Lloyd Blankfein says you must be humble and neurotic to work at Goldman Sachs
Are Goldman Sachs jobs for bold, brash, corporate combatants? Or are they for neurotic, bearded-types who worry about the limits of their own knowledge.
Try the second.
Lloyd Blankfein just gave an interview to Frankfurter Allegemaine in which he said Goldman Sachs bankers are "worriers" not "warriors."
Goldman bankers are not infallible, said Blankfein. Nor must they assume themselves to be. Success in financial services is all about planning in advance for, "a variety of potential future scenarios," Lloyd added. "It is not our job to be fortunetellers. One should never take one’s own forecasts too seriously. "
It doesn't end there. Blankfein says his own strength comes from an awareness of his weaknesses. "I don't consider myself to have second sight," he says, "Observing the incessant volatility of the markets has been enough over the years to wipe out any hubris on my part. I’ve been around long enough to know that I know nothing."
Blankfein's philosophy is worth remembering if you're interviewing at Goldman Sachs. Especially if you were planning on expounding your financial omniscience. Blankfein suggests that Goldman Sachs likes humble people. It also likes neurotics. The less you think you know, the better. At least, that's the theory.
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