How to Follow Up Effectively After Your Berkshire Hathaway Interview
Ace Your Berkshire Hathaway Interview
To ace your Berkshire Hathaway interview:
Deep Company Research: Understand Berkshire’s diverse subsidiaries, its investment philosophy, and recent annual letters.
Align Your Experience: Match your skills to Warren Buffett’s principles—focus on long-term value, integrity, and analytical rigor.
Prepare Behavioral Stories: Use the STAR method to showcase past accomplishments in leadership, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making.
Master Technical Questions: If applicable, practice financial modeling, valuation techniques, or industry-specific scenarios tied to their major holdings.
Ask Insightful Questions: Inquire about Berkshire’s culture, decentralized management style, and future investment priorities.
Follow Up Professionally: Send personalized thank-you notes within 24 hours, reiterating your key strengths and enthusiasm for the role.
Following up after an interview demonstrates professionalism, reinforces your interest, and sets you apart from other candidates. At a prestigious organization like Berkshire Hathaway, a well-crafted follow-up can underscore your enthusiasm and remind hiring managers why you’re an ideal fit.
1. Why a Follow-Up Matters
Shows Professionalism: Indicates you respect the interviewers’ time and process.
Reinforces Interest: Confirms to the hiring team that Berkshire Hathaway remains your top choice.
Highlights Key Qualifications: Gives you one more opportunity to reiterate how your skills align with the role.
Keeps You Top-of-Mind: A courteous note helps ensure your application stays visible among many candidates.
2. Timing Your Follow-Up
2.1 Send a Thank-You Email Within 24 Hours
Aim to send your first message within one business day of your interview. This prompt response shows attentiveness without seeming pushy.
2.2 Consider a Second Touchpoint
If you haven’t heard back in the timeframe the recruiter indicated (or within 7–10 business days), send a brief status-check email. Keep it polite and concise.
3. Choosing the Right Medium
| Medium | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Primary channel for professional follow-ups. | |
| Handwritten Note | To add a personal touch after a phone or video interview (optional). |
| LinkedIn Message | If you connected on LinkedIn and don’t have direct email. |
Tip: Email remains the most reliable and expected method, especially at large firms like Berkshire Hathaway.
4. Crafting Your Thank-You Email
4.1 Subject Line Examples
“Thank You – [Your Name], [Position] Interview”
“Appreciate Your Time – [Your Name]”
4.2 Key Components
Personal Greeting: Address each interviewer by name.
Expression of Gratitude: Thank them for their time and insights.
Role Connection: Briefly restate why you’re excited about the specific position.
Value Reminder: Highlight one or two strengths or experiences that align with Berkshire Hathaway’s needs.
Invitation for Next Steps: Express willingness to provide further information or references.
Professional Closing: Sign off with your full name and contact information.
Sample Thank-You Email
Subject: Thank You – Jane Doe, Financial Analyst Interview
Hello Mr. Smith,
Thank you for the insightful conversation yesterday about the Financial Analyst role at Berkshire Hathaway. I appreciated learning more about your team’s approach to evaluating acquisition opportunities and your emphasis on long-term value creation.
Our discussion reinforced my enthusiasm for the position—particularly given my experience developing financial models for M&A scenarios, which resulted in a 15% improvement in deal valuation accuracy at my current firm.
Please let me know if I can provide any additional materials or references. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to your team’s success.
Best regards,
Jane Doe
(555) 123-4567 | jane.doe@email.com
5. Following Up on Status
Wait the Appropriate Interval: Only send a status-check once the originally mentioned decision timeline has passed.
Keep It Brief and Polite: Remind them of your interview date, express continued interest, and ask if there’s any update.
Avoid Over-Contacting: Limit follow-ups to two—one thank-you and one status check—unless otherwise invited.
6. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Generic Messages: Personalize each note; don’t send a boilerplate email.
Excessive Length: Keep emails to 3–4 brief paragraphs or bullet points.
Too Many Follow-Ups: Avoid more than two polite contacts unless the interviewer explicitly encourages additional communication.
Casual Tone: Maintain a professional tone and correct formatting.
Berkshire Hathaway Interview Questions
Top Interview Questions for Berkshire Hathaway Candidates
Preparing for a Berkshire Hathaway interview means anticipating a mix of behavioral, technical, and culture-fit questions. Below is a categorized list of the most common questions—use it to guide your practice and frame strong, concise responses.
1. Behavioral Questions
Tell me about a time you demonstrated integrity under pressure.
Describe a situation where you led a team through change.
Give an example of how you handled a mistake you made at work.
Share a time when you had to influence stakeholders with limited authority.
Tell me about a project where you had to balance competing priorities.
2. Culture-Fit and Motivation Questions
Why do you want to work at Berkshire Hathaway?
Which Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary interests you most, and why?
What do you know about Warren Buffett’s investment philosophy?
How do Berkshire’s decentralized management and autonomous operating units appeal to you?
Where do you see your career in five years within Berkshire Hathaway?
3. Technical and Role-Specific Questions
(Tailor these to your function: finance, operations, engineering, etc.)
For Finance Roles: “How would you value a privately held company with no published financials?”
For Investment Roles: “Walk me through a discounted cash flow model.”
For Operations Roles: “Describe a process-improvement initiative you led and its impact on efficiency.”
For IT/Data Roles: “How have you used data analytics to drive strategic decisions?”
For Engineering Roles: “Explain a technical challenge you solved and the approach you took.”
4. Case-Style and Situational Questions
Evaluate a potential acquisition target in an unfamiliar industry—what factors matter most?
How would you assess risk versus reward for a new investment opportunity?
Imagine Berkshire Hathaway is considering an entry into renewable energy—how would you present your findings to senior leadership?
If you inherited an underperforming subsidiary, what first steps would you take?
How would you prioritize capital allocation across multiple high-return projects?
5. Leadership and Management Questions
Describe your leadership style and how you adapt it to different teams.
How do you develop talent and ensure knowledge transfer in your organization?
Share an example of a tough personnel decision you made—what guided your approach?
How have you managed conflict between high-performing team members?
What metrics do you use to measure team performance and success?
Tips for Answering These Questions
Use the STAR Method: Structure answers around Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Quantify Results: Whenever possible, include numbers—percent improvements, dollars saved, or timelines shortened.
Align with Berkshire’s Values: Emphasize integrity, long-term thinking, and decentralized decision-making.
Showcase Curiosity: Demonstrate your willingness to learn about diverse businesses in Berkshire’s portfolio.
Ask Insightful Questions: Prepare questions that highlight your strategic mindset, such as “How does this team collaborate with Berkshire’s other subsidiaries?”
FAQ
The process usually involves an initial phone or video screen, one or more in-person or virtual interviews with hiring managers and potential team members, and in some cases a final panel or case-study presentation. Total duration ranges from two to six weeks depending on the role.
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your examples. Focus on integrity, long-term thinking, leadership, and adaptability—core values at Berkshire Hathaway.
For finance, investment, or analytical roles, you may be asked to walk through valuation models, analyze hypothetical acquisitions, or solve industry-specific scenarios. Operations and management positions often include situational or process-improvement case questions.
Very important. Demonstrating understanding of value investing principles, margin of safety, and decentralized management shows cultural fit and genuine interest in Berkshire Hathaway’s approach.
Key qualities include strong ethical standards, analytical rigor, long-term strategic thinking, leadership potential, and the ability to work autonomously within a decentralized structure.
Tailor your resume and interview responses to highlight quantifiable achievements, alignment with Berkshire’s decentralized model, and examples of integrity under pressure. Personalize cover letters to reference specific subsidiaries or recent annual letters.
Yes. Send a personalized thank-you email within 24 hours to each interviewer, reiterating your enthusiasm, a key strength you discussed, and your readiness to contribute to the company.
Ask strategic, thoughtful questions about Berkshire’s culture, management style, or future investment priorities—such as “How does this business unit collaborate with other subsidiaries?” This demonstrates your long-term, big-picture mindset.
Hiring timelines vary by division but typically decision timelines are communicated during the final interview. If no timeline is given, it’s acceptable to send one status-check email seven to ten business days after your last interview.
Avoid generic answers, focusing instead on specific, quantifiable examples. Don’t oversell yourself; state your limitations honestly. Steer clear of negative comments about past employers and maintain a professional, respectful tone throughout.
