Vault - making the jump across the Atlantic

Vault is a unique Internet company that publishes information for jobseekers on over 4,500 companies and on 100 industries.

The company

Vault is a unique Internet company that publishes information for jobseekers on over 4,500 companies and on 100 industries. Vault was founded in 1996 in the USA by three graduates who felt there wasn’t enough insider information available for jobseekers about which companies would be best for their career requirements who, instead of joining the big-name employers, created a company dedicated to revealing what life is like at the nation’s top companies and industries.

Starting off by publishing information on America’s top internships, Vault has since blossomed into a full-blown ‘career publishing’ company, providing insider profiles on specific employers and industries, as well as how to prepare for job interviews and a free job board with thousands of top job openings.

Vault puts its content together using anonymous questionnaires and surveys to compile exhaustive data on their subjects, from salaries, environments, even down to the cafeteria food profiles that reveal information about major corporations and law firms, including current company activities, work environments, and secrets on curveball interview questions and tactics.

After achieving its goals of 1.5 million registered members, sighing up key universities and winning many awards over the years – Vault decided it was time to expand.

Think London added value

This is where Think London came in. Think London worked with Thomas Nutt, Vault’s UK General Manager to find the right suppliers and contacts needed to help open the London office. “It was an incredibly useful and helpful service to have in terms of our getting set up in London,” he says of Think London’s help.

So why London? “Because of our international audience, there was a demand to cover companies not only in the USA but in Europe as well. It’s great to write about a New York, Boston or Los Angeles based company, but our jobseekers also want to come and work for London companies and they wanted to know about them. So we sat down with the Board, did our market research and decided to move to London in September 2005.”

Now, in 2006 Vault is an officially registered company in the UK and has plans to expand to around 7 full time staff plus some part-time by 2007. Based in Farringdon, central London in accommodation that reflects the company’s young but professional image, Vault is happy it chose London. ”London made sense for us for several reasons. London is a hub for our existing and potential clients - all the big investment banks, the consulting companies and law firms are here, as well as our Fortune 500 clients. London’s the base with which to reach the rest of the UK and Europe. Especially for an American company, London really makes sense as you don’t have to worry about a language barrier. So to me it was an obvious choice.”

How Think London helped

Think London helped Vault expand into London with ease. “I’ve been working with Think London’s North American Business Development Manager who has been absolutely fantastic,” says Nutt. “The big thing was making the introductions. You know how it works – you move to a new city and it’s word of mouth – who do you know and can you recommend anyone. I met with Think London and explained our plans for growth and development and they were able to help and introduce us to people we needed to know. I met with three accountancy firms, three law firms, an insurance company and received assistance on the real estate side as well in terms of viewing properties in London. This was all over a period of about two to three weeks. Very fast, which is exactly the kind of service you need when you are trying to get a business off the ground.”

“Think London have been great in terms of making the introductions and really advising us on what some of the issues are when moving to the UK and London. The process was excellent and very, very easy.”

London has proved a great choice. “London is an incredible foothold – it’s a gateway to Europe and a great place to live. I used to live in New York and Paris and I love this dynamic, cosmopolitan and entrepreneurial feel you get here in London,” added Thomas Nutt.

For more information about Vault, please visit www.vault.com