Warren Buffett is one of my heroes. I model my investment portfolio after his Berkshire Hathaway and it does very well. If you have a minute, the Berkshire Hathaway annual reports are fascinating.
But I digress.
When Warren Buffett talks people listen. I read a recent interesting article about “3 Things Buffett Looks for in People”. If you are looking for a job, perhaps there is something you can learn from Mr. Buffett’s insights into selecting people.
Mr. Buffett does not select people by grades, family connections or IQ. He says the most useful qualities are usually based on intelligence, energy, and integrity. Are you surprised?
I am not surprised. Getting work done well and being a trusted colleague often have little to do with grades, family connections or IQ.
According to Mr. Buffett you can improve intelligence and energy through learning and consistent exercise. But you cannot learn integrity. You choose integrity. He says, “You decide to be dishonest, stingy, uncharitable, egotistical, all the things people don’t like in other people… They are all choices.”
You might be thinking “huh?” But stay with me on this. This fellow, we will call him Bill, is a manager (substitute your own title). He thinks he should be the VP (substitute your own goal). He thinks about it all the time. It annoys him that other people are in competition with him for that role.
Now we have two books available to support you in the first two parts of the job search experience. I cannot believe how far we have come!