Determining "fit"

I've seen the term "fit" thrown around here during recruiting season as a way to choose between cross offers. Having chosen an MBB over another for this past summer as an intern, I'm become disillusioned with the idea of fit. More accurately, I've become a firm believer in the notion behavioral economists and psychologists push: humans are really bad at predicting what will make them happy. With the limited sample size of interactions during recruiting season (a few coffee chats, interviews, and phone calls), is it actually possible to determine how well I'll fit in culturally? It seems we overweight fit when we have a limited sample size to determine fit, and are inherently bad at predicting fit. And can you really determine fit through networking, interviews and coffee chats?

I mean I've heard the idea that McKinsey is elitist, BCG is nerdy and Bain is fratty thrown around a lot, but experience has shown me that it was the exact opposite. YMMV, but it seems like we convince ourselves that we will "fit in" when in actuality we have no idea.

This is especially relevant to me since I'm thinking about getting an MBA, and everyone keeps throwing around the idea of a cultural fit as well.

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Recently dinged a kid that was 1h away from getting an offer. He was literally meeting the team after doing well on the case and technicals with another associate and VP during a previous round. During our meeting, I asked him to tell me why he wanted this job and his answer was: “I met with 25 of my father’s friends who work in finance and two recommended you guys, so here I am!” with a straight face. It was an auto-fucking-matic no for me for multiple reasons, the first one being the entitlement to a desirable job because of daddy’s recommendations without having truly hustled for it and, of course, his inability to see how that answer to come off as arrogant. I should also mention that he had gotten the interview because of daddy’s friends, who called up our CEO. Anyways, moving on. Then, just to make sure, I quizzed him on the time when he had to work the hardest during a tight deadline and the answer was when he left work at 9pm on a Friday. Another VP in the room who also hustled like nuts to be where he is today just faked a call at this point because of the answer made him want to vomit blood. THAT’S how I gauge fit. If I hate your guts after 5 minutes of chit chatting, best of luck getting my OK to spend 12h+ per day working with me on stressful deals.

 

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