National Intern Day: how Vanguard’s internships help you test the waters
National Intern Day spotlights the impacts of hard-working, smart interns at companies around the country. Our College to Corporate (C2C) interns from our three US sites share how they spend their days and what they get from their time at Vanguard:
Stephanie M.:
This week I had the privilege of volunteering alongside my Vanguard intern cadre at the Share Food Program of Philadelphia. Together we packaged almost 700 boxes that will be delivered to seniors in need living in the area. Afterward we headed to the Sports Complex for a fun afternoon touring Citizens Bank Park. Just another reminder of how lucky I am to be spending my summer with a company that places such high value on their crew and their company.
Erin M.:
Being a #VanguardIntern has meant getting to know other college students who come from different universities, experiences, areas of interest and career aspirations. This diversity of thought brings about great #teamwork capabilities and also a ton of fun, in and out of the office!
This past week I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children. This experience was amazing! As Vanguard C2C Interns, we worked alongside volunteers to make 55,080 meals for starving children around the world! Working at Vanguard has shown me what a team of like-minded people can do to help others!
Leah B.:
I had a great time strengthening our teamwork skills at Vanguard’s Corporate Challenge Day! I love the work that Vanguard does to ensure a healthy culture for its crew.
Vanguard gave me the opportunity to attend a buy-side client intern day hosted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. I was able to hear from the heads of several divisions, such as US ETF Distribution and Equity Sales, as well as network with peers across the industry. Thanks to this event, I better understand how the two sides of the business are interconnected. Loving the experience that being a #VanguardIntern in the Quantitative Equity Group is giving me!
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, learn more about our internship opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
Celebrating one year of #LifeatVanguard stories
To celebrate the one year anniversary of our careers blog, we share this collection of 5 popular blogs since we began publishing. Join us for this look back at lessons learned, eye-opening advice, surprising career moments and powerful journeys. New to the blog? Welcome! The careers blog gives you a glimpse into what it’s like to work at Vanguard. Our crew members share their experiences on topics that are important to them: our mission & purpose, career journeys, a day in the life, and more.
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1. A lifetime of opportunities to lead, grow, and impact others
It was 1999. I was just finishing up my college degree, and was stuck at a crossroad, trying to decide where I wanted my career to go. I knew I wanted to be involved in a company with a rich culture, strong leaders, sound values, and growth opportunities galore – easy enough, right? When I came up dry with opportunities, my mentor recommended I look into Vanguard.
2. A conversation with a Vanguard Sales Executive
We recently sat down with Anthony W., a Sales Executive in Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services. Anthony’s role is unique in that he spends his time “in the field” with advisors, and does not work in a Vanguard office. Anthony shares his thoughts on why he loves sales, how he makes a difference, and how football prepared him for his role at Vanguard.
3. So what is Vanguard’s campus like
Rounding out our seventh week in the internship, a quick step back allowed us to realize how Vanguard’s campus is unique. With a list of amenities that make Malvern, PA feel like home, each of our blog members selected his or her favorite location on campus. Read on to find out more.
4. Achieving success at Vanguard, regardless of obstacles
From as far back as I can remember, I was warned about growing up and facing the “real world.” As if it were a scary mythical place one could never be fully prepared for. The two things I did know about this so-called “real world” was I needed to earn an income and create a life for myself. Now, let me tell you my Vanguard story.
5. Why I started a book club with my daughter
Has the universe ever given you a sign? An unmistakable, it’s-time-to-act type of signal? Well, as I was sitting at Vanguard’s Leadership Symposium in Philadelphia last fall, a topic hit my radar for the third time in the span of a few months. And since good things come in threes (right?), I committed then and there to take action – and my kids and I are glad I did. Yup, in this Vanguard blog, I’m talking about my kids. Let me explain…
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
From preschool teacher to program officer
“Vanguard?! You mean the company that manages my retirement savings?” This is the usual response I hear when I tell people where I work now. I have to admit, starting my career as a preschool teacher and social worker seems like a long way from being a crew member at Vanguard. However it’s exactly the base of knowledge and skills I need to serve in my current role as a Program Officer, co-leading the Vanguard Strong Start for Kids™ grant making portfolio.
Where I Started
It was 1996, and I was entering the fall semester of my junior year in college. I’d spent the summer before as a camp counselor at a local child care center in my hometown, and I was just entering my major in early childhood education. I’d gotten a job as a preschool assistant teacher at a child care center not far from my college campus, and I LOVED it. I loved working with the lead teacher to plan lessons that used play as a learning tool, working with families to understand their child’s progress and development, and using what I was learning in my teacher training program to guide how I interacted with the children in my care. I didn’t know then, but those first days in that classroom would set the foundation for my professional career across multiple settings.
After graduating and teaching pre-kindergarten for a while, I moved into one-on-one case management helping low-income families’ access public dollars for child care. From there, I spent several years working at child advocacy organizations helping to shape public policies that benefitted young children and families at the state and federal level. While not exactly the same as a teacher-student relationship, these positions continued to build the foundation of understanding that’s needed to steward philanthropic dollars into the early learning sector.
Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program
While it seems like my experiences might be far from the core business of Vanguard, they’re actually quite similar. Vanguard’s crew are charged with acting as stewards of our clients’ hopes and dreams through smart, sensible, and aligned investment management. And we also are encouraged to be stewards within our communities, so it made sense that the signature crew and corporate philanthropic program would employ Vanguard’s long-held strategy: investing early pays off later. The Strong Start for Kids mission is to boost kindergarten-readiness for low income young children, primarily within Philadelphia, PA, Charlotte, NC, and Phoenix, AZ (our biggest U.S. sites). Empirical evidence shows that investing in high-quality programs for young children and families in the 0-5 years is necessary for developing educated, healthy, productive citizens that thrive in a global economy.
Equally as important as a long-term societal benefit is the fact that high quality early learning opportunities change the trajectory of individual lives and families. I have seen the impact of high-quality opportunities as an early learning professional and I also see it every day as the parent of two young daughters. Children develop the foundation of their cognitive abilities and character during their first five years. Their brains are literally being built by all of the experiences happening in their lives – good or bad! Nurturing relationships that make children feel safe and loved, while enabling them to experience the world around them, builds stronger brains. By supporting organizations and projects that enhance parent/caregiver skills, improve learning opportunities outside of homes, and coordinate services so that families have easier access, the Strong Start for Kids program works to help young children build the foundation for learning they need to thrive.
I always knew that my life’s calling had to do with educating, empowering, and uplifting young children and their families. I didn’t know that calling would play out like it has and, ultimately, lead me to Vanguard. I’m lucky to work at an organization where my passion for building community aligns with company values.
-Rashanda P.
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.
What differentiates us from other data science teams?
“Data scientist” has become a top career choice, but with all the buzz surrounding this term, lots of questions arise such as: Who are they? What do they do? Well, here’s your opportunity to hear my perspective as a Data Science Manager at Vanguard! To me, a Data Scientist is anyone who can solve business problems by: You may have already done those tasks, but what differentiates a modern Data Scientist from a more traditional one? Increasingly, we seek candidates who can manage large volumes of unstructured data and navigate sophisticated mathematical structures while taking advantage of powerful technology.
Here are some common questions we’ve received from candidates:
1. What’s it like to work at Vanguard? Vanguard is an investment management company and our core purpose is “To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success”. Vanguard’s unique ownership structure — the company is owned by its funds — means there are no conflicts of interest. So we always ask: “Are we doing the right thing for our investors?” whenever we make any decision, whether it’s about a product launch, sales, or marketing. Working at Vanguard is great because crew alignment to the mission naturally leads not only to success for our clients, but also to a great work culture.
2. What kind of problems do you usually solve? I work in the Center for Analytics and Insights at Vanguard. We help our internal business partners serve their clients better by providing analytics-driven insights to support the client life journey. This includes winning new clients, onboarding them, and deepening engagement in the relationship to retirement and beyond. My data science team uses mathematical, statistical, and machine learning approaches to answer business questions related to financial professionals, institutional investors, retirement plan participants, and investment products.
3. Will I have an opportunity to grow my career? I’ve been at Vanguard for 10 years, and I can confidently say that I have grown professionally as well as personally during my tenure. I didn’t start my career as a Data Scientist, yet many growth opportunities were given to me to be prepared for my current role. Vanguard provides various opportunities to grow professionally, with a range of Data Science roles at different levels, support for ongoing learning, and opportunities to rotate to different teams. Vanguard can help you reach your goals. You should continuously push your own limit — individuals who have growth mind-sets will thrive at Vanguard.
So, what differentiates us from others? The entire company works toward one simple and clear goal of doing what’s best for our clients. We solve some of the company’s most complex and challenging problems using a mix of math, stats, and computer science skills. We bring diverse and innovative ideas and share them in a fun and collaborative environment. What else could you ask for as a talented Data Scientist?
-Mirim L.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our Data & Analytics career our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
A different kind of investment
For context, I’m a software developer. We learn and utilize programming languages to create applications. With technology forever changing, it can be extremely hard to keep up – there’s a new Javascript framework just about every week. For Javascript users, that’s great, but it also means that there’s so much to learn and so little time to do it. Luckily, Vanguard helps me accelerate my learning through a variety of methods: Trying new things Some days, I get to act as a mad scientist – piecing together a Frankenstein-like application with new technologies and programming languages. What I’m creating may not always go into production, but the time and freedom to spend a few paid hours to get my feet wet on something new is a beautiful thing. It helps me learn and is just one of the ways Vanguard has invested in me! Virtual training Virtual training usually comes by way of a website. Most of these trainings aren’t free, and Vanguard acquires subscriptions for crew so we have the resources to keep learning. These trainings are helpful because more often than not in technology trying to learn a new programming language or Application Programming Interface (API) can be quite cryptic when text documents are all you have to go by. Personally having a video example has always helped me go the extra mile while learning. I gained the majority of my Angular, JavaScript, HTML and CSS knowledge through this avenue. Ironically, I learned web development on the web! I’ve gained a few soft skills this way too. E-learnings on things like persuasion and influence or project management serve me well when I combine them with in-person trainings. The data is always there to review when I feel I’m getting a bit rusty. 
At Vanguard, we do our best to live up to our mission of “taking a stand for all investors”. Between our carefully chosen products, services, and hard-working crew, our clients have the best chance for success with their investments! But during my time here, I’ve seen Vanguard support a different type of investing – investing in their crew. At Vanguard, you can be part of an environment that inspires continual learning–and not just with encouraging words. There is action behind those words!
For more physical interactions, Vanguard also brings in vendors who spend a few days with groups to teach a desired skill. The invitation for these trainings are spread far and wide. It’s similar to having a college professor and study group. The great thing about this is you’re given time during the week or throughout the day to participate in these trainings. You don’t have to stay an extra 40 hours to get your day-to-day duties complete, which helps maintain work/life balance.
Conferences
Another major opportunity I received with Vanguard is the chance to go to conferences. Our peers and leaders make sure our work is covered so we as employees have the opportunity to learn and grow during a fun experience.
Vanguard understands that educating and giving opportunities to employees helps us create the best products for our clients. Learning new skills also keeps crew engaged, which makes us want to do more for clients. I knew coming out of college that information technology was a glorious yet dangerous field to be in. This field is forever changing. So what is now desired in IT may not be in the next 2 years. Lucky for me, the resources and time that are required and desired for me to flourish in IT are easily accessible at Vanguard.
-Elijah A.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
A lifetime of opportunities to lead, grow, and impact others
It was 1999. I was just finishing up my college degree, and was stuck at a crossroad, trying to decide where I wanted my career to go. I knew I wanted to be involved in a company with a rich culture, strong leaders, sound values, and growth opportunities galore – easy enough, right? When I came up dry with opportunities, my mentor recommended I look into Vanguard.
Finding a core purpose at Vanguard
My first few years at Vanguard were spent solving investment puzzles for shareholders who had encountered account-related issues. Working as a Resolution Associate in the Service Recovery organization gave me the opportunity to support clients with account-related issues. I could see the purpose in my work, as well as the positive impact I made on each client. And, I learned to embody Vanguard’s core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success. It was fascinating to research each issue and get to the root of the problem. Even more thrilling was the opportunity to offer solutions for our clients.
While I loved working in Service Recovery, I decided to explore new horizons, and research different career options at Vanguard. One path I hadn’t expected to find myself in was leadership. When one of my leader’s noticed my passion for continuous improvement and knack for supporting professional development among my peers, they suggested I pursue a role in people leadership. What a great opportunity this was – Vanguard was investing in me, so that I in turn could invest in others. If you are exploring a role at Vanguard, read on to learn what differentiates our people, and why I chose to spend nearly two decades as a Vanguard leader.
First, leadership at Vanguard isn’t something you do for a title or recognition. Rather, leadership is about serving the needs of investors and enriching the development of your team. While exploring career opportunities, delve deep into the values of the organization; their mission and purpose should align with your beliefs. At Vanguard, our core values are centered on ‘doing the right thing’ in every decision we make. It’s the primary reason why I am both a long-term investor and a long-time crew member. Truly successful leaders nurture and develop a growth mindset to create value and continually improve the organization and their teams. In my experience, these leadership elements enable you to leave a lasting legacy for the benefit of others.
A return to my roots
After spending 15 years working in a variety of leadership roles in our Retail, Financial Advisor Services, and Office of the General Counsel divisions, I have now returned to my roots as the leader of the Service Recovery organization in which I began my career. In my foundational years at Vanguard I learned how to embrace Vanguard’s core purpose. In my latter years, I learned how to lead and serve others within a global community that continually invests in the long-term value we bring to both shareholders and crew. These are the core reasons why I have dedicated my career to Vanguard. My hope is that you too find a role that enables you to grow and to leave a positive mark on the lives of those who come across your path.
-Célestine H.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
Day in the Life of a Vanguard Trader
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to do the actual investing at one of the world’s largest investment firms? To find out, we spoke with two principals in Vanguard Equity Investment Group. Mike Buek is head of U.S. trading and Gerry O’Reilly leads a team of index portfolio managers. They gave us an inside look at a day in the life of a Vanguard trader. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What is the role of a trader at Vanguard?
Mike Buek: Our trading desk acts as a combination portfolio manager and trader for Vanguard’s index funds. So we understand the entire investment process. We seek to minimize tracking error to the benchmark while at the same time minimizing the fund’s transaction costs.
We want an index fund to be 100% invested to its benchmark. We monitor any changes to each fund’s benchmark and match them in our trading.
Gerry O’Reilly: At the same time, our traders manage the trade-off between tracking error and impact. We employ proprietary trading strategies to try to minimize the impact our trading has on the overall market.
So if we have a large inflow to a fund on a given day, we have to decide whether we have market impact and still track the benchmark or if we can minimize impact by trading this inflow over multiple days. It’s important to look at each trade relative to the market so we can understand what the market can absorb.
Every trader on the desk employs strategies we’ve developed over the years. For example, we’re fans of using limit orders as a way to minimize impact.
How do you prepare before the market opens in the morning?
Mike Buek: We typically come in around 7, 7:30. We check what the international desks in London and Melbourne have done so far. Then we go right to reconciling each fund to make sure we’re 100% invested. For example, we may have expected to receive $50 million on a given fund the previous day, so that’s what we invested. But then the next morning, it turns out the fund received $55 million. We need to get that $5 million invested as soon as possible. In this case, we’d invest in futures to get the fund fully invested because the market isn’t open yet.
Gerry O’Reilly: Each trader also has to sign off on each of their funds in the morning, saying they agree with each fund’s status. Someone from investment risk also signs off, as well as the desk supervisor. So there are three different sets of eyes looking at the funds each day, making sure the starting line makes sense.
Each fund, based on its size, has a certain tolerance. For example, Total Stock Market Index is an enormous fund. If it starts the day with $10 million in cash, that isn’t a huge deal proportionally. It’s not even a basis point. But $10 million cash in one of our smaller funds could be a huge deal. Our investment risk group monitors those tolerances.
Knowing that you have someone keeping an eye on the performance of the fund and the benchmark is a big source of comfort. As much as we’d like to try to eliminate any potential tracking error, it’s probably unrealistic to think it will always be that way. We closely monitor what little tracking error there is.
Mike Buek: We also look at the performance from yesterday. We’ll look at every fund’s performance versus its index. If there’s anything off, we want to know why. If there’s a reason we knew about and it makes sense that we outperformed by 3/10 of a basis point—and that’s how deep it gets, explaining fractions of a basis point—we investigate so we can adjust and get the fund tracking as close to perfect as we can.
Mike Buek, Principal, Vanguard Equity Investment Group, U.S. Trading
How does the experience change throughout the day?
Gerry O’Reilly: Our data group gets notified of the index changes coming at that day’s close. Once you know an index change is coming, a fund tracking that index has to adjust.
On a given day, you could have 10 to 20 different corporate actions going on, such as a company issuing more shares. Each trader gets assigned a corporate action and takes point on that stock. They will figure out what each fund needs to do to ensure the index weights are correct.
Trading can get really busy when indexes add or remove names. Say, for example, XYZ Company has outgrown a small-cap index and is being added to a mid-cap index. We’d need to mirror that move in the funds tracking those indexes.
How does Vanguard manage the global nature of the market? What specific difficulties come up?
Mike Buek: When we go global, we’re passing trades to Vanguard’s European and Australian-Asian desks to execute. And they pass us trades to execute for their funds. The communication has to be good between the three desks so the traders executing each trade understand the objective.
That’s challenging because of the different hours, but with improved technology and our expanded team, we’re able to make sure our portfolio management is globally consistent.
Gerry O’Reilly: International trading can often involve more markets. In the U.S., we mainly deal with the NYSE and Nasdaq. In other regions, you might have 10, 15 different markets closing at different times with different rules. In Europe, you’re looking at “When’s Norway closing? What about Germany?” You have to make sure you get your orders down in time because if you miss it, you miss it.
The other obvious difference is currency. U.S. investors are giving us dollars, which we have to convert into local currency when we buy international stocks. So in addition to the equity trade, our teams need to address the currency piece in order to keep the cost of the trade to a minimum.
Gerry O’Reilly, Principal, Vanguard Indexed Equity Portfolio Management
Without getting proprietary, what would you say sets Vanguard’s trading desk apart?
Gerry O’Reilly: At a high level, one of the things that differentiates our desk is the level of experience. Mike has 30 years at Vanguard, and most of that is on the trading desk. I’m at 25 years and almost 23 on the desk. I’d say the average tenure for our traders is probably 12 to 13 years.
On this desk, we have people who specialize in different areas. When we get information from the street from our brokers about what’s going on with a name, we can funnel that to the appropriate person to address that information.
You learn from experience. None of us are set in our ways. You have to be willing to change and learn from past experience.
Note:
All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
The journey to Vanguard – was it worth it?
In my last blog, I shared with you why working at Vanguard has meant so much to me, including my journey and resiliency throughout the job hiring process, to officially onboard as a Vanguard crew member. When I share this story with friends, peers, or family, I inevitably get one question, “Was it worth it?”
After reflecting on this question, a few things come to mind:
Constant learning
From day one, I was fully aware that I had a very basic understanding of the financial industry. I was hired alongside people with advanced degrees and years of experience. But I needn’t have worried – Vanguard offers a thorough training program, allowing me and my peers to work on our financial acumen skillsets, and eventually talk confidently to clients about their portfolios. If Vanguard can take someone like me and make them financially literate, I know they can do the same for you.
Caring co-workers
Although I only had one formal mentor growing up, I’ve had many great examples in my life who have inspired me to become who I am today. Since starting at Vanguard, I’m continually impressed with the responses I get from my fellow crew, some of whom are much higher up the chain of command than I, yet still take the time to answer my questions and counsel me on my career development. My own leader meets with me regularly to discuss my career aspirations and is the type of leader I want to become one day. It feels great to work at a place that has so much support, opportunity, and interest in my professional future.
Nearly one year later
Now as I write this, sitting at my desk here in Vanguard’s Scottsdale office, I am so thankful that I was determined in my endeavor to get hired by Vanguard. Because of the work and effort I put in, I have a job that provides for me and my family, I am an employee of an institution I trust, and I have a stellar team of peers who support me and drive Vanguard’s values forward.
So, yes. It was worth it.
-Joseph R.
If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.
How I found true balance at Vanguard
What is important to you? Is it your career? Your family? Personal hobbies? For me, my best days are when I am able to dedicate time to both work and home. With so much going on in my life, there’s a reason I’ve chosen to make Vanguard my (professional) home for more than a decade – balance. My role with Vanguard offers me the ability to balance my personal needs with professional expectations, because of the mutual understanding that there are priorities from both sides. For example, my wife has been very understanding on the late nights when I have things to finish at the office. My supervisor is understanding when I have to call off work because my three year old is sick. There have also been occasions when both my supervisor and my wife are understanding that I requested a day off to play golf or go snowboarding. So, how am I able to feel productive and still have a personal life? It takes a blend of many different values…
Health
I remember going for a run around campus during my first summer at Vanguard. I was returning to my building when I came across a parking lot with a basketball court. As it turns out, Vanguard has recess! Every day that it’s warm and the court is dry, 8-20 crew members meet to play some pickup basketball. After that fateful run, I changed my lunchtime routine so I could join the others on the court. Every day, I feel like I’m in 3rd grade heading out to play with my friends. It’s such a great way to relieve stress and clear my head, and it’s amazing how something as small as just having a basketball court on campus has an impact towards someone’s wellbeing. Vanguard understands that.
Flexibility
I was three years into my career when my wife gave birth to our first son. My supervisor at the time helped me plan to take a week of PTO starting the day that my wife went into labor. Not only was I encouraged to take the time, but everything went smoothly while I was out. Four years later, we had another son, and I took another week of PTO. Two years after that, things had changed – Vanguard was now offering paternity leave. I was able to take six weeks to spend with my family – a time that made a world of difference in getting my family settled.
In my experience, Vanguard is an extremely flexible company to work for. But first, you must learn how to do your job and do it well. Once you have established yourself as a productive crew member, then look to gain flexibility in the work place. Which brings us to…
Determination
I was lucky to get my first job with Vanguard. I was hired in 2008 during the economic recession and jobs in the financial industry were difficult to come by. It was a competitive time and I knew I had to work very hard to distinguish myself as a top performer. This feeling of constant focus on performance is something it took time to get used to. I had worked a few jobs since college, but none that had long term career possibilities. That was not the case.
I embraced this pressure and strived to be a distinguished crew member at Vanguard. In order to do that, I had to hold myself to a high standard. Sometimes that includes working late or coming in early. Sometimes I have to skip basketball during lunch. Sometimes I can’t make it to yoga class in the morning. I have missed dinner at the in-laws (not the worst thing). I know that the more I put into my work, the more I achieve. Finding balance during both the busy times and lulls at work is my goal.
Patience
Flash back to 2012. I felt ready for a promotion after having spent a few years in my position and receiving positive feedback. I knew that I would get my chance if I was just patient. After discussing opportunities with my supervisor, I learned that management would not be backfilling the position that could lead to a promotion for me. After I had this information, I knew it was time to seek other opportunities at Vanguard.
I went from Vanguard’s Institutional Investor Group to Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services. The new department was definitely a change of pace: I had to learn a whole new system, new processes, and different terms. Once I was up to speed, I used this as an opportunity to develop myself professionally. I took on extra responsibility. I established new connections and kept in touch with my current network.
Luckily my patience paid off. Not long after I left my old department, the management team opened the position that I wanted. I had been ready for this promotion for years, but I did not let that stop me from preparing for the interview process. I knew what people had done in the past in that role and knew what I wanted to change going forward. I am currently still working in that position and consistently find new challenges and ways to grow within the department.
So what do I want you to take away from my story? First off, good things come to those who work hard. Also, it is important to balance your hard work with times of relaxation. Balancing relaxation with hard work does not always go according to plan and it is important to be flexible when things are not going your way. Patience pays off: when the right opportunity comes along, it will feel like things were just meant to be.
-Andrew B.
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.
Why I didn’t give up on my dream of working at Vanguard
“Thank you for coming in to interview with Vanguard, unfortunately…” I didn’t get the job. I felt like my world was over. This was me in 2016: I was approaching my last semester of college and had no job lined up. I had also just found out my wife was pregnant. Needless to say, it was a very challenging and frightening time. And even though being declined for a job feels lousy, I knew immediately I would apply again. You’re probably thinking, why reapply at a company that rejected you? Truthfully, I’ve always been fascinated with Vanguard! I come from a single-parent home with a tough military-widowed mother. My mother did an exceptional job raising three kids, however, I never had a good understanding of how investing works. In college, I would observe personal finance classes and try to glean as much info as I could. The more I researched, the more intrigued I became with the process of choosing investments wisely and setting appropriate goals. I also came to understand how much people trusted in Vanguard and came to really believe in its mission to stand up for ALL investors. I knew that if I had to start my finance career anywhere, I needed to start it at Vanguard.
So I applied again, and again I was called in to interview. This time, I focused on a set of principles to help demonstrate the interests and abilities I felt made me a good fit for the company:
Assertiveness.
You have to show your passion in both words and actions. During the interview, I discussed starting my own consulting practice to gain more experience in the consulting space. I shared what I learned from taking on such a big endeavor and how it related to the role I desired.
Dedication.
After you’ve shown that you can confidently take initiative, can you endure? While at school I was passionate about business and social impact and found an organization that combined both. By an interesting turn of events, I became the president of the organization. Although I was new, I didn’t let my naïveté slow me down and was able to lead the group through several projects. I shared in my interview how these experiences trained me to face demanding situations successfully.
Self-awareness
I’m a firm believer that hard work over an extended period of time can yield great results. When I was first turned down by Vanguard, I made sure to keep my skills fresh and gain knowledge: I enrolled in a career prep class to enhance my interviewing skills. I studied everything I could about Vanguard: their products and services, their marketing style, and their culture. I even brought a portfolio of my past projects and an academic manuscript to show that I could dedicate myself to Vanguard and its mission.
A couple weeks after the next round of interviews, I got THE call again:
(drumroll please)
I was being offered a position in the company! It was a lot of effort and a long wait, but achieving the goal I had worked so hard for is indescribable.
So, was my journey worth it? Has it been everything I hoped it would be? Stay tuned for part two where I’ll share what it’s like to work at Vanguard – and how I feel now that I’m hired.
-Joseph R.
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