Recruiters love hiring candidates into their dream jobs and roles they strongly desire. When you speak with a recruiter, make sure to consider how the recruiter may react to your communication with them. Sell yourself. Show your enthusiasm. Recruiters are very perceptive and will take note of anything you share, so do not take the initial conversation lightly. They are great resources for the company you are targeting but they are also the “gatekeepers”; a company’s link between you and the hiring manager.

The questions you ask can say a lot about you as a candidate. Make sure your questions are thoughtful, genuine, and show that you have done a little research on the role you are targeting. Here are some suggestions on the best questions to ask—and a few to avoid.

Ready to begin your career search? Make it count—explore our opportunities.

“What does your company do?”

Never speak with a recruiter without having some idea about what their company does. There is no greater turn-off to a recruiter than for you to know nothing about their company, and no greater compliment than for you to know a few interesting facts. These days you can find interesting tidbits from a quick internet search, or you can be a real superstar and watch a few of the company’s videos. Watching the company’s employees by video is a great way to develop engaging questions for your interview. Or bring up an interesting fact you learned from recent news and ask the recruiter to share their opinion.  

“Is there anything I should have asked and didn’t?”

Under no circumstances should you ever ask this one. Always, always, always prepare thoughtful questions for the end of your interview. When you have no questions, the recruiter assumes you are not interested in the opportunity or that you are unable to think strategically. Instead, ask if there is anything more you should know. Never end an interview without a question for your interviewer.

“How many vacation days would I receive?”

Try not to ask questions that can be answered by visiting the company’s career site. Make sure to conduct proper research and maybe even teach the recruiter a thing or two. Instead, read blogs, watch videos, read corporate news, look at company reviews on employer review sites, and connect with alumni from your school, or other company employees on LinkedIn.

“What do you like about your job?”

This isn’t a terrible question, but unless you are interviewing for a job in Human Resources, our answer may not help you at all. As an alternative, ask what they like about the company and uncover information that will help you to make a better decision against other offers. Remember when I suggested that you connect with other employees with similar interests? Well, that is a great question for your connections.

“How did I do in the interview?”

Never ask this question. Recruiters need time to reflect on their conversation with you or take time to speak with the hiring manger. In the moment we will not be able to share feedback with you. Instead, proceed with your own process of reflection. Follow up with a thank you note which can even include any additional points you failed to mention in the conversation.

Interviews are scary for most people, but remember that your recruiter is human, too. They are trying to fill a position (or many positions) so they always want you to do well. Keep in mind that if you do not receive the role, do not take it personally. There may be limited positions or other candidates were a better fit for some reason. Your professionalism throughout the process will make you a great candidate for another position in the future!

-Kassie H.

More careers blogs you may have missed

Preparing For a Vanguard Interview – Be a STAR
Do you have an interview coming up soon? Read this blog to prepare for the STAR format questions and nail your interview!

Remembering Vanguard’s heritage through our History Center
In this blog, we take some time to reflect on Vanguard’s past four decades with a virtual tour of our History Center and a sneak peek into our mission and business.

Debunking 5 Common LinkedIn Myths
Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If the answer is no, what’s holding you back? In this blog, we set the record straight and debunk five common myths about LinkedIn.

National Intern Day: How Vanguard’s Internships Help You Test the Waters
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.

Inclusion – It’s More Than a Policy
Hear from crew about their thoughts on LGBTQ+ inclusion at Vanguard, and learn about the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index—and how we stacked up.

Sharon is an IT recruiter with 10+ years of experience recruiting talent for a vast array of IT positions, including Developers, Project Managers, AI/ML Engineers, Architects, Technical Leads, and Systems Administrators. In this blog, she shares tips on how to standout in an interview and make a lasting, positive impression.

1. Research the company using more than just their career site. Utilize career search sites such as The Muse and LinkedIn to read blogs, watch employee videos, and get up-to-date on company news. This will convey to your recruiter that you are interested and have done your homework. It can also help you determine if the company is really a fit and can help ideate questions for your interview.

2. Develop a strong LinkedIn profile. Connect with others in the industry, and find employees that work on the team you are targeting. Research has found that up to 97% of recruiters and employers use LinkedIn to discover talent. LinkedIn is also the ultimate personal branding tool.

3. If you have a technology listed on your resume be ready to discuss your experience. Recruiters want to hear examples that show you are proficient and meet the requirements of the role.

4. Provide a portfolio and relevant certifications. This will give a clear illustration of your experience and quality of work.

5. Display your enthusiasm and passion for the role. We are interviewing multiple individuals, often with similar experience and skills, and we want to hire someone who truly wants to bring value.

6. Maintain professionalism and be confident. Avoid filler words such as “um”, “like”, “kind of”, and “you know”. For in-person interviews, make a great first impression with neat attire and offer a strong handshake to everyone you meet. Keep electronics off and tucked away.

7. Send a thank you note to those involved in your interview process. An email is nice, but a hand written note goes a long way! Ask the coordinator for contact information or the manager at the end of the interview.

8. Keep in mind the interview starts the moment you enter the building and doesn’t end until you leave. You never know who you will encounter in the elevator or lobby.

We’re hiring talented technology and security professionals—learn more here!

More careers blogs you may have missed

Meeting Vanguard at the Grace Hopper conference
Learn how Stephanie made her decision to accept an internship offer after spending time with Vanguard at the Grace Hopper Conference.

A different kind of investment
In this blog, IT developer Elijah A. writes about how Vanguard has invested in his professional development.

Inclusion – It’s More Than a Policy
Hear from crew about their thoughts on LGBTQ+ inclusion at Vanguard, and learn about the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index—and how we stacked up.

How Vanguard Became My Home Away From Home
IT crew member Dan K. reflects on his nine years at Vanguard and the advice he picked up from his leaders along the way.

Solving Problems and Innovating through Data Science
Driven by Vanguard’s mission, crew member Amir shares his career journey through technology and data science in this careers blog.

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.

Not sure what to expect for your first interview at Vanguard? Whether it’s a phone screen, or an in-person interview on one of our campuses, the below tips will give you a behind-the-scenes look at questions to prepare for, how to stand out, and general best practices for our entry level interviews.

Practice, practice, practice

A best practice is to prepare for your interview the same way you would for a presentation – make sure you have thoroughly gathered the right information to share and rehearse your “speech.”  Here are some ways to practice answering questions:

• Ask a friend, mentor, parent, or professor to host a mock interview.
• Stop by your campus’ career services office for advice and practice opportunities.
• Answer common interview questions in the mirror.
• Record your interview skills using a webcam.

The key is to practice repeatedly – don’t get discouraged if you struggle your first few times. Remember that interviewing is a skill, and like any skill, it takes time to develop and become proficient at it.

Make sure you are familiar with Vanguard

You don’t have to have deep knowledge of our strategy, but be familiar with our mission and the general purpose of our business. Candidates that know the basics about what we do will better demonstrate that they are interested in the role and company. Job descriptions are a great place to start, but we also have videos, crew profiles, a LinkedIn page and other career search related websites.

Know why you want this role

You will most likely be asked why you’re interested in the role you’re applying for. Tailor your answer to what specifically led you here – the role had growth opportunities, the culture was appealing, or you have a passion for doing the right thing for clients. And it’s best to not simply read from the website – make your answer personal. Consider what made you click the “Apply” button – do you have a friend who works at Vanguard and their experience sounded attractive? Do our values match with yours?  Take your answer beyond, “I need a job” by telling a story.

Present your best self

We all know that interviewing is difficult and it’s completely natural to have some nerves. Despite this, it’s better to not state how uncomfortable you are. Part of the interview assessment includes measuring your ability to handle challenging situations, so statements like, “I’m so nervous!” can come across that you’re unprepared for the discussion. Go in with the mindset that recruiters and hiring managers want you to do well – your interview performance doesn’t have to be perfect. Interviewers will appreciate confidence and professionalism, but be careful about coming across as overly confident. For example, use phrases such as, “If I were to move on in the role,” not when I’m hired.

Answering the uncomfortable questions

Some interview questions are uncomfortable because they suggest that you’re unreliable or a poor performer. For example, questions related to mistakes you’ve made or challenges you’ve experienced can seem like a trick. But answering these types of questions with responses such as, “I’ve never made a mistake,” isn’t going to reflect as well as it may seem. Remember, everyone makes mistakes. If you are asked to describe an error of some kind, know that it doesn’t have to be a major mistake. You can describe a miscommunication, a time you forgot to return an email, or when you misread a school assignment. Humility and the ability to correct your actions are good qualities to demonstrate. Plus, we want to hire people who are coachable and open to feedback.

Manners count

Also, be careful not to inadvertently insult your interviewers when discussing schools, companies, or colleagues. A recruiter recalls the time a candidate described how they were offered a scholarship, but choose not to attend because the college was, “beneath them.” What they didn’t realize was that they were trashing the interviewer’s alma mater. Ouch!

“An interview is a great opportunity for you to present your best self and share the impactful experiences that demonstrate your skills.”

-Sarah H., recruiter

End strong

Asking questions will demonstrate your interest in the role, so always have a few in mind. Our recruiters love these questions:

• What’s a typical day like in this role?
• What’s the career trajectory?
• How does Vanguard measure success in this role?
• Which strengths are needed for the role?
• Why do you choose to stay at Vanguard?

After the interview

Even if you decide you are no longer interested in the role, don’t “ghost” your recruiter. You never know when you may encounter them again, or find yourself interested in another role at Vanguard.  As soon as you can, let the recruiter know that you’d like to withdraw. It can be a simple note, such as:

“I appreciate you meeting with me for the client services position. After some reflection, I don’t think I’m the right person for the role and would like to withdraw. Best of luck!”

If you’re comparing offers, feel free to call or email with questions. Recruiters can help you understand the job offer and our total rewards package. And it’s recommended that you avoid asking for immediate feedback regarding how you did in the interview – recruiters and hiring managers will need to reflect and collaborate on your interview before making any decisions.

Quick tips:

• You can use notes during a phone interview, but don’t sound like you’re reading from them.
• Limit jokes, and keep conversation to neutral topics such as weather.
• Make sure to eat before any in-person interviews as the process may take a few hours.
• Bring your resume, a notepad, and a few pens.
• Print directions to our office. You never know when technology may let you down.

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 Client Services opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

“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.

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.

An in-depth look at the intern interview process.

Vanguard is committed to attracting top talent from our nation’s universities to help serve the company mission. Interns are awarded the opportunity to solve real business problems on a daily basis. Though any interview process can seem intimidating, it is a crucial process that helps match intern candidates with companies. Here’s some information and tips from current interns!

There is a broad spectrum of ways that interns have learned about available opportunities at Vanguard, including career fairs, conferences, and more. Interview experiences vary based on program, location, and individual, but they do have one goal in common – to attract talent and inform potential candidates about Vanguard. Generally, there will be a first round interview, which could be over the phone or in person at various conferences or college campuses. If successful, you will be invited for an on-site visit at one of the main campuses in the U.S.

“I interviewed with Vanguard at the Grace Hopper conference for women in technology in Houston last fall. I met some of the crew members at the booth and received an invitation to interview the next day. During my interview, I answered a mix of behavioral and technical questions and talked about my internship goals and interests.”

-Isabel Uzsoy | UNC-Chapel Hill | Computer Science & English Literature | Cary, NC | IT- Retail

Interview Tips

• Practice the S.T.A.R. method for interviewing and have a general understanding of Vanguard’s mission.

• Be prepared to take in a lot of information! While Vanguard will be vetting your experiences, the process is also designed to inform you about the company.

• Be yourself! The most effective quality in a candidate is confidence. Tell Vanguard crew about your experiences and feel comfortable elaborating.

Once upon a time in different lands far away, we, six students, stumbled upon an opportunity one busy college day. Dan had heard from his family how great it would be to take part in an intern program known as C2C.

Nicole learned from her school and Sam, an info-session. Client, Crew, and Community—Oh, how it caught our attention!

By word of mouth we all heard about the chance to work hard, so we all set sail to pursue a summer with Vanguard. From business to investment to IT to finance, we sent our applications in, anxiously waiting for the chance—the chance to show our talents and earn a first-round interview, a single step closer to becoming a part of Vanguard’s crew.

A recruiter called to interview us first. How we practiced so long to not come off as rehearsed. Yet, as soon as the phone rang, and the recruiter said “Hi”, we were all eager to say, “I want to work at Vanguard and here are reasons why:”

Zac desired a summer where he could be challenged and grow. We wanted to learn about the financial industry, because there is so much to know. Mahrukh strived to work for a company whose goal was to set their clients up for success and learn from crew members and interns alike to become her very best.

The recruiter said (although not in these words) that we were in good ship-shape because the C2C internship would be just the place. Since we seemed driven and talented and excited to learn, come down for an interview day in the town of Malvern. We were not alone—the day was spent with plenty of crew and other amazing students very similar to you.

One of the best parts of the day: we each found friends. And at the start of our summers, we saw those friends again. Our day was more than an interview—it was much more than this. It was a chance to see a future with Vanguard, which was our number one wish.

We had lunch with past interns and networked with leaders throughout. It was our opportunity to figure out what Vanguard’s all about. Through the buildings of Audacious and Majestic, we went on a tour—Brennan, eagerly wanting a peek of the trading floor. Look to the right, you’ll see one of the 11 food courts.

Don’t get us started on the benefits—did you know we have intramural sports? The day of the interview flew by so fast. Six interns anxiously waited to hear back – and then, at last! A recruiter called with some wonderful news—excited to welcome us as part of the crew!

We would start after Memorial Day and learn a few weeks prior to which part of Vanguard we would become the new hire. We were each given summer buddies—current employees, who had been through it all: VADP, AFP, and even C2C.

To our reader preparing for their own interview—do not be nervous, do not fret, and just be you. Because just as Vanguard’s mission is to give their investors the best chance for investment success, they are dedicated to steering you as well to be your very best. Each of our roles is unique and our summers very fun. We cannot believe that the internship is halfway done. But if you want to hear more about our orientation, the work, and the laughter, tune into our next blog to hear a happily ever after.

By: Nicole G., Daniel K., Zac M., Brennan O., Mahrukh S., & Samantha W.