Day in the Life Archives - Vanguard Careers

Solving problems and innovating through data science

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 However, this was when the dot-com bubble burst and most of the Wall Street firms rescinded their offers for all of my classmates including me.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. A few years back, 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.

Group of workers standing in office hallway

Photo captured in 2018

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.

Man and woman talking in an office setting

Photo captured in 2018

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.

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Knowing your customers is the best way to serve them

September 8, 2020/in Career opportunities, Day in the Life Mid-level specialist career, chat, client, client experience, cxd, daily, digital, experience, ground, julie, julie k, know, life, people, research, research team, researcher, team, vanguard, working /by mfield

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

Knowing your customers is the best way to serve them

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.

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What a career in the Leadership Development Programs looks like

The mission of the Vanguard Specialty Programs (VSPs) is to advance Vanguard’s core purpose by delivering the next generation of talented and diverse leaders through focused attraction and accelerated development.

The programs provide a fast-tracked path to leadership opportunities for motivated and aspirational undergraduates and MBA graduates. They offer targeted rotations that educate participants about our business and provide them with personal development opportunities, including feedback, coaching, and mentoring. Talented professionals can hone their leadership skills, have a functional focus, and build a supportive professional network.

In this blog, we highlight excerpts from articles our VSP managers recently published that provide insights into the personal experiences of alumni as well as crew who are currently participating in the undergraduate programs.

Lisa H., Program Manager for the Emerging Leadership Development Program (ELDP)

sits down with Marcos V., a member of the 2018 cadre about his experience with ELDP and Vanguard. Marcos shares, “The culture here at Vanguard is built around our 3 C’s – Clients, Crew, and Community – and how all three work together is the key to our success! Being a participant in a rotational program has provided me with broad and unique experiences that have prepared me to contribute to the company in many ways. In addition to my program and rotation responsibilities, I have the opportunity to get involved in on-campus clubs such as Toastmasters and CRG’s (crew resource groups), including the Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA). These opportunities to build relationships and skills outside of your day job are what makes working at a company like Vanguard truly rewarding.”

Click here to read Marcos’s full story

Elijah A., Program Manager for the Technology Leadership Program (TLP)

shares Natasha M.’s story. Natasha is an Early Start TLP in the 2020 cadre on the Application Development track who says, “The most important pieces of advice I can give are pretty cliché: be yourself and have a purpose. Vanguard is always striving for a diverse set of crew members from all backgrounds, as that’s how we cultivate new ideas and appreciations. But Vanguard is also very compassionate towards its clients and crew members. We have a purpose and care about that purpose, so it helps if you do, too.”

Click here to read Natasha’s full story.

Lynn M., Program Manager for the Acceleration into Financial Professional Program (AFP)

connected with program participant, Kiara K. about her Vanguard journey. Kiara shares, “Aside from the great reputation Vanguard has, the benefits and the rotational culture throughout the enterprise, this is what set Vanguard apart from other companies I was looking to join. Fast forward to my role as an AFP program participant, my rotation manager and program manager still continue to express that same interest in making sure my rotation is an impactful learning experience and that I am growing as a professional.”

Click here to read Kiara’s full story.

Jillian C., Program Manager for the Investment Management Development Program (IMDP)

sits down with program alumnus, Max W., who is now publishing research as a member of Vanguard’s economics team. Speaking of the IMDP offer, Max says, “IMDP is a unique offer because it affords you subject matter depth and breadth as well as the chance to build a network and learn from different leaders as you rotate. IMDP’s rotational structure means you can become a specialist four times in two years and ensures you never stop learning. During each rotation, you will be trained to be a fully-fledged member of the team. The advantage is a deep skillset you develop in each role while having the unique opportunity to learn about four areas of the investment management trade. Each rotation will also grow your network and afford you the chance to learn from different leadership styles and team dynamics as you think about your own leadership ambitions.”

Click here to read Max’s full story.

Daniel S., Program Manager for the Financial Advisor Development Program (FADP)

shares Brittney H.’s story. Brittney attended a Vanguard EXPLORE Day, completed the College to Corporate Advice Internship, and later accepted an offer to join FADP. She says, “My favorite part of being a member of FADP is my team. No matter if it’s studying or taking client phone calls, I have the chance to go through this whole experience with like-minded individuals who I don’t see as just coworkers, but friends. We are there to support each other through anything, both work and non-work related, and love hanging out inside and outside of the office. I am very lucky to have them. The transition from college to corporate life can be tough, but being surrounded by people going through the same thing makes it easier.”

Click here to read Brittney’s full story.

Interested in exploring VSP career opportunities? Click here to learn more.