I completely agree with Susan, as there are many non-technical aspects of jobs that also need to ‘fit’- and Susan covered that well. But there are times where the technical fit isn’t ‘perfect’. Not all job openings are expected to be filled with exactly the skillset that a company wants. For example, when I got my first job out of school, the cell therapy R&D group at BD had an opening for a Surface Chemist (for peptide modifications of biomaterials), and a cell biologist able to look for conditions for switching cells between proliferation and differentiation. With a Tissue Engineering PhD, I modified biomaterials with peptides, and did the cell biology – but I didn’t consider myself a chemist, or a cell biologist. They also didn’t consider me a chemist or a cell biologist – I was a hybrid that knew a little of both but not either as deeply as they wanted. I was a great fit for the group – both scientifically and personally, but there wasn’t a position open that I was great for. I told them I would accept a Post Doc position in the group for less money (i really wanted this job) so they could keep both positions open, and it was a big success. I even turned down a full Scientist position at another company just because of the ‘fit’ that was created with BD. They liked me and were flexible,and I was promoted to a Scientist in 1.5 years. BD got a lot out of my background, and I got a lot out of the position – a real win-win situation. A good ‘fit’ leads to the ideal win-win where both sides are getting a lot out of the business agreement, in this case, a job.

Best Regards from The Regeneration Station, and good luck in your own job search.

Jon

what i meant about asking about “fit” was that addressing this question to interviewers (toward the end of the interview) allows you to get a sense of whether they are interested in you and if they feel you (personality, background, etc.) are a fit with the position, their group and company. hearing their response allows you to also address their comments/concerns.

one important thing about fit is that although the company and position may be great, you really need to evaluate how well you think you will interact with the group and particularly the hiring manager you will be working with directly.

hope this clarification helps.