How to Apply to Berkshire Hathaway

Key Takeaways

Check the National Indemnity Workday portal (nationalindemnity.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/BHHC) frequently — with typically fewer than a dozen open roles, positions fill quickly and new postings are infrequent
Invest in insurance-specific credentials (CPCU, actuarial exams, ARM) before or while applying — these certifications carry exceptional weight at Berkshire and serve as primary qualification filters
Quantify every major resume accomplishment using insurance metrics: combined ratios, loss ratios, premium volumes, claims resolution rates, or reserve accuracy — Berkshire is a numbers culture
Prepare for interviews by reading Warren Buffett's annual shareholder letters, particularly sections on insurance operations and underwriting discipline — this demonstrates genuine cultural alignment
Emphasize instances of independent decision-making and autonomous project ownership in both your resume and interviews — Berkshire's decentralized model requires self-directed professionals
Submit a clean, single-column resume in .docx or PDF format and verify every auto-populated Workday field before finalizing your application — with low application volumes, parsing errors are more likely to be noticed
Be patient but persistent — Berkshire's hiring timeline may be longer than industry average given the deliberate, low-volume approach to talent acquisition, but your Workday profile remains in their system for future opportunities

About Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway, led for decades by Warren Buffett and now under the stewardship of Greg Abel, is one of the world's largest and most respected conglomerates — and insurance is its beating heart. The property and casualty insurance operations, anchored by National Indemnity Company (NICO) and its affiliates, form the engine that generates the 'float' powering Berkshire's legendary investment portfolio. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Berkshire's insurance group operates with a uniquely decentralized management philosophy: subsidiaries run with remarkable autonomy, lean corporate overhead, and a long-term orientation that stands in stark contrast to quarterly-earnings-obsessed competitors. Working in Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations means joining an organization that prizes disciplined underwriting over premium volume, a willingness to walk away from bad risks even when competitors pile in. The culture is famously no-nonsense — minimal bureaucracy, small teams with outsized responsibility, and an expectation that employees think like owners. There are no sprawling corporate campuses or flashy perks; instead, the value proposition is stability, intellectual rigor, and the chance to work alongside some of the sharpest minds in the insurance industry. With only a handful of open positions at any given time across the Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies and NICO operations, every hire carries significant weight. Candidates who thrive here tend to be self-directed, analytical, and deeply comfortable operating without layers of management oversight. If you value substance over style and want your work to directly impact one of the most consequential financial institutions in history, Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations offer an unmatched career platform.

Application Process

1
Identify Roles on the Berkshire Hathaway / National Indemnity Workday Portal
All positions within Berkshire Hathaway's property and casualty insurance operations are posted through a dedicated Workday instance hosted under National Indemnity Company (nationalindemnity.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/BHHC). Because Berkshire operates with extreme leanness — often only 10 or fewer active openings — you should check this portal frequently and act quickly when a relevant role appears. Note that different Berkshire subsidiaries (GEICO, General Re, etc.) may have entirely separate careers portals, so confirm you're applying to the correct entity.
2
Create Your Workday Candidate Profile
You'll need to create a Workday account to apply. During this process, Workday will prompt you to upload your resume and may attempt to auto-parse it into structured fields — review every parsed field carefully, as insurance-specific terminology and actuarial credentials can be misread by the parser. Complete all optional fields, including education details and professional certifications (CPCU, ARM, ACAS/FCAS, etc.), as Berkshire's recruiters likely use these as filtering criteria given the small applicant pools.
3
Tailor Your Application Materials to the Specific Role
With so few open positions, each application receives meaningful scrutiny. Your resume and any supplementary materials should directly mirror the language in the job posting — if the listing says 'Guidewire Certified,' your resume should explicitly name your Guidewire certification and version experience. For internship roles (actuarial, operations, marketing), emphasize coursework, relevant projects, and any insurance industry exposure, even if informal.
4
Complete Any Role-Specific Assessments or Questionnaires
Workday may present screening questions or short assessments as part of the application flow, particularly for technical roles like actuarial positions or software development. For actuarial intern and analyst roles, expect questions about exams passed, study progress, and software proficiency (Excel, SQL, R, or Python). Answer these precisely — Berkshire's lean hiring teams use them to quickly separate qualified candidates from aspirational ones.
5
Initial Screening by Hiring Manager or HR
Given Berkshire Hathaway's decentralized structure and minimal corporate HR infrastructure, initial screening often involves the actual hiring manager rather than a dedicated recruiting team. This means your first human interaction may be with someone deeply knowledgeable about the role, so generic answers will fall flat immediately. Phone screens at this stage typically focus on your understanding of insurance fundamentals and your motivation for choosing Berkshire specifically over larger, flashier employers.
6
In-Depth Interviews (Typically 2-3 Rounds)
Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations commonly conduct two to three interview rounds, often including a mix of technical evaluation and cultural fit assessment. For underwriting and claims roles, expect scenario-based questions about risk assessment and decision-making under uncertainty. For corporate and technology roles, interviews tend to probe your ability to work independently with minimal oversight — a direct reflection of Berkshire's famously hands-off management style.
7
Offer and Onboarding
Offers from Berkshire's insurance operations typically come with straightforward, competitive compensation packages — don't expect elaborate signing bonuses or equity grants common at tech companies. The onboarding process reflects the company's no-frills culture: efficient, practical, and designed to get you contributing quickly. Many employees report being given meaningful responsibilities from day one, consistent with the company's trust-based operating philosophy.

Resume Tips for Berkshire Hathaway

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Lead with Insurance Industry Credentials and Exam Progress

Berkshire Hathaway's P&C operations value technical insurance expertise above almost everything else. Place professional designations (CPCU, ARM, AU, AIC, ACAS, FCAS) and actuarial exam progress prominently — ideally in a dedicated 'Certifications' section near the top of your resume. For actuarial roles, list each exam passed with the date, as this is the single most important qualification filter. Even for non-actuarial roles like claims examiner or underwriter, relevant insurance coursework or certifications signal industry commitment that Berkshire's lean hiring teams look for.

critical

Mirror Exact Job Posting Language for Workday's Parsing

Workday's ATS ranks candidates partly based on keyword matching against the job requisition. If the posting for Senior Software Developer specifies 'Guidewire Certified,' use that exact phrase rather than paraphrasing as 'experience with Guidewire platform.' Similarly, if a claims role mentions 'multi-line property and casualty,' incorporate that terminology rather than generic descriptions. This precision matters even more at Berkshire, where small applicant pools mean recruiters may rely heavily on Workday's initial filtering to build shortlists.

critical

Quantify Underwriting, Claims, or Financial Impact

Berkshire Hathaway is fundamentally a numbers-driven organization, shaped by Warren Buffett's emphasis on measurable results. Frame your accomplishments in terms that resonate with insurance professionals: premium volume managed, loss ratios improved, claims processed per month, reserve accuracy rates, or portfolio sizes analyzed. A bullet like 'Managed $12M commercial property book while maintaining combined ratio below 95%' speaks Berkshire's language far more effectively than vague statements about 'contributing to team success.'

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Demonstrate Autonomy and Owner-Mentality Thinking

Berkshire's decentralized culture means employees operate with less oversight than at most large insurers. Your resume should include examples where you took initiative, made independent decisions, or managed projects without detailed direction. Use phrases like 'independently managed,' 'owned end-to-end,' or 'self-directed research into...' to signal your fit with this operating philosophy. This is especially important for senior roles where Berkshire expects professionals to function as trusted autonomous operators.

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Use Clean, Single-Column Formatting for Workday Compatibility

Workday's resume parser handles straightforward, single-column layouts most reliably. Avoid tables, text boxes, headers/footers with critical information, multi-column designs, or graphics — all of which can cause parsing errors that leave your profile incomplete in the recruiter's view. Use standard section headers ('Experience,' 'Education,' 'Certifications') and submit as a .docx or PDF. Test your formatting by uploading to Workday and reviewing every auto-populated field before submitting.

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Highlight Long-Tenure Stability and Career Progression

Berkshire Hathaway is legendary for its long-term orientation — Warren Buffett's favorite holding period is 'forever,' and this philosophy extends to talent. If you've had extended tenures at previous employers, emphasize progressive responsibility within those roles rather than burying tenure in small date ranges. Conversely, if your career shows frequent moves, provide context (acquisitions, contract roles) to preempt concerns. Berkshire invests deeply in its people and looks for candidates who intend to stay and grow.

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Include Relevant Technical Tools Specific to P&C Insurance

For technology and operations roles, explicitly name the platforms and tools you've used that are relevant to P&C insurance operations: Guidewire (ClaimCenter, PolicyCenter, BillingCenter), Duck Creek, Majesco, SQL, SAS, Python for actuarial modeling, or specific reinsurance platforms. Berkshire's insurance subsidiaries rely on specific tech stacks, and naming these tools precisely helps both Workday's keyword matching and the hiring manager's quick assessment of your technical readiness.

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Keep It Concise — Two Pages Maximum

Berkshire Hathaway's culture of efficiency and directness extends to how they evaluate candidates. A focused, two-page resume that communicates your value proposition clearly will be received far better than a sprawling multi-page document. For intern applicants, one page is strongly preferred. Edit ruthlessly: every bullet should either demonstrate insurance expertise, quantifiable impact, or cultural fit with Berkshire's owner-operator mentality.

ATS System: Workday

Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations use Workday Recruiting, hosted on the wd5 instance under National Indemnity Company. Workday parses uploaded resumes into structured candidate profiles, ranks applicants based on keyword matching and qualification criteria set by the hiring manager, and manages the entire workflow from application through offer. Because Berkshire typically has very few open requisitions (often under a dozen), each application likely receives more individual attention than at high-volume Workday deployments.

Upload a .docx or standard PDF — Workday's parser handles these formats most accurately and avoids the parsing failures common with scanned documents or image-heavy PDFs
After uploading your resume, manually review every auto-populated field in your Workday profile — correct any parsing errors in job titles, dates, company names, and certifications before submitting
Include exact keywords from the job posting in your resume, particularly insurance-specific terms like 'property and casualty,' 'commercial lines,' 'loss reserves,' or 'Guidewire' that recruiters will use as search filters
Complete all optional profile fields including education details, professional certifications, and location preferences — with only ~10 active roles, recruiters may search their full candidate database for future openings
Avoid special characters, tables, columns, and graphics that can confuse Workday's text parser and result in garbled or missing information in your candidate profile
If applying to multiple Berkshire Hathaway insurance positions over time, your Workday profile persists — keep it updated, as hiring managers may revisit previous applicants when new requisitions open

Complete Workday Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Interviewing with Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations is a distinctly different experience from the process at most large corporations.

The company's famously lean structure means you're unlikely to encounter a polished, multi-stage recruiting pipeline managed by a large talent acquisition team. Instead, expect a more direct, substantive process where you'll interact early with the people you'd actually work alongside. A typical interview process involves two to three rounds. The first is commonly a phone or video screen focused on verifying your technical qualifications and gauging your genuine interest in insurance — not just in 'working for a famous company.' For actuarial roles, this screen will likely probe your exam progress, statistical modeling experience, and comfort with the long-term exam trajectory. For claims and underwriting positions, expect scenario-based questions about assessing risk, handling ambiguous information, and making defensible decisions. The subsequent rounds are typically in-person or video interviews with the hiring manager and members of the team you'd join. Berkshire's interviewers tend to favor conversational, case-study-style discussions over rigid behavioral interview frameworks. You might be asked how you'd evaluate a particular risk scenario, how you'd handle a coverage dispute, or how you've managed workload independently in past roles. The emphasis on autonomy and independent judgment is a consistent theme — interviewers want evidence that you can operate effectively without constant oversight. Cultural fit at Berkshire means something specific: intellectual honesty, comfort with simplicity, long-term thinking, and zero tolerance for bureaucratic posturing. Don't oversell yourself or name-drop. Be prepared to discuss Warren Buffett's shareholder letters or Berkshire's underwriting philosophy if the conversation turns that direction — this signals genuine alignment with the organization's values rather than surface-level enthusiasm. Dress professionally but conservatively, reflecting the Midwestern, no-frills sensibility of the Omaha headquarters. Follow-up thank-you notes should be brief, substantive, and free of generic flattery.

What Berkshire Hathaway Looks For

Disciplined underwriting judgment — the willingness to decline business when the price isn't right, reflecting Berkshire's foundational insurance philosophy of profitability over premium growth
Autonomous work ethic — the ability to manage responsibilities with minimal supervision, consistent with Berkshire's radically decentralized operating model where subsidiaries run independently
Deep insurance technical knowledge — whether that's actuarial science, claims adjudication, policy language interpretation, or regulatory compliance, Berkshire values practitioners over generalists
Long-term orientation and loyalty — Berkshire's 'forever' holding philosophy applies to careers; they seek candidates who want to build expertise over years, not job-hoppers chasing title inflation
Intellectual honesty and ethical grounding — in an industry built on trust and financial promises, Berkshire places enormous weight on integrity and the willingness to surface uncomfortable truths
Quantitative rigor and comfort with data-driven decision making — from actuarial interns to senior claims examiners, the ability to support judgments with numbers is non-negotiable
Genuine interest in insurance as a profession — Berkshire's interviewers can quickly distinguish candidates passionate about risk and insurance from those who simply want the Berkshire name on their resume
Frugality and efficiency mindset — reflecting the broader Berkshire culture of low overhead and resource consciousness, candidates who demonstrate doing more with less resonate strongly

Frequently Asked Questions

How many positions does Berkshire Hathaway's insurance group typically have open at one time?

Berkshire Hathaway's property and casualty insurance operations commonly have very few open positions — often around 10 or fewer at any given time. This reflects the company's lean operating philosophy and low turnover rather than a lack of growth. Because openings are rare, you should monitor the Workday careers portal regularly and be prepared to apply quickly when a relevant role appears. Setting up job alerts through your Workday profile can help you catch new postings before they attract a large applicant pool. The scarcity of openings also means each application receives more scrutiny, so quality over quantity in your materials is essential.

Does Berkshire Hathaway require a cover letter with applications?

The Workday application portal may not always include a mandatory cover letter upload field, but submitting one when the option is available can differentiate you in a small candidate pool. Given Berkshire's culture of directness and substance, your cover letter should be concise (one page maximum) and focused on why you're specifically drawn to insurance at Berkshire — not generic enthusiasm about the company's investment returns. Address your understanding of disciplined underwriting, the decentralized management model, or your long-term career commitment to the P&C insurance industry. Avoid flattery and corporate buzzwords; Berkshire's hiring culture values plainspoken authenticity.

What is the typical hiring timeline for Berkshire Hathaway insurance positions?

Many applicants report that Berkshire Hathaway's hiring process can take several weeks to a couple of months from application to offer, though this varies significantly by role and urgency. The lean HR infrastructure means there isn't always a dedicated recruiting team pushing candidates through a standardized pipeline on a fixed schedule. For internship programs (actuarial, operations, marketing), recruitment cycles typically align with academic calendars, with postings appearing in fall or early winter for summer positions. Be patient after applying and avoid sending excessive follow-up messages — a single professional check-in email after two to three weeks is appropriate.

Do I need insurance industry experience to apply to Berkshire Hathaway?

Not always — Berkshire Hathaway's current openings include roles explicitly labeled 'No Experience Required,' such as certain underwriter positions, as well as multiple internship programs designed for students and early-career candidates. However, even for entry-level roles, demonstrating genuine interest in insurance (through coursework, exam progress, industry reading, or informational interviews with insurance professionals) will set you apart. For mid-career and senior roles like Senior Claims Examiner or Senior Software Developer, substantive industry experience and relevant certifications are typically expected. The key differentiator at Berkshire isn't years of experience — it's evidence of intellectual curiosity about risk and insurance as a discipline.

What ATS does Berkshire Hathaway use, and how should I optimize my resume for it?

Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations use Workday Recruiting, hosted on the wd5 Workday instance under National Indemnity Company. To optimize your resume, use a clean single-column layout in .docx or PDF format, avoid tables and graphics, and include exact keywords from the job posting — particularly insurance-specific terminology like 'property and casualty,' 'commercial lines,' 'Guidewire,' or 'loss reserves.' After uploading your resume, Workday will auto-parse it into structured fields; always review and correct these before submitting. Your Workday profile persists in their system, so keeping it comprehensive and accurate can benefit you for future openings even if you're not selected for the initial role.

Are Berkshire Hathaway insurance roles remote, hybrid, or in-office?

Berkshire Hathaway's insurance operations have historically maintained a strong in-office culture, particularly at their Omaha, Nebraska headquarters. While some roles may offer hybrid flexibility — especially technology positions — the company's culture generally favors in-person collaboration and presence. Individual job postings on the Workday portal typically specify location requirements, so review each listing carefully. If location flexibility is important to you, note that Berkshire's various insurance subsidiaries operate in different states, and some roles may be based at subsidiary offices outside Omaha. During interviews, it's appropriate to ask about work arrangements, but framing the question around your desire to contribute effectively rather than personal convenience will land better culturally.

How should I prepare for a Berkshire Hathaway insurance interview?

Start by reading Warren Buffett's most recent shareholder letter, particularly the sections on insurance operations — this gives you direct insight into how the organization thinks about underwriting discipline, float, and long-term profitability. For technical roles, review fundamentals of P&C insurance: how policies are priced, how reserves are established, and how claims are evaluated. For actuarial positions, be prepared to discuss your exam progress and solve quantitative problems. Practice articulating situations where you worked independently, made judgment calls with incomplete information, or chose disciplined restraint over easy short-term wins. Research National Indemnity Company's history and role within Berkshire's broader portfolio. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team's specific book of business or current projects rather than asking about perks or career pathing.

What makes Berkshire Hathaway different from other P&C insurance employers?

Three things fundamentally distinguish Berkshire: its decentralized management structure, its willingness to sacrifice premium volume for underwriting profit, and the stability that comes from being part of the world's largest insurance operation by surplus. Unlike competitors driven by quarterly earnings targets, Berkshire's insurance managers are empowered to write zero business in a given line if pricing isn't adequate — a philosophy that requires and attracts a particular type of disciplined insurance professional. The decentralized model means less corporate bureaucracy and more individual autonomy, but it also means fewer formal mentorship programs and structured career ladders. You're expected to be self-directed. The tradeoff is that your work directly matters, your judgment is trusted, and you're part of an organization with unmatched financial strength and a multi-decade track record of treating employees as long-term partners.

Can I apply to multiple positions on the Berkshire Hathaway Workday portal simultaneously?

Yes, Workday allows you to apply to multiple positions using the same candidate profile. However, given that Berkshire typically has fewer than a dozen open roles, applying to every position regardless of fit could signal a lack of focus and genuine interest. Apply only to roles where your qualifications and experience genuinely align. If you're early in your career and see both an actuarial intern and an operations intern role that interest you, it's reasonable to apply to both — but tailor the resume keywords and any questionnaire responses to each specific position. Your application history is visible to recruiters across the portal, so strategic, targeted applications will create a stronger impression than a scattershot approach.

Sample Open Positions

View 15 Open Positions at Berkshire Hathaway →

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Sources

Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group Careers - National Indemnity Workday Portal — Berkshire Hathaway / National Indemnity Company
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Annual Report and Shareholder Letters — Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Berkshire Hathaway Company Reviews and Interview Insights — Glassdoor
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. - About Us and Insurance Operations — Berkshire Hathaway Inc.