In this blog, Julie K. shares her experience working on the Client Experience and Digital team as a User Experience Researcher.

I never expected to be saying ‘I’m a researcher at Vanguard,’ but I’m so glad I said yes to this opportunity over a year ago.

In my interviews, the hiring managers expressed that they wanted a ‘creative ethnographer’ to round out the skill set of the research team. I was skeptical, but it certainly piqued my interest as many large companies don’t appreciate the value of listening to and being with their customers in real life.

Vanguard is on a trajectory of change and we know that to modernize, we have to keep an ear to the ground when it comes to clients and prospects. I’m incredibly proud to be part of the Client Experience & Digital (CXD) team.

Oh, and daily life at Vanguard is pretty stellar.

A few things worth noting to help paint the picture:

• The ‘Vanguard nice’ cliché is no joke. People actually care about you as a human. I’m from Wisconsin, so Midwest nice is in my bones. This feels very much the same and it is genuine. When I chat people up in the hall, they actually want to chat back!
• If you’re a researcher, you know we’re a special breed of hyper-curious nerds that thrive in a hive. If you were a fly on the research team wall you’d hear us making corny Likert scale jokes, having heated methodology discussions, and helping each other analyze and present our data. It’s a seriously comfortable environment.
• Big changes, happening daily. If you like seeing legacy problems being wrangled to the ground, CXD is your scene. Yes, it takes a long time. Yes, there are plenty of obstacles. But when you crack one of the old systems wide open, it’s an amazing feeling.
• Career growth. If you want to develop a niche in your UX repertoire, it’s likely you can do it here. For example, we have a researcher advancing her career in accessibility through coursework, Vanguard trainings, and running live studies.
• We like to innovate across all of Vanguard. We evolve our presence by training on important topics like radical candor in the workplace, cognitive bias workshops, and a speaker series to discuss methods/approaches/outcomes.
• No one is on an island. It’s a reciprocal mentorship system where new and senior researchers enjoy learning from each other. We recognize the unique talents and perspectives each of us offer, and foster them.

If there is one ‘must have’ for working in CXD, I’d say it’s pioneering spirit. There is a level of patience with the old and enthusiasm for the new that will keep you happy and inspired. There is plenty to do! Put Vanguard on your radar. You may be pleasantly surprised with what transpires.

-Julie K.