinking and idea sharing – so we’re always learning from each other. The people who come from non-technical roles often lend creative solutions to the problems that had our technical team blocked. Sharing my technical knowledge with others is energizing and very fulfilling. For example, enabling business partners on the team to perform their own testing not only helps our efficiency, but lends to great comradery.
Making an Impact
As part of a product team, crew in technical roles can participate in all client-facing discussions. Offering ideas and hearing directly from our clients is rewarding as a developer. We get to see how the work we do makes a genuine impact on the clients we serve.
While developing a new feature, I sometimes find myself getting excited about an idea to improve the current design, so I will typically reach out via chat or even stop by our product owner’s desk for real-time feedback. I’ve gotten to build close relationships across Vanguard, that would not have been possible if I had been isolated from that part of the process.
I genuinely love coming to work and cannot imagine myself anywhere else. That’s due to the incredible teams I have been a part of, and Vanguard’s commitment to creating a collaborative environment for all crew – especially in the technology space!
— Laurel A.
Are you interested in Technology at Vanguard?
Hear directly from our tech crew here, and be sure to check out these opportunities.
Vanguard encourages a cooperative culture by building teams of people with different backgrounds and experiences in technology and business. This diversity truly expands your knowledge base by encouraging multidimensional thinking and idea sharing – so we’re always learning from each other. The people who come from non-technical roles often lend creative solutions to the problems that had our technical team blocked. Sharing my technical knowledge with others is energizing and very fulfilling. For example, enabling business partners on the team to perform their own testing not only helps our efficiency, but lends to great comradery.
Making an Impact
As part of a product team, crew in technical roles can participate in all client-facing discussions. Offering ideas and hearing directly from our clients is rewarding as a developer. We get to see how the work we do makes a genuine impact on the clients we serve.
While developing a new feature, I sometimes find myself getting excited about an idea to improve the current design, so I will typically reach out via chat or even stop by our product owner’s desk for real-time feedback. I’ve gotten to build close relationships across Vanguard, that would not have been possible if I had been isolated from that part of the process.
I genuinely love coming to work and cannot imagine myself anywhere else. That’s due to the incredible teams I have been a part of, and Vanguard’s commitment to creating a collaborative environment for all crew – especially in the technology space!
— Laurel A.
Are you interested in Technology at Vanguard?
Hear directly from our tech crew here, and be sure to check out these opportunities.
Mission Oriented
But most of all, it was Vanguard’s mission: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success. That mission has been the same and has not changed my entire career.
It’s a mission you can feel. Vanguard is investor-owned, meaning the fund shareholders own the funds, which in turn own Vanguard. We strive to ensure our efforts will lead to better outcomes for our investors. We’re helping over 30 million investors around the world save for retirement, pursue education goals, and build a future for themselves and their families.
My Vanguard Why
Along the way, family and friends have asked why I’ve stayed at Vanguard for so long. My answer has been consistent: Vanguard’s commitment to our clients, crew, and community aligns to my values – which makes it easy to stay. It is only when our clients win that we win.
I currently lead one of the client experience and digital departments focused on helping clients manage their accounts. I’ve completed many rotations in IT, including as a frontend developer, technical lead, project manager, and systems manager, spanning multiple subdivisions within our IT division. Across all of these roles and departments, one truism is clear: Vanguard is focused on clients first. My current role serving our individual investors and advice clients through technology has helped me contribute to making the mission a reality.
Vanguard has always been the best place to work for me. The way in which Vanguard cares for their crew is clear – I’ve completed my master’s degree here, raised a family here, found opportunities to pursue growth here, and much more. And for every day of my 27 years, Vanguard’s mission has inspired me to continue learning, growing, and giving investors the best chance for investment success.
– Sonya D.
Are you interested in Technology at Vanguard?
Hear directly from our tech crew here, and be sure to check out these opportunities.
I graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2002 with a Computer Engineering degree. The Institute was very close to Wall Street, and upon graduation, many of my classmates received offers from top Wall Street firms and investment banks. I too fell into the allure of working on Wall Street. I received a few offers from some of the top firms in New York—and I also received one from Vanguard, who was making it a priority to recruit from my school at the time. However, this was when the dot-com bubble burst and most of the Wall Street firms rescinded their offers for all of my classmates including me. Vanguard was the only firm that honored their commitment and did not rescind their offer. I am thankful to this day. At Vanguard, I have the opportunity to do what I always dreamt of doing and much, much more at a firm where doing right by clients and crew is the guiding principle. I joined Vanguard as a software engineer and never looked back. At the time, all I wanted to do was to apply what I had learned in school to real life problems, but didn’t have much thought about where I applied them. As time went on, I realized how fortunate I was to be at Vanguard, whose main mission was to help people all over the world reach their financial dreams. Knowing you’re doing well for others is incredibly rewarding. I got the best of both worlds: I could apply my passion in technology and apply it at a company whose mission is to lift people up. I also got to work on our trading systems, sales systems, mobility (iOS) systems, customer relationship management systems and so on, all while learning about and applying analytics to everything we did.
From a career perspective, Vanguard invested in my professional development. Today, I’m the Head of AI & Machine Learning for Enterprise Advice. focused on artificial intelligence and data science. About 7 years ago, with the advent of big data technology and infrastructure, I started to focus on advanced analytics and data science exclusively. I saw an opportunity to use data science and artificial intelligence to provide better, more personalized, and smarter services to our investors.
Vanguard now wants to do for financial advice what we did for Exchange Traded Funds and mutual funds: make top notch, holistic advice accessible to anyone who needs it at an incredibly low price. That’s where my team comes in. I now help lead our advanced analytics and artificial intelligence team for Vanguard’s advice program. My department is comprised of data engineers, data scientists and artificial intelligence and machine learning scientists who collaborate closely with our investment experts and economists. And they come from diverse educational backgrounds—some have computer science or engineering backgrounds, while others studied physics or statistics.
In order to create highly personalized advice experiences, we seek to incorporate behavioral economics to better personalize the advice needed. To that end we are utilizing artificial intelligence and other data science techniques on a variety of financial advice projects. Our goal is to create experiences and services that will help more people than ever before reach their financial goals. My team is directly empowering Vanguard’s mission and I personally feel inspired every day to come to work. Being able to learn about cutting edge technology in artificial intelligence and data science and use it to help as many people as possible is extremely rewarding.
Investing is complex, and sometimes, it’s a challenge for people to know how to make wise investment and financial decisions. Vanguard is committed to giving investors all over the world a fair shake, and is investing in services—such as advice—to do so. I am passionate about trail blazing artificial intelligence and machine learning at Vanguard, which is enabling us to fulfill our mission and help millions of people all over the world reach financial independence.
Now, who will join us on this noble mission?
-Amir A.
To view opportunities available on Amir’s team, please click here.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our Data & Analytics and Information Technology & Security career opportunities.
A company like Vanguard doesn’t function or flourish without the expertise and support of our IT crew. But it’s not just about technical skills – supportive mentors and peers, challenging work, autonomy, these are all part of the culture of our tech teams. Technology is growing faster than almost any other industry and Vanguard’s IT crew are the investigators, problem-solvers, leaders, and experts who help keep us on the forefront of the ever-changing technical landscape. And these dedicated crew are the driving force behind why Vanguard was recognized as one of Computerworld’s top ten Best Places to Work in IT. In these blogs, our IT crew share their professional development story, the impact they’ve had on technology, and their internship experience.
A Different Kind of Investment
“During my time here, I’ve seen Vanguard support a different type of investing – investing in their crew.” In this blog, IT Developer Elijah A. writes about how Vanguard has supported his professional development.
Vanguard Crew Innovate New Technology through The Discovery Challenge
Solutions Architect Linda C. was able to coordinate the Discovery Challenge, a way for crew to submit their innovative ideas and ultimately influence technological advancements at Vanguard.
Meeting Vanguard At The Grace Hopper Conference
Learn how Stephanie made her decision to accept an internship offer after spending time with Vanguard at the Grace Hopper Conference.
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8 Tips From An IT Recruiter On How To Ace Your Interview
Are you an IT professional with an upcoming interview? Sharon H., a Vanguard IT recruiter, provides 8 tips to ace your interview in this blog.
Sharon is an IT recruiter with 10+ years of experience recruiting talent for a vast array of IT positions, including Developers, Project Managers, AI/ML Engineers, Architects, Technical Leads, and Systems Administrators. In this blog, she shares tips on how to standout in an interview and make a lasting, positive impression.
1. Research the company using more than just their career site. Utilize career search sites such as The Muse and LinkedIn to read blogs, watch employee videos, and get up-to-date on company news. This will convey to your recruiter that you are interested and have done your homework. It can also help you determine if the company is really a fit and can help ideate questions for your interview.
2. Develop a strong LinkedIn profile. Connect with others in the industry, and find employees that work on the team you are targeting. Research has found that up to 97% of recruiters and employers use LinkedIn to discover talent. LinkedIn is also the ultimate personal branding tool.
3. If you have a technology listed on your resume be ready to discuss your experience. Recruiters want to hear examples that show you are proficient and meet the requirements of the role.
4. Provide a portfolio and relevant certifications. This will give a clear illustration of your experience and quality of work.
5. Display your enthusiasm and passion for the role. We are interviewing multiple individuals, often with similar experience and skills, and we want to hire someone who truly wants to bring value.
6. Maintain professionalism and be confident. Avoid filler words such as “um”, “like”, “kind of”, and “you know”. For in-person interviews, make a great first impression with neat attire and offer a strong handshake to everyone you meet. Keep electronics off and tucked away.
7. Send a thank you note to those involved in your interview process. An email is nice, but a hand written note goes a long way! Ask the coordinator for contact information or the manager at the end of the interview.
8. Keep in mind the interview starts the moment you enter the building and doesn’t end until you leave. You never know who you will encounter in the elevator or lobby.
More careers blogs you may have missed
Meeting Vanguard at the Grace Hopper conference
Learn how Stephanie made her decision to accept an internship offer after spending time with Vanguard at the Grace Hopper Conference.
A different kind of investment
In this blog, IT developer Elijah A. writes about how Vanguard has invested in his professional development.
Inclusion – It’s More Than a Policy
Hear from crew about their thoughts on LGBTQ+ inclusion at Vanguard, and learn about the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index—and how we stacked up.
How Vanguard Became My Home Away From Home
IT crew member Dan K. reflects on his nine years at Vanguard and the advice he picked up from his leaders along the way.
Solving Problems and Innovating through Data Science
Driven by Vanguard’s mission, crew member Amir shares his career journey through technology and data science in this careers blog.
The search for an internship can be a very intimidating process. There are always a number of questions to consider: Will this experience be beneficial down the road? Are interns considered for a full-time roles after the conclusion of the internship? If so, what makes the company one that people would want to work for? Here, some of the 2017 Charlotte interns weigh in on finding Vanguard:
Robert M.
NC State University | Computer Science | Winston-Salem, NC | IT– Global Investment Systems
I heard about Vanguard through a career fair held by my department of studies at college last fall where I got the chance to meet some of my future coworkers. Like many students outside the business school, I did not know Vanguard existed, let alone that they are leaders in the financial industry. This stems from the fact that Vanguard spends very little on advertising; rather, they rely on referrals from satisfied investors. That knowledge alone tipped me off that Vanguard would offer a full and enriching internship experience.
Gray S.
UNC-Chapel Hill | Computer Science & Information Science | Charlotte, NC | IT-Retail
My path to Vanguard was unique from other interns. I first heard about the great opportunities here through an email from my school’s career services that talked about an IT Career Explore day at Vanguard (a day to learn about Vanguard and its work with technology). I attended this event in Charlotte, which in turn led me to apply for the internship and receive an offer for a phone interview. After this, I was invited to a day-long interview event at the Charlotte offices where I really realized that interning at Vanguard would be an amazing opportunity – and that realization has definitely turned out to be true!
Aalaiyah P.
USC-Columbia | Finance | Cross, SC | Business – Human Resources
My search for an internship was definitely a process helped by the support of Vanguard representatives. My university held a career exposition on campus, where representatives from Vanguard attended. I noticed that everyone I spoke with from Vanguard were very approachable and welcoming, which immediately captured my attention and interest in learning more about the company and the opportunities they offered. After further connecting with a representative, she recommended I look into the C2C Internship program, which turned out to be the best decision yet!
Grant S.
BYU-Idaho | Software Engineering | Sugar Hill, GA | IT- Retail
A friend of mine completed their internship at Vanguard and later joined full-time. After speaking with him, I learned a few things about Vanguard. During the internship, it’s apparent that Vanguard cares about collaboration, fostering a positive work environment, having a real work experience, and providing great networking opportunities. Work-life balance has always been a priority to me, which is difficult in the IT space, but Vanguard allows for both meaningful work and personal life. That means I can enjoy my work and the things I love outside of the office. After experiencing Vanguard for five weeks, I can confidently say that my internship has been a satisfying, enriching experience.
Isabel U.
UNC-Chapel Hill | Computer Science & English Literature | Cary, NC | IT- Retail
My first interaction with Vanguard was at a university career fair. Later that fall, I was able to attend the Grace Hopper conference in Houston and I met more Vanguard representatives and interviewed for this internship. Vanguard’s commitment to adopting the best technology for its mission appealed to me, as well as the broad scope of projects they work on. My favorite part of the summer so far has been trying new technologies and roles as a part of my team.