At one point in my life, I dreamed of owning a book store. I loved the idea of working in a book store, but the actual job was a poor fit. I had the skills to do the work. But it didn’t fulfill what I wanted out of the job.
Here’s what I wanted: I loved books and read voraciously. I saw myself creating a space for people who loved books as much as I did. In my imagination, I saw people having conversations about books, and ideas, and writing.
I quit my programming job and got a job in a book store. It seemed like a good idea to test it out before I plowed my savings into buying one.
I had the skills to do the job. But I ended up in a situation that was an intolerable lack of needs fit. (Though It did meet the goal of testing my idea. I learned that working in/owing a bookstore was not for me.)
The hiring manager explored my skills, but not what I wanted out of a job. I didn’t explore that either, because I didn’t know then what I learned as a hiring manager. Skills fit leads to a happy employer–they have someone who can do the work. But needs fit–what the employee wants out of a job and what the job offers–leads to a happy employee.
