11/6/2017 0 Comments PreparationThis week, I began preparation for my interview with Mr. Wally Weitz, a value investor in Omaha. Preparation, in this situation, means doing my own valuations of companies he owns as well as brushing up on my own financial knowledge and preparing a list of questions. Additionally, because I am not only interviewing with him, but some other employees at Weitz Investments, I will need to focus more on general research as well as supplementing that with some detailed research. By using the SEC’s EDGAR system, I am able to find out some of the holdings of Weitz Investments, and to bring some more general knowledge of the table, I will be reading as much of Security Analysis as I can this week. This overall prep should allow me to conduct a well-rounded and meaningful interview with a person that I admire. In addition to sharpening up my general knowledge for this interview, I had a refresher lesson in the importance of dress and outward appearance in interviews. Now that I am meeting more prominent people in the industry, my first impressions and mannerisms become even more important. We all know and admire one person that seems to do everything effortlessly and with such a high level of class that they seem to be above everyone else, yet still stay humble, down to earth, and approachable. Although many believe that these types of people are simply “born with it”, almost none of them are. This type of behavior is highly practiced, down to the way that they sit in a chair or choose their words, and to have such a sense of control over your own body and conversations is one of the biggest indicators of intelligence and power. In fact, the Italians even have a word for this studied nonchalance: sprezzatura. In my own situation, I am still trying to develop this sprezzatura. I am getting better at swaying people’s feelings as well as being mindful of the way I look and feel in a professional atmosphere, but I often still have lapses of behavior that dampen the effect of the effortlessness that I strive toward. During the interview with Mr. Weitz, I will need to be very mindful of my mannerisms to not make me seem like a high school student, but rather a colleague to ultimately create the strongest message for what my goals are and what I believe in. Overall, this week was devoted to preparation for the interview that I have on Friday. Sharpening up my knowledge of value investing as well as my sprezzatura skills will ultimately lead to a successful and productive interview, not only for myself, but for Mr. Weitz as well.
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