Are you ready to return to work after being a full time parent or caregiver? Or are you looking for a new career? Do you like to help people? If you answered yes, then please listen to my story about my midlife start at Vanguard.

I joined Vanguard 10 years ago, and had been a full time mom and part time worker and volunteer before that. Joining Vanguard was a big jump for me, but the time was right for this move—my kids were approaching high school and their school days were longer, so I had the time. Although I was ready, I was still scared.

Don’t be afraid of…the exams

I interviewed for a few positions after applying online and interestingly enough, the one that most appealed to me was the Client Relationship Associate position, an entry level job that was client-facing. I was offered the position, but I had two securities exams to take before I could start serving clients. Vanguard offered support, at-work study time, and classes to ensure that I passed. Despite this, I was still scared—I had been out of school a long time—and how could I, at age 45, memorize financial formulas?

Luckily, I had majored in Psychology in college and remembered how memory works. So, although the usual study strategy is to do all the reading, then study for and take the practice tests, I recalled that older or busier minds work differently. They need to start the self-testing sooner—the in and out of information commits it to memory better. Cramming doesn’t work in midlife! My mind was already juggling too much—kids, eldercare, grocery lists, volunteer work, etc. It was painful to score a 10% on the first practice test, but I hadn’t finished the reading yet so I kept going, and my score kept increasing. I passed the securities exams and started my job on time. I used the same strategy to pass the CFP® exam at age 49.

Don’t be afraid of…starting over after a gap.

Although I had been out of the workforce for some time, I had a decade of experience before I started my family. And, I really appreciated the structure of the Client Relationship Associate role. It allowed me to return home at the end of the day without work in my briefcase, and I could be present for my family at night. No logging on to do work at midnight—my job was done at the end of each day.

Don’t be afraid of…reaching for the next level.

After two years in the Client Relationship Associate role, my kids were in high school, they were more self-sufficient, and after school sports kept them longer at school, so I applied for a Sales Analyst role supporting high-net-worth sales executives. I got the job and haven’t looked back. In my 10 years, I have worked in sales, new account onboarding, and in IT testing new web pages. My current job is as a Financial Advisor, and I love advising my clients. My kids are now out of college and on their own, and I have a fabulous job that I love. And it all started with braving that first exam.

-Polly A.

Curious about a career in Advice? Make it count with Vanguard.

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My Vanguard career began during a transition. A transition that involved moving to a new town and starting a life together with my now husband, Chris. As I prepared for the move, and for leaving my job, I knew I was looking for a company where I could grow and develop a lifelong career. That goal landed me in a Client Relationship Associate role in Vanguard’s Retail Services group.

As soon as I walked through the door on my first day, and began learning more about Vanguard, I connected with the core values of the company: to enable investors to achieve investment success. I loved talking to a variety of clients about how to invest their hard earned money in hopes they could someday achieve their investment goals—it made me feel like I was making a difference for them. Being new to the investment industry, the support and guidance from my early leaders solidified my interest in giving back the same support to other crew on their Vanguard journey. I’ll never forget contemplating my next career step, just a year or so into my new role one of my colleagues told me, “You should become a team leader–you would be a great leader.” This resonated, because I naturally care for others and want to help them succeed. Who knew a simple compliment could be a turning point for my career?

I worked hard the next few years to become a Vanguard leader; I attended trainings, connected with mentors and coaches, and met with crew all over the firm. Then, I was ready to apply for my next role, a leadership role. I felt empowered, excited and ready to take on the challenge. I landed a team leader role in Brokerage Services and was…terrified! I went into the challenge with all I had and luckily came out the other side as a successful leader with a team of high performing crew. Phew. Being a team leader was an awesome journey and it led me to yet another transition in my career…back to an individual contributor role when I least expected it.

I remember the call like it was yesterday, a former colleague from my Brokerage Services days had earned a promotion in a new role. Her role was going to become available and she thought I’d be a great fit. I was super curious to hear why she had thought of me, as I wasn’t actively seeking a new opportunity at that time and didn’t know her very well.  We ended up having lunch to talk about the opportunity and the rest is history. A few weeks later, I was moving on to a new division after 5 years in our Retail division. I cried. I was so overcome with emotion on that last day (also because my team decided to package my 5 year anniversary celebration with my going away celebration), I was feeling so many emotions. Happiness, sadness, gratitude. I was happy, scared and most importantly, I was ready.

Ready for a more meaningful, rewarding career? Make it count with Vanguard.

On my first day in my new division, Financial Advisor Services, I felt this electric energy and excitement. I made a few quick friends and was assimilating into my new role quite nicely, when suddenly I found out that after 3 months in the job, I was pregnant with our first child. Did I mention that we were in the throes of wedding planning too? “OMG. What am I going to do, how are we going to raise a child!? What about the wedding? How do I tell my boss? How is this all going to play out?” I was in panic mode, a huge life transition was happening at the same time as another huge life transition, at the same time as a career transition. I had to figure out a plan, and fast.

Ultimately, once I had some time to digest this new information, talk with some of my support network, I practiced resiliency and reframed my mind and thought—I can do this, I am grateful for this, this is meant to be. In a recent session I attended, Wharton Professor Adam Grant, talked about resiliency in transitions and how they are means of catapulting into success. When he said this, I reflected back to these days.

Fast forward to the end of my maternity leave, I had been home with our son, Will, for 4 wonderful months. He was the perfect baby, and slept, ate, and traveled well. I was loving my new job as his mom. As I prepared to return to work in the role that I had left, another serendipitous situation arose. A promotional opportunity within my current team. Initially, I thought, “I am so not doing that to myself, I am not ready, I already have no idea how I will juggle work with all my new responsibilities at home…” The excuses were pouring out of me. Quickly, I realized I had to check myself and take a step back to look at the broader picture and think about what I really wanted and could achieve. I decided to go for the job, and it has proved to be one of the best career decisions I have made. That role that helped me to push myself harder than ever before.

After a few years in that role, and enrolling in an MBA program, the leadership spark returned and I was ready to get back to my true passion, leading people. Thanks to a vast network of coaches and mentors, and the experience I had gained over the past 5 years, I earned a new role. However, I was due with my second son about 4 weeks later and was in the midst of my MBA program. This time I thought—no big deal. I can handle this! I took 6 months off with Ben and enjoyed every moment with him, knowing that when I returned to my brand new job, I would figure it all out with the help of my amazing husband, classmates, colleagues and managers.

As I reflect on my career, I realize how the moments when the walls felt like they were going to come crashing down have turned into my most memorable and successful moments both in my personal life and in my career. In times of change and transition we can choose to let it break us down or chose to grow with the change and use it as a catapult to success. There have been some tough times during each of the transitions but through those pivotal moments, I’ve learned and grown the most. I am proud to say I have used them as a trajectory for success and look forward to what exciting changes and opportunities are ahead of me.

-Kristen S.

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In this roundtable video series, five tenured Vanguard crew members talk about how and why they started their careers at Vanguard more than 10 years ago. The panel delves into topics such as Vanguard’s culture of continuous improvement, client-centered global expansion, career advice, and the relationships they’ve built over the past decade.

Curious about our Client Services career opportunities? We’ve got you covered.

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About 10 years ago, before ‘distance-until-empty’ technology was standard in vehicles, I had a couple of friends who often played the ‘gas light’ game. The rules of the game are simple: Reset your vehicle’s tripmeter once your gas light goes on, and see how many miles you can go without running out of gas. Because MPG can vary for each vehicle, my friends never played against each other, but rather the game was always them vs. their car. Interestingly, there’s no way to win the ‘gas light’ game. Either you eventually go to the gas station to refuel, or you run out of gas and lose the game. Consequences of losing the game included calling a loved one, explaining why you ran out of gas, and then humbly asking for their help.

Studying for the CFP® exam is a lot like playing the gas light game. Each study module is its own challenge where you must push yourself to the limit and increase your knowledge, but you must know when to give yourself a break and refuel. You must understand that it is a lot like planning for a wedding, not a toddler’s birthday party, and the inability to pace yourself appropriately can cause one to get burnt out and ‘lose the game’.

Another key similarity between studying for the CFP® exam and the gas light game: There is no way to win the game. “What?! Don’t I get credit for passing the exam?!” Well, yes, but that’s not the end. If you’re like me, it is more of an enabler towards the ultimate goal: Helping people who need help. What matters most is what you do with the knowledge and how you use it to positively impact people’s lives, and there is no end to that, but rather it can be a life-long calling.

Interested in our Advice career opportunities?

Start your search here.

So, I bet you can guess what my motivation was for wanting to pass the CFP® exam. What is your motivation? What is the very specific, extremely tangible reason why you yearn to be a CFP® Professional? I strongly believe that you must have a confident, consistent answer to that question, because you’ll need that ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ amidst your long study sessions. What else might you need? Here are a few things for you to consider:

Leverage a professional education provider and trust their process. At Vanguard, we have a program where we partner with a professional education provider, and they have a myriad of resources that improve one’s ability to be successful. If your company does not have a formal partnership established, do some research and ask for corporate sponsorship through a provider of your choice.

Know your learning style and study habits. I cannot stress enough that this is, in my opinion, the most critical piece of one’s study strategy. You must know your learning style and what works for you. This allows you to be efficient and spend your time learning how you learn best. For me, self-study is key, and a classroom environment isn’t as effective. For you, it is likely something different. Adjust your learning style as appropriate.

Set a study schedule and get buy-in from your support system. I have five young kids. NOTHING is getting accomplished at home. For me, study time started in the office at 6:00am each weekday before my work day began. Whatever it is for you, make sure those supporting you during this journey, both at home and at work, know your study schedule and agree to help hold you accountable to it.

Final encouragement: If I can do it, anyone can do it. I hadn’t studied for a formal exam in over 10 years, and my fifth child was born a month and a half before exam day. That means my study skills were rusty, and I wasn’t getting enough sleep when I needed it the most. You’ll likely have your own challenges, but if you hold on to that motivational reason and persevere, you’ll be well on your way to positively impacting people lives. Just don’t run out of gas.

-Matthew B.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

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A refreshing change of scenery

Recently, I took the time to sit back and reflect on my experiences in the workforce as a whole and realized I’ve been pretty fortunate. I have worked in various fields – while not necessarily ideal since I’ve always wanted to work in finance, I still never worked in a role or for a company I didn’t enjoy. However, last year while working in the telecommunications field and with six years of military experience under my belt, I decided that I would finally do all I could to get into the financial industry. I joined Vanguard in September of 2017, and not only has it been a refreshing change of scenery in a new field, it’s been everything I’ve hoped for and more.

An excellent support system

As a Client Relationship Associate, there were a few daunting things I had to face to jump start my career – taking the Series 7 and Series 63 exams, and refreshing my finance knowledge from my accounting studies in college. I was fully prepared to go home each day and study like my career depended on it – because frankly, it did. This is when I first noticed the depth of Vanguard’s support. My fellow new hires and I were provided study materials free of cost and given a plethora of time to be able to study, ask questions, take classes, review scenarios, and everything else we needed. I passed both exams on the first try – despite not having a finance degree!

Now, as I approach a year as a successful Client Relationship Associate at one of the largest firms in the world, I’ve started to pursue growth opportunities both professionally and personally—some of which include helping our local communities. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the holiday giving season through Vanguard, and we’re also provided a volunteer time off day in which we get to help our communities while being paid! Professionally, I’ve been able to meet with fellow crew members in different departments and see a day in their lives, pick their brains about what’s needed to succeed in their role, and view them in action. My team leader Jake has been essential in not only lending his network to get me in contact with different departments, but also in getting me the free time to explore other roles at Vanguard. These sessions have been very important and have helped me identify next steps and roles I’d like to pursue at Vanguard.

Curious about our Client Services career opportunities? We’ve got you covered.

The journey continues

With the free time to observe other departments combined with seeing how my team leader has helped me on my journey, I’ve figured out that I want to pursue either a financial advisor or leadership role. I’ve enjoyed seeing the way our leaders develop crew members through coaching and mentoring, and watching how our advisors add value to our clients’ lives by helping them accomplish their goals. It is my hope to continue to build even deeper and more meaningful relationships with my colleagues and our clients, as well as to further develop my skills in my career. Whether it be in leadership or as an advisor, I will continue to be a steward of Vanguard’s mission to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success, all while fostering this same passion with the crew and clients I work with.

With Vanguard’s flexibility and support, I have full faith that I’ll be able to succeed and in a timely manner. As my journey continues, I’m excited to know I have Vanguard’s support and would encourage others to be unafraid of using all of the wonderful resources available to you. I know that I will be able to attain the career I want at Vanguard.

-Rod M.

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In his last careers blog, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis uncovered key moments from his time at Vanguard. In this blog, Greg looks back at his upbringing, his early job history, and why he ultimately came to–and stayed at–Vanguard.

I was born in Germany and raised in a U.S. military family. We were a multicultural, multilingual family; I spoke German with my mom and English with my dad. Of course both parents understood the other language, so there was no pulling one over on either of them. Both of my parents worked, and I was co-raised by my maternal grandmother who spoke primarily German. My grandmother was an instrumental part of my childhood and spent a lot of time with me at home. The summer before second grade, we moved to the U.S. and settled in South Jersey.

Throughout my childhood and young adult years, I looked up to my older brother a lot. He achieved a great deal of success in the field of computer science, and he did it without a college degree. In fact, I’m the first person in my family to attend a four-year college. But because I so admired my older brother, I first decided to follow in his footsteps and start my high school education at a vocational-technical high school, where I could spend half my day working on computers. As I was thinking about college, initially my plan was to study computer science or engineering. Once I arrived at Penn State, I loved the math side of my education but found myself less interested in chemistry and mechanical drawing. As a result, I decided to change direction and focus on studying business. Post-graduation, I went into the insurance industry as an underwriter, followed by a stint as a premium auditor. While both roles were great experiences, I still felt as though there was something else that would be a better long-term fit for me.

During these years, I would periodically drive by Vanguard’s campus. Although I never thought of pursuing Vanguard as an employer, I was curious about their trading floor and Vanguard’s approach to investment management. I started researching the markets and the investment side of the insurance industry. I had no idea I was planning my future career.

In order to break into the investment side of the business, I realized I had to pursue an advanced degree, so I went back to school to pursue my MBA at Wharton. This afforded me an opportunity for a Wall Street internship in Fixed Income Sales & Trading. Fortunately the internship was successful, and I was able to leverage that experience into a full-time opportunity at a large NYC Investment bank in a Fixed-Income Trading rotational program. My timing wasn’t great, as shortly after starting the program the Asia Financial Crisis swept around the globe, leaving a very significant mark on many of the Wall Street Banks. Our rotational program was abruptly ended and I was placed into a non-trading role and I was extremely unhappy. The truth is, I felt as though I was settling. I decided to start looking at opportunities at other firms. Then a childhood friend, who happened to be a Vanguard recruiter, asked for my resume. I was hesitant at first, but she finally convinced me to meet with a man named Ken Volpert, who at the time ran Vanguard’s bond index team. During the interview, Ken talked about career options, Vanguard’s investment philosophy, and company growth, but it was something else that piqued my curiosity. Ken spoke about how dedicated he is to developing people and how he makes sure his crew get opportunities to learn and grow. At that moment, I knew I wanted to work for him and Vanguard.

I started as a trader and quickly saw how my values aligned to Vanguard’s investment principles.  Not only had I found a firm whose mission I connected with, but I also discovered how many people advocated for me to get exposure to projects, resources, tools, and new experiences. I loved being part of the trading world–getting involved in the markets, owning something right away and seeing it through to success. As I grew and moved into bigger roles, I was able to then provide personal and professional development skills—those that I learned and admired from Ken—to other crew that I’ve led and mentored. It’s refreshing to see the focus on development come full circle.

Because I believe so fervently in developing others–including leaders of leaders–often someone will ask me, “What do you do when someone isn’t performing well?” I advise leaders to start by having an honest discussion with their team member about that person’s performance–what’s not going well, what they need to do to improve, and how you as a leader can support them. There seems to be a misconception that nice cultures don’t give strong feedback, but that’s actually a rather unkind approach. No one should ever have to guess why their career isn’t moving forward.

Of course, there were setbacks along the way. I recall a time when our bond index funds experienced a period of substantial underperformance, bonds that we owned were being downgraded to junk (below investment grade credit rating). It’s quite distressing to see something you’re responsible for underperform. Luckily, the team rallied and reengineered our approach to bond indexing. As painful as that experience was, it allowed the team to learn and improve our process, which helped us be well-prepared for the global financial crisis of 2007-2008. That team-focused mentality is why I’ve stayed at Vanguard for over 15 years. In addition to hurdles, there are also moments of pride: watching my team rise through the ranks to become officers and senior leaders. I’ve also loved watching Vanguard grow–adding a personal advisor business and expanding outside the U.S. This means better outcomes for our clients.

Moving to the U.S. from Germany–and having to quickly improve my ability to read, write, and speak English–taught me a lesson I’ve carried with me from childhood until now: If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.

You never know, your future just might be in that building you drive by every day.

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.

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If the answer is no, what’s holding you back? In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz around the misconceptions of engaging on this social network. In this blog, we set the record straight and debunk five common myths about LinkedIn. Following this read, we hope that you too will see the benefits that LinkedIn has to offer.

1. I already have a resume prepared for potential employers, so there is no need for me to create a profile.

Truth: Most recruiters leverage LinkedIn as a primary tool to source and research talent. While a resume is necessary when applying to jobs, it’s not something employers can easily find before you apply. By joining the LinkedIn community, you have an opportunity to amplify your personal brand in a unique way.

Tip: In order to effectively kick start your brand on social media, consider taking the following actions when creating your profile:

1) Post a flattering and professional photo of yourself and add a background image.

2) Include a summary that highlights your background and areas of professional focus.

3) Outline your educational and work-related experiences and skills. Include descriptions where applicable and frame them like you would an elevator pitch.

4) Consider adding media work samples that you’re proud of. This will catch a viewer’s eye.

2. LinkedIn is only used to search for new career opportunities and I’m happy in my job!

Truth: While LinkedIn aims to help people find jobs, that is not its sole purpose. LinkedIn should be used to establish a professional brand (as mentioned above) and network. It also serves as an educational resource. Not only will LinkedIn feed you content that is tailored to your skills and areas of professional interest, your network will also share content that will aid in your personal development.

Tip:  Consider folks who are in and outside of your immediate circle that would make strong professional connections. These should include but are not limited to:

1) Colleagues within and outside of your department

2) People within volunteer groups you’re a part of

3) Friends and family outside of work

4) Alumni of schools or organization you’ve belonged to

5) Influencers in your field or areas of interest

Connect with these individuals and learn from one another! Further, if you’re happy in your role and at your company, you should share your experiences with your LinkedIn network in an effort to attract more top talent into your organization.

3. If I sign up for LinkedIn, recruiters will be knocking down my door.

 Truth: It is likely recruiters will request to connect with you and share opportunities that are currently available at their firm. That being said, this doesn’t happen every hour on the hour and in most cases, it won’t even be a daily occurrence. Regardless, you can pick and choose who to respond to based on your comfort level.

Tip: Take ownership of your professional network. If someone requests to connect with you and you’re not interested, hit the ignore button. They will not be notified of your decision and shouldn’t take it personally.

4. I should not connect with anyone I have not met in person.

Truth: Just because you have not met with an individual in person does not mean you cannot establish a connection. It’s possible you have mutual connections and that can serve as a conversation starter. Plus, if they’re in a similar industry, they’re probably sharing thought leadership and intriguing industry updates.

Tip: Connecting gets easier the more you do it. While you can simply hit the connect button without an additional note, the chances of someone accepting your invitation increases if you reach out in a more personal way. Here is an example you can use to break the ice:

5. What if my boss sees that I am on LinkedIn? I’m totally being disloyal.

Truth: Totally not. It is becoming more common among employers to encourage their employees to join LinkedIn. Chances are, your manager is on the social network for reasons similar to your own.

Tip: If you feel conflicted, connect with your boss on LinkedIn or mention the subject in a 1:1 setting. In doing so, this shows that you have nothing to hide. Plus, if you’re using LinkedIn as a developmental tool and a means to get external perspective, your manager will be pleased when you take the initiative to share relevant articles or key learnings with colleagues on the team.

For more tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

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 a Senior Manager focused on artificial intelligence and data science. About four 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 team is comprised of data engineers, data scientists and artificial intelligence engineers in collaboration with 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.

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.

Have an upcoming interview with us? You’ll need to know more about the STAR format – also known as behavior based interviewing – and how to prepare for these types of questions.

What are STARs?

In interviews, Vanguard hiring teams often use the STAR format, which focuses on Situation/Task, Action, and Results. This method helps us to better understand your skills, experience and working styles and how they relate to the role you’re applying for. To effectively answer these types of questions, describe the Situation or Task, the Action you took, and the Results of your specific actions. Here’s an example:

Interviewer: Tell me about a time when you had a tough client. How did you improve the relationship?

Candidate: When I worked at a retail store, we had a regular customer who wanted to use expired coupons. We can’t take expired coupons and the customer wasn’t happy about it. (Situation) I showed him how to get coupons on his phone (Action), so he would have access to our most current deals anytime he came in. We found a discount that he could apply that day (Action) and by the time he left the store, the customer was pleased and stated he would be back. (Result) I learned from that experience that you can always find a solution, even if you can’t give the customer exactly what they want.

The right details

Another trick to answering STAR questions effectively is to avoid generalities. Consider the difference in these two answers:

Before: “I had a rough project. I spoke with the person who wasn’t doing their work and it got better.”

Better: “I had a team project in my marketing class where one person wasn’t completing their tasks and was holding everyone up. I approached my classmate privately and asked if he needed help. He admitted that he didn’t understand the project and wasn’t sure where to start. I offered to show my teammate an easy way to complete his research and gave him a few simple resources that could bring him up to speed. After our conversation, my classmate made a complete shift. He finished all his work, before the deadline, and we got an A on our project.”

Notice in the above examples that the interviewee gave just the right amount of detail to make the story clear, without rambling. And consider how many skills this candidate just succinctly demonstrated – team player, problem solver, strong communicator, among others.

Listen for the details

When answering STAR based questions, listen carefully to what your interviewer is asking. For example, if you are asked for one example, don’t give two. If the interviewer asks a question you dislike, don’t jump in with unrelated information or a question you prefer to answer. Taking either of these avenues shows that you can’t follow directions. You may also run out of time to answer other questions that will demonstrate your skills and applicable experiences.

Identify your STARs

You don’t have to have lots of job experience to share something relevant. Some good places to uncover STAR examples include: classwork, interactions with professors, clubs, sports, part time jobs, or volunteering.

Interviews are professional interactions, so avoid inappropriate stories. And it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Slang or fillers (such as like, um, uh) can reduce the power of your words and lessen their meaning.

Final thoughts

The key to answering STAR questions is to call out past successes that apply to the role you’re interviewing for. Make sure the end result of your example is a win for all parties involved.

Also, the experiences you choose for STARs don’t have to be awe-inspiring. Leadership during team sports, problem-solving with a professor, or clear communication while volunteering can all demonstrate that you have the skills and experiences to flourish in your future role.

If you enjoyed this post, check out these Vanguard interview tips. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our Client Services opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

As a newly minted college graduate, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to be successful, and that meant I needed to build experience at a reputable and well-known company.

I had grown up reading The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing, so when I received an offer to join Vanguard in Scottsdale, I enthusiastically accepted the opportunity. I had enough of the frigid Michigan winters.

I started my Vanguard career as a Client Relationship Associate in 2014, answering inbound phone calls and assisting clients with placing trades, resetting passwords, and educating them on Vanguard products. To be honest, I saw my first role at Vanguard as a stepping stone to somewhere else. I never thought I would stay.

Like many ambitious and naive college graduates, I defined success as making a six figure income in a stereotypically cool job like investment banking or tech. If I achieved that, I would know that I “made it”.

And yet, here I am, four years later. Why did I stay? What changed?

In my first year, I discovered that I loved educating clients on Vanguard mutual funds. There is a special fuzzy feeling that comes from using my skills to educate and help others, and I wanted to chase that feeling. I thought to myself, “Where can I do more of that?”

As I gained experience at Vanguard, I began to plot my next career move. I knew that financial advisors typically make a good living doing meaningful work, so I decided to pursue the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) designation.

Vanguard Personal Advisor Services was still in its infancy at the time, so I explored opportunities outside of Vanguard, but was disappointed to learn that a vast majority of advisory positions were sales driven. I was attracted to Vanguard Personal Advisor Services compared to other advisory firms because, as a salaried advisor, I didn’t have to worry about prospecting or earning commission-based compensation. The only thing I would need to focus on is making the best investment decisions for my clients. For many outside advisors looking in, this is the dream (trust me). And after about two years working hard in inbound phone roles and passing the CFP® exam, I joined Personal Advisor Services.

Vanguard has a noble mission: “To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.” As an advisor, I get to live that mission, and this is truly rewarding in the sense that I find purpose doing something meaningful and worthwhile. You know that special fuzzy feeling I was chasing? I found it in Vanguard Advice! I know it’s a cliché, but I love what I do here. You can’t put a price on that.

Furthermore, freedom to travel, especially in my 20s, has been an invaluable benefit of working for Vanguard. In the last two years alone, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to Thailand, Vietnam, France, Spain, Canada, and Japan. Vanguard provides a generous amount of flexible, guilt-free paid-time-off (PTO). With our collaborative culture, my supportive team allows me to treat PTO as a time to completely forget about work. If I worked for a different company that based my income on sales performance, I wouldn’t have been able to take the amazing trips that I have.

As I approach my four year anniversary in August, I can’t yet say that “I made it”, but I couldn’t be happier with where I am. I have redefined success as maximizing my fulfillment. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past four years, it’s that success is not all about the paycheck. Rather, it is mostly about finding rewarding work towards a worthwhile cause. Needless to say, I’ve found that at Vanguard.

-Daniel M.

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 Advice opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.