Archive for category: Day in the Life
Who’d have thought I’d end up working in technology? Not me, that’s for sure. I’m a bit of a geek at heart, love knowing how things work and get super excited by the power of digital technology to make our lives easier. But I don’t code or build models, and never planned to work in technology.
I was working in management consulting, helping wealth and asset management clients with their digital transformations, when an opportunity to join Vanguard presented itself. An opportunity to design and deliver the technology that powers Vanguard’s financial advice products to help investors meet their financial goals.
A ‘team of teams’ helping people reach financial goals
I joined Vanguard’s London office toward the beginning of the organisation’s international growth and evolution of financial advice offers—an amazing opportunity to expand Vanguard’s reach beyond the U.S. and help people in the U.K. invest. I was responsible for making sure the methodologies underpinning our advice offers were designed, tested, and delivered effectively, both from a back-end infrastructure perspective and a front-end client experience perspective.
This was such an exciting time to work in technology and support the growth of our U.K. Personal Investor business. This growth centred around the launch and evolution of Vanguard’s Managed Services offers—new investment management offers for retail U.K. investors who don’t have the time, willingness, ability, or confidence to invest themselves. These offers may be underpinned by multiple methodologies and microservices, but they were only made possible because of the ‘team of teams’ across the business and technology that collaborated with energy, commitment, and a shared vision. It really took a village of product owners, business analysts, developers, architects, engineers, delivery leads, designers, content experts, strategists, lawyers, proposition leads, compliance specialists, marketing crew, and many more. Over 60 people in over 10 teams working across three regions!
In other words, we worked as one team made up of lots of sub-teams. It just so happens that some sub-teams sit in the organisation’s technology division, and others in the business. But ultimately, we were all marching toward the same goal.
It wasn’t just the cross-functional collaboration that made this possible, it was the way in which we worked. Always thinking about the end investor first, favouring progress over perfection, and testing and learning made it possible to launch these offers in record speed. This mindset was spearheaded by inspiring senior leaders who had the courage and conviction to change the way we do things and embodied by determined product owners and delivery teams at the helm of launching these offers.
Purple people
A leader recently shared the concept of ‘purple people’ with me, and I think it perfectly describes how Vanguard operates. Wayne Eckerson coined the phrase in 2010 to describe those with a mix of business and technology skills—those who blend the ‘red’ technical expertise with the ‘blue’ business acumen to create a purple skillset.
We need to speak the language of both worlds, to help translate client needs for data, system, and architecture solutions, and to help others ‘do the doing’ by designing and delivering technology solutions to meet these needs. We need people who know just enough business context and have just enough appreciation of technology design and delivery to bring people together to creatively come up with solutions for our investors.
Vanguard recognises the importance of purple people and goes above and beyond to encourage growth through its rotational culture, trying new things across the organisation, learning, and becoming well-rounded. I guess I’m a good example of this—joining Vanguard into a new advice methodology domain, and recently starting a new role in our Chief Data & Analytics Office!
Empowered to make a difference
Vanguard’s commitment to take a stand for all investors, driven by highly engaged crew and an inclusive culture aligns with what I love doing. Am I learning and solving problems? Always. Am I working with diverse and highly engaged teams? Every day. Am I helping others? I’m helping to give people in the U.K. a better chance of investment success, so I’d say absolutely!
I love that I’ve gained the knowledge and experience to implement technology solutions that help retail investors reach their financial goals. That said, I often forget that I formally sit in technology. To me, that’s a great thing because what matters is working with people with different skills and perspectives as one team to solve the right problems. A role in technology doesn’t have to mean being a developer, it can mean being a purple person.
– Aggie K.
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“Move your body every day, even if it hurts.”
Christine Jamison—Head of the Center for Audit Practices & Enablement and co-leader of ABLE (Accessibility, Belonging, Leadership, Empowerment), a crew interest group at Vanguard was given this advice when she was newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 18. Years later, this motto still resonates. We recently spoke with Christine about how this disorder affects her daily life and how a passion for advocacy and community propels her co-leadership of ABLE.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the body mistakenly attacks its own organs, causing pain, swelling, and movement limitations, particularly at the joints. Christine shared some stats about this disorder, including that 1% of the American population suffers from it, and it affects women two to three times more than men.
Although Christine experiences pain every day, the strength of this pain comes in phases, with both good and bad sprints. An interesting fact: While pregnant, a woman’s body produces natural steroids that, at times, enables rheumatoid arthritis to go into remission. So, while pregnant with each of her four children, Christine was free from pain. Unfortunately, after the pregnancies, the pain returned with a vengeance. Christine couldn’t hold her baby, had to walk with a cane, and use other assistive devices to get dressed.
This disorder is also not limited to the joints. Christine shared that ancillary effects include impact to the eyes, heart, and lungs. Although the reality of joint surgeries and waking up not being able to move her neck may sound daunting, Christine remains passionate and optimistic, especially when talking about her daily life and the work she does as the co-leader of ABLE.
The day-to-day of disability
As with other disabilities, advances in technology and medicine have helped those afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis live less painful lives, including Christine. “I have had rheumatoid arthritis for over 30 years and the medications to control the disease have significantly evolved in a better way today. I’m so grateful that there are many medications available that help me live with this and control it.”
Parts of her daily life include self-advocacy and self-care, which are abilities that took time to develop. She says that working with Vanguard’s Crew Relations team to get the accommodations she needs (an ergonomic chair and keyboard) is “an easy process.” She’s also mindful about helping others who may need help—everyone from a crew member having trouble using the kiosks to order lunch to those who need help walking to activities on Partnership Day.
Christine thinks that overall mental health and wellness can be challenged when having a disability. Life’s busy, and the stress of the day-to-day can overwhelm—so, Christine says, it’s important to prioritize doing what you need to do to feel well and be your best. About herself, she says, “My disability is rheumatoid arthritis. It doesn’t define me, but it’s a part of me every day.” Christine does yoga to keep her muscles and joints moving, plus daily meditation to help center and focus her mind and manage stress levels.
Community is key
When she was younger, Christine didn’t join many support groups, but over time she’s seen the power in them. She likes how they bring attention to people with invisible disabilities like hers. While Christine calls herself an “oversharer,” this was not always the case with her rheumatoid arthritis. She says, “I was very shy and overwhelmed about it when I was first diagnosed in college.” As she grew older and learned to live with it, she became more comfortable sharing with others. And since she does have an invisible disability, she wants to share her struggles and make others aware that people with disabilities are everywhere, even if you can’t see them.
Christine says, “A disability and how a person deals with it is a very personal thing. You have to meet people where they are. That may include asking people what support they need. I had that happen yesterday, and I said, ‘That’s thoughtful of you. I’m good, but if I need something, I’ll let you know.’”
She says, “I can’t take anyone’s disability away. Nobody can take mine away. But sometimes it’s good to just be able to have a group that knows what you might be going through, that ‘gets it.’ It’s powerful and helpful.”
Asked what advice she would impart to people who deal with disabilities, Christine shares, “Disabilities don’t take a vacation. It’s there every day. But as you live, you learn how to live with it, deal with adversity and persevere.”
Keeping ABLE moving forward
The members of ABLE are committed to advancing Vanguard as a welcoming and accessible place for every BODY and every MIND. ABLE is committed to empowerment of crew with disabilities and other conditions, including neurodiverse crew, those in caretaking roles, and allies.
As a relatively new crew interest group, ABLE is still in its infancy. Christine’s pleased with what ABLE is now and is excited to see what it can become. The ecosystem of ABLE is a work in progress the takes shape day by day.
Christine’s especially thankful that Vanguard was open to its inception—and its official designation as a crew interest group. “I’m so grateful to work for a company that allows this space for us,” she says. “To allow for inclusion. To help people feel like they belong. And, most importantly, to drive the disability community’s connection and accessibility at Vanguard.”
Reflection
Looking back on my voyage to Vanguard, now that I have hit 7 years woohoo, I can’t help but to think that this journey has been anything less than unique and incredible. It’s been a remarkable adventure, filled with unexpected opportunities, bold leaps of faith, and I’ve learned the importance of having a strong support system.
Setting Sail
In April 2016, I found myself, an artist with a BA degree in Art and no previous financial background, at Vanguard. Now, you might find yourself wondering what is a someone with a Bachelor of Arts in Art doing at a financial investment company like Vanguard? Trust me, I was wondering the same thing! I transitioned from being a custom framing specialist to a Client Relationship Specialist at Vanguard, and let me tell you, it was a big leap of faith. I had gone from helping people from all walks of life frame multitudes of things, memories, moments to now providing support and guidance to others trying to manage their assets, plan their retirement, and understand different events within the markets. I had zero experience in finance, and I was seriously nervous. On top of that, my wife and I were expecting our first child.
Rough Waves and Choppy Waters
The pressure was on, and I felt like I might be in over my head, but here’s the amazing part: Vanguard’s culture and the support from my colleagues quickly eased my fears. Thanks to leaders and friends I soon realized, contrary to my own belief, my ability to talk with people and ability to connect with others combined with my creative way of thinking were skills worth their weight in gold. It’s all about that inclusive culture at Vanguard, where they not only welcome individuals from different backgrounds, but also help you grow and work to achieve your goals. Life can throw some curveballs, and I got one in the form of my daughter’s autism diagnosis right at the start of the pandemic. It was a tough time, but my colleagues and leaders at Vanguard were there for me. They didn’t just care about my job; they cared about me, personally. This made me appreciate the Vanguard community even more. Having a support system like that during personal challenges? It’s priceless.
A Course Change
As time went on, I got more comfortable in my role and built strong client and co-worker relationships. But then, something exciting happened – after 5 years of supporting clients from the business side I became interested in the IT side of things at Vanguard. It was another leap of faith. I mean, I had no financial background or tech skills. But guess what? As I began to express that desire more and more, I received encouragement and support from fellow coworkers who were willing to help me in any way that they could. Now at the time when I started this there wasn’t a clearly defined path to take to get from A to B but, when possible, co-workers would provide me with connections, resources, guidance, and heaps of encouragement. They helped me develop, cultivate, and build out the knowledge I needed to pursue my goals. My communication skills, which I’d honed during my time at Vanguard, along with my drive to try something new even if it felt impossible came in handy. They helped me land an internship within the IT department, a big achievement for a guy who’d started with an art degree and no tech background. After a successful internship, I was offered a permanent position in the IT department as a Business Project Coordinator and have been in this role since.
Epilogue
My journey from an art grad to a full-fledged member of the IT team at Vanguard is a story about embracing change, leaning on your support system, and taking those leaps of faith. My story is for anyone out there who’s unsure about making a career change. It’s proof that the right environment and supportive colleagues can help you grow, both personally and professionally. In the end, my voyage wasn’t just chance; it was a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and transformation. And it was made possible by the fantastic people and culture at Vanguard.
-Carlos P.
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In the Venn diagram of “Reasons I Joined Vanguard IT” and “Reasons I Love Vanguard IT,” there is a lot of overlap, but I will focus on an aspect of my experience in Vanguard IT that I didn’t expect when I joined—the opportunity to learn!
All IT professionals know that technology moves at a breakneck pace. To create rich user experiences and scalable business processes, we are constantly evaluating and adopting new technologies and patterns to meet the insatiable expectations of our stakeholders. Committing to the IT profession usually means committing to lifelong learning.
Vanguard’s cloud movement
Over the last five or so years, Vanguard has leaned heavily into the public cloud. We had—and continue to have—grand visions of replacing the enormous amount of legacy technical systems with cloud-native services. Companies going through digital transformations need to upskill employees, as the design and architecture paradigms are continuously changing. Vanguard’s modernization work has been remarkable—and we’re not simply re-platforming, but refactoring applications to realize the full benefits of being cloud native.
I joined Vanguard towards the beginning of the cloud movement when some teams were cloud-based, but many were not. I was hired as a tech lead, so a big part of my responsibility was to help drive the cloud revolution for several teams in my department. It was time to start learning…
Continuous upskilling
As developers, it’s often not enough to solely learn new technologies. It’s important for us to understand the business context behind our apps so we can design the best possible solution. I work in a division of Vanguard called Global Investment & Finance Services (GIFS). As a group, we are responsible for a lot of the processes—and the data behind them—involved with front, middle, and back-office functions like portfolio management, trade flow execution, staying compliant with regulatory bodies, and fund accounting. A lot of the data you see on vanguard.com associated with a security or fund—be it a price, performance, or profile information—comes from our services. Learning investment basics (and beyond) was important for me to make an impact.
Since joining Vanguard, I have earned eight AWS certifications. I’ve earned the Cybersecurity Certificate from Cornell University—a set of six post-graduate courses related to digital security. I have also invested in my business acumen by achieving the CFA Foundations certificate, Wealth Management Specialist (WMS) certificate, and passing the CFA Level 1 exam (I still cringe thinking about the amount of time I spent on that one). I’m proud of these accomplishments because they took a lot of diligence, time, and energy to achieve, but I did them with the wholehearted support of my leaders. Vanguard also supported me by paying the fees associated with the learning materials and exams.
Paying it forward
Bottom line: At Vanguard I’ve had the opportunity, the support, and the resources for significant professional development. The things I have learned (and been able to use) have given me the ability to contribute to my department and division in a strategic manner—helping to drive technical patterns and innovations.
In the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of fostering the learning culture by designing several “bootcamps.” I have been able to work with very smart and dedicated technologists to design the GIFS Cloud Bootcamp, the GIFS Cloud API Bootcamp, and the enterprise ELITE Cloud Foundations course that new IT hires across Vanguard go through shortly after joining. These opportunities not only reinforce the knowledge I’ve gained through certifications, but they also enable me to play a part in preparing our developers to create the solutions of the future.
I’ve realized how much I love to learn and love to teach. Vanguard has supported (and rewarded) those behaviors. I am currently enrolled to start a masters in computer science with a machine learning specialty. Thanks to Vanguard’s education assistance program, available to all crew, the financial burden is one less thing to worry about. I also know that I will be supported by my leaders. And one day, hopefully soon, I will share my experience and learnings with other crew.
-Andrew R.
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My passion for IT and my love for tackling problems drives me to work at solving the gender gap in the IT industry. When I came to the U.S. in 2006 after living in India for most of my life, I was surprised by how few women pursued careers in technology compared to the women in India. In my research, two things stood out: 1) Young girls shy away from tech and 2) women who took a break from their IT career found it difficult to return to work as they were turned away by many organizations.
At Vanguard, I found the perfect platform to tackle these challenges. As a member of the IT Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS) crew resource group, I helped organize in-person workshops in partnership with TechGirlz. TechGirlz is a nonprofit program to encourage middle-school girls to consider technology fields by exposing them to fun workshops. I also conceptualized and executed a new talent attraction program at Vanguard called Re-booters. Re-booters is an application engineer return-to-work program to refresh women’s tech skills and provide them with an opportunity to re-enter the workforce.
Vanguard’s commitment to invest in their employees and create an inclusive culture aligns with one of my guiding principles to help others grow and to solve problems. The leaders at Vanguard ensure that every voice is heard, every passion is supported, and no idea is considered small. Vanguard has not only equipped me with the tools to get to the bottom of problems but also empowered me to pursue my passions to address issues that can make a difference in someone’s life.
-Madhu M.
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Setting the Scene
Let me start by saying – I was not the kid who always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. When it was time to figure out a career path in college, I thought back to what all the adults in my life had always said to me, “You can be anything you want to be.” So, I reached for the stars. I was initially accepted into a biology program on a pre-medical track at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Well let’s just say my college experience was full of trials and tribulations, and like most twenty-somethings, I changed my mind a lot and switched majors several times.
After four years of self-discovery and personal growth, I was set to graduate. I was on track to receive my bachelor’s degree in communication studies. During this time, I applied to what seemed like a hundred jobs, yet none of these opportunities felt like “the one.” Then one day, a close family member suggested I look into a software development bootcamp. So, I did. I had always wanted to major in computer science but was held down by my own limited beliefs – a fear of being inadequate, or not “smart” enough. For once, I decided to set those fears aside and apply for the bootcamp. I didn’t want to look back on life and say that I let myself fail without even taking the first step.
Taking the Leap
Just a few months after graduating, I joined Charlotte’s Full-Stack Coding Bootcamp. While this decision was a gamble and not to mention a large investment – it was pivotal for me to see it through. This program offered me the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to pursue a career as a developer. As I continued through the bootcamp, the more I touched code, the more I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be. For the first time in my life, I could see myself in a career that would fulfill me personally, challenge me every day, and inspire me to learn. I took a chance on myself, and it was the best investment I could have ever made.
After three months of eating, sleeping, and breathing code – I graduated. While the bootcamp was intense to say the least, I’d recommend it to anyone interested in pursuing a career in tech. The bootcamp was also full of people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life including chefs, marketing professionals, truck drivers, and even mothers who were looking to transition back to work.
Joining the Crew
I was introduced to Vanguard through a friend from the bootcamp’s previous cohort. He always praised the company culture and often shared how much he enjoyed working with kind, genuine people. I decided to apply for an Application Developer role. During my interview process, I met with so many wonderful crew members. With each interaction, I grew fonder of Vanguard’s culture and could visualize the career I’d one day build for myself. Ultimately, I received an offer and was thrilled to begin my career at Vanguard.
As a novice in the tech space, it can be easy to be burdened by imposter syndrome, or the feeling of being unqualified. I always expected to feel this way at some point, but I never have. Within my team, I can make mistakes and my peers help me learn from them, challenge myself, and freely ask questions. I understand this may not be everyone’s experience, but this is the culture that Vanguard has worked intentionally to foster, and I am excited to be a part of it.
As I reflect on the past year, I am overwhelmed by feelings of awe and gratitude. A year ago, I was learning how to code for the first time. I pushed past my own self-doubt and took a chance. A risk that while I wasn’t sure would pay off in the end, it absolutely did. I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to this chapter of my career.
-Alyssa J.
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When I was first presented with an opportunity to work for Vanguard, I was already in a very fulfilling phase of my career as a software consultant and technical lead. It didn’t take me long though, to appreciate the legacy of Vanguard and how empowered crew members are. I was confident that I’d be walking into a firm where the crew is at the core of its operations, and investors at the forefront of every decision. I couldn’t be more excited to onboard and make an earnest attempt to make a difference.
An outstanding crew
From day one, I was immensely impressed with the average tenure of crew members at Vanguard – something I haven’t run into in my past engagements. It was very easy to figure out why, though. Vanguard goes above and beyond in empowering crew members and encourages them to invest in self growth through learning. Vanguard offers several learning avenues, be it certification, accreditations, or licensing, in addition to robust e-learning opportunities – not to mention the amazing comprehensive benefits that each crew member is provided. One additional distinguishing feature is the support crew members are given to rotate into different areas of the enterprise, to become more well-rounded in Vanguard’s business lines and various client experiences.
Exciting, cutting-edge technologies
In Vanguard’s Personal Investor division, there couldn’t be a more exciting time to work in technology. We are on a mission to modernize the centerpiece of Personal Investor technology – Vanguard’s trading platform. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for application engineers to learn the intricacies of our legacy mission-critical trading platform and help transform it into a cloud-native solution. At Vanguard, we’re not just doing a lift-and-shift to the cloud – we’re rewriting our core software so we can take full advantage of the virtues of being in the cloud.
As Chief Brokerage Architect, this is extremely fulfilling work for me. For our development teams, this journey provides deep learning opportunities, such as seeing how trading systems work at their core, the different investment and advice products we offer, and what happens as the trade goes through execution, clearing, and settlement. Our team is critical to Vanguard’s launches of new products and services, which means we have a great impact on client experiences and helping investors meet their goals.
I consider myself blessed to be given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference for our firm and clients, while getting to build a highly-scalable, fault-tolerant, low-latency cloud-native trade engine that will serve Vanguard’s growth for years to come.
– Ravi A.
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“Code is art,” a mentor once told me. Software engineering gives you immense creative freedom. And at Vanguard, teams have autonomy to choose how they want to build their systems and applications – from languages like Java, Typescript, and Python, to AWS Cloud features such as SageMaker, Aurora, and Lambda. You design, architect, and build infrastructure tailored to solve your problem. You fine tune the technologies with your code and make use of the conveniences and features. It’s impossible to be bored! As a senior application engineer, my enthusiasm stems from the capable and contemporary technology we use to deliver solutions for our business, which translates to value for our clients. A culture of engineering Engineering culture on a diverse team, like ours, brings great collaboration and new ways of overcoming challenges. We work in a high-energy environment with some of the aspects of a lean startup. Vanguard empowers engineers with the flexibility to pursue solutions while learning and experimenting at the same time. We’re also encouraged to explore internal tech opportunities, so you can rotate into the roles that interest you most. Working in the cloud Vanguard is modernizing legacy technology, migrating many applications to the public cloud. Particularly interesting are some of the AWS features used by my team, such as S3, SNS, SQS, Lambda, Step Functions, DynamoDB, ECS, Cloudformation, and Cloudwatch. Data encryption and security play major roles. Additionally, we design with high availability and disaster recovery in mind. You gain a sense of how meaningful the modernization goals are when an application can be retired, and the replacement performs better at a lower cost. So, at Vanguard, “code is art” is a reality. When I started working at Vanguard as a junior developer, I had no experience with many of the technologies which were being used for the project I joined. I felt a little intimidated. However, the other developers and technical lead on my team got me up-to-speed and set me up for success. From my earliest days to today, my motivation to learn and navigate Vanguard’s vast technological landscape continues to fuel my passion. Vanguard strives to be the best place to work in IT – and you can feel it. -Scott M.
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Vanguard encourages a cooperative culture by building teams of people with different backgrounds and experiences in technology and business. This diversity truly expands your knowledge base by encouraging multidimensional thinking and idea sharing – so we’re always learning from each other. The people who come from non-technical roles often lend creative solutions to the problems that had our technical team blocked. Sharing my technical knowledge with others is energizing and very fulfilling. For example, enabling business partners on the team to perform their own testing not only helps our efficiency, but lends to great comradery.
Making an Impact
As part of a product team, crew in technical roles can participate in all client-facing discussions. Offering ideas and hearing directly from our clients is rewarding as a developer. We get to see how the work we do makes a genuine impact on the clients we serve.
While developing a new feature, I sometimes find myself getting excited about an idea to improve the current design, so I will typically reach out via chat or even stop by our product owner’s desk for real-time feedback. I’ve gotten to build close relationships across Vanguard, that would not have been possible if I had been isolated from that part of the process.
I genuinely love coming to work and cannot imagine myself anywhere else. That’s due to the incredible teams I have been a part of, and Vanguard’s commitment to creating a collaborative environment for all crew – especially in the technology space!
— Laurel A.
Are you interested in Technology at Vanguard?
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