Archive for category: Advice from crew
What advice do you have for students or entry-level candidates who are interested in Vanguard?
Make connections as often as you can. You never know when someone will be able to help you in the future, and hopefully you will be able to do the same for them. Making a positive impact on your peers goes a long way! – Christopher L.
Connect and message recruiters on LinkedIn! When I discovered the Emerging Leader Development Program (ELDP), I messaged the current ELDP cadre and nearly every recruiter on LinkedIn. Not all of them saw my message—but many did. They were so helpful and even recommended the College to Corporate Internship that I hadn’t known about. – Ryan M.
Be interested, be humble, and be authentic. – David D.
My favorite advice during my recruitment process with Vanguard was two-pronged. One was the fundamental principle of the fiduciary mission: It’s always all about the client. Our purpose is to help clients in any way they need. The second often goes hand in hand with the first: Absorb as much information as possible from as many resources as you can. A huge, unique part of Vanguard as an institution is the wealth of information available to this wonderful peer community of financial advisors. These resources are meant to help advisors help other advisors, and in turn, to help those advisors help clients. – Mattia A.
If you’re interested in Vanguard, I would definitely recommend reaching out to any of the crew! Everyone here is welcoming and willing to talk with you. They’re all super understanding and candid about their experiences, which is very beneficial when you are trying to find a firm out of college. – Rebecca C.
If you’re interested in Vanguard, reach out to crew members whose jobs you’re interested in! Almost everyone here will be eager to set time aside to tell you about their job and give you tips about working at Vanguard. – Ethan R.
Apply early! Reach out to Vanguard employees to build relationship and a network even before you need a job. – Julia K.
Summarize your journey to Vanguard.
The main thing that attracted me to Vanguard is the culture. The idea of putting others first is present both internally and externally—making sure that our clients as well as our colleagues are provided with the resources they need to be successful. – Christopher L.
I was attracted to Vanguard because of how my family and I have been treated as clients. I want to work for a company that cares for the people it serves and has a strong sense of obligation to those it serves. – Ryan M.
I was primarily drawn to Vanguard because its reputation and mission are unmatched within the financial services industry. Since 1975, our leaders have made every major and minor decision with the best interests of our investors at the forefront. – David D.
For as long as I’ve envisioned my career path, I’ve been passionate about people and about investments. Vanguard has gifted me the opportunity to learn to help the average investor figure out how to send their kids to college, to retire, and to achieve their personal idea of optimal return on life —with a minor in portfolio implementation. 🙂 – Mattia A.
Vanguard came to an event at my school, and the people were so kind and welcoming. They talked about the positive culture and inclusivity at the firm as well as the focus on community, so I knew I had to apply. – Rebecca C.
In my freshman year of college, I met a crew member and he spoke so highly of Vanguard that I scheduled a visit to the Malvern campus for a career trip. That day I learned all about Vanguard’s culture and people and concluded that I wanted to work there. – Ethan R.
During my freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to attend an Explore Day. During that experience I met with so many wonderful crew who had only good things to say about Vanguard. – Julia K.
This is par for the course for my dad, a physician who brought home a new story about his patients’ lives every night of my childhood. Nothing fails to capture his interest: tell him about your carpentry business, pet Chihuahua, granddaughter’s school project, cross country move, wacky theory, or favorite fishing spot. He will ask you another question, and probably another after that. Far from being tangential to their medical care, these conversations are my dad’s path to treating his patients best. He builds trust naturally because of his genuine curiosity about other people. In return, his patients are more willing to share information with him and follow his advice.
At Vanguard, I work in Personal Advisor Services, partnering with our managed clients to help them make the best financial decisions and meet their goals. Recently, our entire advisor team in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina had the pleasure of hearing a presentation by Mitch Anthony, a preeminent financial planning author and speaker who focuses on what he calls “life-centered financial planning”. Mitch shared an anecdote about a financial advisor who was held in particularly high regard by his clients. Mitch asked the advisor to distill his career success into one word, and the advisor replied “curiosity”.
Ah-ha! Over the years, I have often thought about the similarities between my job and my father’s. In both of our fields, we build relationships and share expertise as a means to help people live better lives. But it isn’t just that both positions share an analysis of client or patient needs, a reliance on technical subject matter expertise, and the communication of recommendations. What jumps out at me most is that I, too, leave work reflecting on all of the stories I’ve heard from my clients.
Last year, I was finally able to convince a particularly frugal couple to upgrade their truck (ten years old instead of twenty). Though they’d recently received a large inheritance, they were determined to be good stewards of what their parent’s generation had built from the ground.
Last month, a seventh generation Texan who rents out the farmhouse passed down from her great- great-grandparents told me that her tenants are out of work because of COVID-19. She’s giving them a break on their rent, because she’s ‘been there’.
More recently, I’ve had encounters with the following individuals: a client who found meaning in training therapy dogs after a career in public service; a newly retired client in a race against the seasonal clock to build a greenhouse for his wife’s flower garden; a client who described the Inherited IRA Required Minimum Distribution as an annual Christmas gift from her late father.
What I think of as “genuine curiosity” is not the same as small talk or nosiness. The only agenda is to learn about another person in order to better understand them. As Mitch Anthony described to us in his presentation, this understanding is key in evaluating what our clients are trying to achieve and personalizing the best way for them to get there. Given two clients with the same situation on paper – similar fixed income, debt, and savings levels – nine times out of ten I will come up with a different investment recommendation after speaking to them.
Another overlap between my dad’s career and my own is that we came to our chosen professions via a winding path. He studied religion and was preparing to go to divinity school when he changed course. I began to learn about personal finance only after joining Vanguard. I am a bookworm and a people person, and the idea of being a financial planner hooked me within days of arriving on campus. After studying for my Series 7 and 63 exams, I wanted to learn more and help our clients more directly. I was accepted to an eighteen month program to become a Vanguard advisor which involved training courses, shadowing tenured advisors, and taking my Certified Financial Planner™ exam.
Since becoming an advisor, the magical part of the job hasn’t changed. It always comes down to two things: learning about my clients, and collaborating with my colleagues. The advisors I work alongside are incredibly diverse in terms of their academic, cultural, and professional backgrounds, as well as their personalities and communication styles– we have extroverts, introverts, and a lot of good-natured crew across our three sites. It’s hard to overstate the value of this variety when it comes to helping other human beings with their money, in particular because we seek input from each other and our business partners in technology and methodology on a constant basis.
Across this diversity, I would argue that genuine curiosity is something that all of Vanguard’s advisors share. We are sounding boards, problem solvers, and teammates with each other and with our clients. If this is a field that you have ever considered (or haven’t considered, yet!), I would encourage you not to dismiss it simply because you didn’t tell your Kindergarten class that you wanted to become a financial planner. Being a financial advisor at Vanguard has allowed me to build strong relationships, have a positive impact, and constantly learn – I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
-Mary T.
A majority of Vanguard crew have been working virtually for nearly a year. We’ve made several adjustments, never backing down from our mission to give our clients the best chance of investing success. We’ve adjusted as individuals, as teams, and as a company. Vanguard recently held a series of webinars about leading virtually for the long haul, hosted by virtual work pioneer Sacha Connor, CEO of Virtual Work Insider.
Sacha’s wisdom about working on a successful remote team brings value to all as she reminds us that this is not normal. Before the pandemic, a work-from-home environment was something that could be more controlled. Now we are juggling our work plus our families and household duties like never before, or as Sacha explained, we are experiencing work/life collision. It’s important to acknowledge that most of us have probably never experienced this type of environment and it’s not typical. We need to create conditions for ourselves and our teams so that we can do our best. It starts with empathy. Here are three considerations to keep in mind to achieve success:
Avoid bias
There are two key concepts that Sacha touched on – distance bias and recency bias. You’re not seeing your teammates throughout the day, casually or formally. Our tendency is to remember the last thing we heard or saw. This is not exclusive to remote work. You probably remember an important point from a meeting you just had, as opposed to something from last week. You have more conversations with those closer to you (especially with multiple office locations). You may unintentionally give these opinions more weight. Remember that you’re a team and everyone should be included. A quick tip is to post a photo of your teammates on your computer so that you don’t leave anyone out of the mix.
Distance bias – Tendency to put more value on the people closest in proximity to us. [A concept that originated from the NeuroLeadership Institute]
Recency bias – Tendency to put more value on the people we’ve heard from or seen more recently.
Remember that everyone is different
Focus on each person on your team. Just as we have different learning styles, we communicate differently and react to situations differently. As a team, set communication norms:
Cut down on fatigue
Fatigue takes many forms, whether it’s too much communication, too much video time, or no set work hours. We’ve all seen tips on how to avoid burnout while working remotely, but here are some ways to specifically improve your team’s working environment:
Are you unsure if you should have a meeting or just send an email?
The first step is to acknowledge our unique situation and have an open mind. We will need new solutions and flexibility. As we adapt, we’ll continue to succeed.
-Laura B.
Interested in reading Sacha’s 10 Top Tips from 10 Years of Remote Work? Click here.
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 the Head of AI & Machine Learning for Enterprise Advice. focused on artificial intelligence and data science. About 7 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 department is comprised of data engineers, data scientists and artificial intelligence and machine learning scientists who collaborate closely with our 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.
To view opportunities available on Amir’s team, please click here.
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.
Beliefs, values and cultural stereotypes can keep you from seeing how far you might go in your career. If you choose, it is possible to change your perspective and challenge preconceived notions about what you can do. As someone who never considered people leadership as a viable career option, I have learned a few things along the way which allowed me to break out of the mold. Growing up in an Asian culture, I focused more on building subject matter expertise only, always deferring to authority and never speaking up unless asked. These rules influenced how I saw my career options, especially in an American corporate culture where my strengths didn’t necessarily align with typical leadership traits.
Looking back on my journey, here are three approaches that helped me:
1. Use Feedback
I’ve always stayed open to feedback, whether it was from my leaders, peers or crew reporting to me. Feedback enables you to figure out how to create a concrete path forward to achieve your professional goals and prepare for your next role. I give credit to my leaders and peers for providing ongoing feedback that helped me grow into the leader I am today, despite my somewhat limited view of my career trajectory. I still vividly recall when I was seeking advice from a leader and he brought up the idea of pursuing a people leadership opportunity. My immediate response was, “No way! What makes you think I can do that?” The thought had never occurred to me. When I reflected on the recommendation, I realized I had mentally blocked the idea as I hadn’t seen a senior leader who looked or acted like me.
Being able to observe someone who has similar experiences and background enables you to see outside the mold. But role models are not always readily available. My recommendation would be to build a strong support network and actively seek feedback from that group to understand the opportunities that might be available to you. Remember, feedback is a gift.
2. Be Fearless in Taking Risks
My career has taught me it can be transformative to experience discomfort. Even if it feels scary, taking a leap of faith can move you into new realms. Having the courage to speak up and express my thoughts was a big challenge for me. I appreciated how my leaders encouraged me throughout my career to share my thinking and put forth my ideas for tackling problems.
An example I can share is from my role as the Head of Workforce Planning for Information Technology (IT). When I was first asked to consider the position, I was reluctant since it didn’t align with my strengths. The job responsibilities were completely out of my comfort zone, not requiring any direct IT skillsets, like using technology to build products. After my initial hesitation, I decided to take it on as a way to build additional skills. For one of my early challenges, I was tasked with scaling up our crew hiring from 30 people per year to over 300 per year. At the same time, I wanted to modernize our hiring process so it fit the needs of the new, fast-moving IT group. Working with the IT Senior Leadership team and HR, I created a new hiring process. This included real-time programming tests, as well as hiring managers asking more deliberate, open-ended questions to truly understand the candidate’s thinking process. My leadership team stood behind me, and the new approach proved successful at identifying the right people as we continued to meet our growing hiring needs while keeping the bar high for talent.
3. Expand Your Vision
I believe a critical skill for being a successful leader is to have a strong vision. As your career journey evolves, you need to look farther afield for strategic advantages that can help define a future state for your business and assure its success for years to come. To build this vision, it is important to understand how the world is changing, from both a business and a technology perspective. At Vanguard, by setting our sights beyond the technology and financial services industries, new inspiration can bring innovative solutions and new ways of working. I find it equally vital to have the conviction to follow your vision, even if it is unconventional.
I believe that with an open mind and a willingness to take risks, you can challenge and break out of molds.
—Srinath C.
Valerie F. attended our standard Vanguard orientation, but was transitioned to remote work after just two days in the office.
My manager told me, “I need you to be prepared to work at home.” A big aspect that really helped was being able to understand how to get the appropriate technology access needed for me to do my job virtually. I was able to get everything set up on my mobile device and for this reason, I was able to work from home immediately.
A few other items are worth noting. My manager was already prepared for the situation and had everything ready for me. All department resources were available online, which put me at ease. I was also able to network with my team and others, while they showed me the ropes virtually. I can call anyone, anytime on my laptop.
The situation was a little different for Mike M., who was one of the first crew members to go through a new onboarding process. He had originally received the typical new hire information, but instructions changed along with our new ways of working.
About a week after I received my job offer from Vanguard, the global environment changed. I was wondering what the impact would be and whether or not I would still be able to onboard as planned. I continued to receive normal communications and completed all steps in the pre-hire process.
I did, however, participate in a unique onboarding experience, where new crew came onto campus in small groups at designated times, and practiced social distancing throughout their two-hour orientation. We were provided with the equipment and information needed for a virtual set-up, and then returned home.
As a member of the IT department, Mike went through an IT-specific onboarding program the following day—all virtual.
Hiring manager Nima P. also felt that the onboarding experience was seamless.
Vanguard made it easy for me and my peers. Although I was unable to be on campus to welcome my new crew member, I talked to him the day before orientation. I told him once he was set up, to make sure everything worked before leaving campus. The day of, we spoke on the phone once he had all he needed before heading home. It was perfect.
Valerie and Mike feel integrated into their new teams and have been able to work productively from home.
Mike M.: From my experience, with the level of collaboration and inclusion, this new way of working does not appear to be an issue for crew. Vanguard places a real emphasis on ensuring employees feel connected.
Valerie F.: The team I’m working with has been very accommodating. They regularly check in on me. It’s really great. We meet virtually often and look for ways to drive engagement, collaboration and business results. To me, it doesn’t seem virtual because we see each other regularly. It feels normal.
Valerie also had some advice for those who are encountering this new work environment.
Keep actively learning. Broaden your network. Just because we’re virtual doesn’t mean you can’t talk to people on your floor. I had a video conference with someone that sits two desks over from me, and I’m looking forward to meeting him/her in person. To anyone looking to work at Vanguard, the company goes so far to make sure its clients are taken care of, but also does this with their crew. It’s amazing how much work we’ve been able to accomplish. I’ll look back years from now and think that it was pretty amazing.
Since interviewing these individuals, Vanguard has moved to a 100% virtual onboarding model for the foreseeable future.
Prepare as if your interview was in person
Master the technology
Control your environment
Don’t forget!
Chris V.
Director
Auditor Services Technology
A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Chris began his career with Vanguard’s Information Technology (IT) Division as a systems administrator, providing front line support for critical business infrastructure. He transitioned to a role in IT Audit, where he is currently a Director on the Global Technology Audit Services team, leading the Integrated Audit and Data Analytics functions.
Jeff O.
Data Analytics Technical Lead
Internal Audit
After completing a graduate degree in analytics, Jeff worked at a media and technology company for several years. While there, he was a developer and thought leader in analytics, with projects spanning consultation, visualization, business intelligence, and machine learning. After joining Vanguard, Jeff supported the Institutional Audit Services team before moving into the Data Analytics Technical Lead role. He is tasked with operational leadership of the data analytics team in providing insight, efficiency, and coverage gains to Internal Audit, contributing to our overall goal of protecting Vanguard investors.
Kelly C.
Project Manager
Audit Services
With an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Saint Francis University, Kelly started her career at Vanguard as a Client Services Specialist within Retail Services. During this time she obtained her Series 7 and 63 licenses, assisting retail clients to meet their investment needs. She moved on to become a Corporate Actions Specialist within Fund Financial Services for several years. In this role, she captured and accounted for corporate actions for Vanguard funds. She has spent the past four years as a Project Manager within Internal Audit, partnering with business units around the globe to identify and mitigate risks to Vanguard. During her time at Vanguard, Kelly successfully obtained an MBA from West Chester University and her CIA (Certified Internal Audit) designation.
Why is data analysis so critical to the future of Internal Audit and Vanguard overall?
Chris: A challenge for the Internal Audit department is being able to keep pace with changes taking place in the business. New products and client service offerings, technology transformations, continued global expansion, and an evolving regulatory landscape are contributing to an unprecedented velocity of change at Vanguard. With this in mind, how do we, as Internal Audit, continue to provide coverage over an evolving risk landscape that grows proportionally to the rate of change?
One of the ways Internal Audit can scale to meet this growing demand is through the effective and efficient use of data analysis. If used properly, it can allow us to make smarter, better informed decisions on where to allocate our resources, automate manual processes, test full populations of data in minutes, not days, and monitor the health of our control environment with minimal effort. Data analysis provides us the opportunity to work smarter and make more efficient use of our finite resources which is critical in carrying out our mission of protecting Vanguard’s investors.
How is Internal Audit using data analysis today?
Jeff: In a shared partnership of analysts and auditors, the department uses data analytics by augmenting the audit process with population-level insights and tests. Both reactive and proactive projects are completed currently. As advisory and assurance engagements conduct their reviews, data analytics is leveraged to better understand business practices and identify risk-based exceptions. From the successful use of data analytics during those engagements, automated monitors can be developed afterward to assist the department in reviewing the risk landscape in future. A variety of approaches are used, including independent analysis from source systems, visual analytics to better understand populations, and statistics and algorithms to identify hard-to-find insights.
Kelly: Internal Audit uses data analysis in multiple phases of the audit lifecycle. For example, when establishing an annual audit plan or preparing for a specific audit, data analysis helps an auditor identify the high-risk and complex areas to target. It has also led to a shift in how typical control testing can be performed. Audit teams can assess complete populations of a data set rather than merely inspecting a small sample selection by using analytical tools and techniques. This helps provide better assurance on how effectively a control is operating and gives the team better insights into the holistic control environment of the respective area.
What are the hallmark traits of a successful data analyst?
Jeff: I once heard it said that, “…the analysis isn’t complete until the results are accepted.” Deriving interesting and valuable insights, which depend on persistent curiosity is key. It is not just about asking a good question, but about asking the right series of questions that drive deep into a subject. However, great analyses can be of no value if they are misunderstood. The ability to describe the methods and the value of the results in a clear and concise manner creates the return on investment. Further, a great analyst must be able to build excitement around the use of data.
How can a data analytics skillset benefit one’s career?
Kelly: I think that having a proficient data analytics skillset pays dividends throughout any career path. Being able to successfully identify and analyze the necessary data and information needed to make a well-informed decision are essential skills that will benefit an individual in any role. Personally, as I grow in my career I aspire to lead larger and more strategic projects across the organization. Analytics skills will help give me both macro and micro views into a respective book of work, information to drive data based decision-making, and a tool kit for persuasion and influence.
Chris: Having a risk and control skillset alone is no longer sufficient to be considered an effective auditor. While data analytics is very quickly becoming a required competency in our industry, the benefits aren’t solely limited to a career in audit. Data analytics skills are in-demand, very transferable across disciplines and are impactful in a number of different roles should you ever decide on a career change. Building data analytics acumen today can be a big differentiator in your future.
When I was a young kid, I wanted to be the Incredible Hulk. However, my desire to be a super hero was different than that of my friends at school because of one small nuance: I spent time with Hulk. I knew that he woke up at 5:00am every morning to do cardio, and some days I would join him. I knew that he liked to put black pepper on almost everything he ate. I had the opportunity most evenings to watch him lift weights, and WOW! He was strong. And the green paint? Well, that was just for television and public appearances. You see I lived with the Incredible Hulk… he was my dad.
I have a vivid memory of when I was about five years old: My father (a.k.a. Hulk) was doing bench press in the basement, and I could hear his exhale with each rep. And then it stopped. Next came a struggled yell for help, followed by my mother running down the stairs in a panic, and then two incredibly loud thuds. My mother helped him dump the weights. And for the first time in my life, I realized that everyone, even a super hero, needs help sometimes.
Your career is no different. Neither is mine. We all need help. I recently completed a fun exercise: I listed as many people as I could think of that have helped me in my 15 year career. In about 10 minutes, I wrote down the names of 94 people, and I could have kept going. The old saying is true, sometimes it does take a village! Among these individuals, there are a few who have had the greatest impact on my career due to their willingness to serve as my mentors. In keeping with the theme of seeking help, I’ve asked two of them, Vanguard senior leaders Marissa Blank and Steve Holman, to come alongside me to construct a guide on how to establish a strong mentorship relationship.
I may never actually become the Incredible Hulk and save the world, but that’s okay… becoming someone’s mentor and positively impacting their life is just as fulfilling. In this season of giving, let’s show thanks to those who have helped us by committing to help others in their career.
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.