Work(ing) at Wealthfront: Jessica Gutierrez

I was born and raised in the East Bay, so naturally I am a Raiders and Warriors fan. My grandparents were both immigrants from Mexico, and they instilled in me the importance of a strong work ethic, strong family values, and higher education. Growing up, my parents saved every penny to ensure my younger brother and I could have the best education.

While at UC Berkeley, my parents’ values were put into practice: I paid for my tuition and expenses by working for the California State Assembly and Berkeley’s law school. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a major in American studies with a concentration in law, policy, and minority identity, I worked at a few companies trying to find myself, passion, and purpose. Truth be told, it took some time and life experience to realize my passion for recruiting.

Breaking into the field was no easy task, as I didn’t have any recruiting experience. However, my experience as an administrative assistant at a boutique recruiting firm provided a knowledge base that I leveraged during my first recruiting position at a major tech company. The amazing training I received there gave me the experience and confidence I needed to seek new challenges.

At Wealthfront, I am challenging myself as a full-cycle technical recruiter. I couldn’t be happier in this stage of my career.

I’m forever grateful for the opportunities that my managers and mentors provided along the journey.

What made you decide to join Wealthfront?

After a great experience at a very large company in Silicon Valley, I desired a work environment that was smaller in size, guaranteed individual and cross-functional impact, and ensured I could work closely with seasoned leaders and mentors who would encourage my continued professional growth.

While interviewing with the recruiting team, my manager, and the director of engineering, I found every interview to be conversational, engaging, and authentic. It felt like I wasn’t interviewing, but instead having coffee or lunch with someone from my past. It was Wealthfront’s team, culture, and mission that sold me on day one.

It’s difficult to express in words the feelings I had before, during, and after my onsite interview — but I tell all my candidates to listen to these unspoken emotions. Trust your intuition when accepting an offer! No amount of money, sign-on bonus, or offer expiration deadline can do this for you. If you can’t make a decision, it’s either because you haven’t done your due diligence or because you’re letting unimportant issues be the driving factor.

As a candidate you should know where and with whom you want to work because you are passionate about the role, team, mission, and products of the company. If you find yourself reading this article to find some recruiting insight, here it is: I encourage you to take a chance and leave behind the fear that a startup isn’t right for you. Just try it and experience it for yourself, like I have.

What has been your favorite part of Wealthfront so far?

My favorite part of Wealthfront is working with our co-founder and CEO Andy Rachleff. I especially appreciate how accessible he makes himself to employees at any level, as well as the wisdom he brings from decades of experience in technology from his time as a founding partner at Benchmark Capital. Even with everything on his plate — his family, his philanthropic work, and a company of 200+ colleagues — Andy makes time to be accessible to us all. He holds monthly new hire lunches and all-team happy hours on Thursdays, where he answers all our questions and calls us by our first names. He has a personal touch that sets the tone for the rest of the company.

It’s this type of authentic and genuine leadership from Andy and other Wealthfront colleagues that make this startup an engaged and collaborative community. Outside-the-box thinking is welcomed and encouraged.

What is the most valuable thing you have learned at Wealthfront?

Teamwork. Everyone wants to help, so it’s easy to ask. The supportive environment allows you to flourish in your role. These are values I’ve passed on to my mentees at Wealthfront. The best part of this team and company is that when you think you have mastered something, you are entrusted with more challenging assignments that push your abilities to new heights. I am grateful to be a part of this team.

What do you want the world to know about you?

During the workday, I am a recruiter. In the evenings and weekends, I am a Chopped-inspired chef! After watching one season, I can now enhance my delicious enchiladas, pozole, and a spicy salsa I make from scratch while expanding my culinary horizons.

Interested in working at Wealthfront? Check out our careers page!

Disclosure

This communication has been prepared solely for informational purposes only. Nothing in this communication should be construed as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security or a financial product. Any links provided to other server sites are offered as a matter of convenience and are not intended to imply that Wealthfront or its affiliates endorses, sponsors, promotes and/or is affiliated with the owners of or participants in those sites, or endorses any information contained on those sites, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Wealthfront offers a free software-based financial advice engine that delivers automated financial planning tools to help users achieve better outcomes. Investment management and advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser, and brokerage related products are provided by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, a member of FINRA/SIPC.

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