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In the Season 3 Finale of The Office episode "The Job", Michael, Karen and Jim (and we later learn Ryan) all apply for a job at corporate. When Jim is in his interview, its clear that David Wallace is impressed with him and Jim seems to interview very well, but also appears to make the decision to dump Karen and finally date Pam while he is in the interview.

We see him find Pam's note to him and talk about how much he appreciates the friendships at the Scranton Branch and then it cuts to him driving alone and then we see him back at the office in Scranton asking Pam to go to dinner with him. Did he leave Karen in New York? That's a different question of course and not what I'm asking here.

What we don't see is David Wallace ever offering him the job. I got the impression that he was offered the job but turned it down so he could stay in Scranton and date Pam, and so they offered the job to Ryan because he was the only choice left. Is there any evidence that Jim was offered the job? Was it ever mentioned later in the show or in an interview?

2 Answers 2

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So I kept watching and this question is answered in Season 4 Episode 3 "The Launch Party"

Michael: Doesn't it piss you off sometimes that little twerp got the promotion over us?

Jim: Oh, actually I withdrew from consideration.

Michael: Yeah, I withdrew too.

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I don't have an official quote from the makers of The Office (US) but by logically deducing, it looks like Jim walked out of the interview midway when he saw Pams letter and told David Wallace to not consider him for the corporate position.

There were 4 candidates, Michael, Karen, Jim and Ryan. Michael, walked out of the interview and asked David to not consider him for the job. We don't know when Ryan went in for his interview. He might have gone in before or after everyone else. But neither of them hung around the corporate office for the results. This suggests that David took considerable amount of time to review their interviews and select the candidate for the job and then selected Ryan over Karen. That's how the interview process works, no?

The determination, certainty and clarity on Jim's face when he interjected Pam's interview in the conference room suggest that he made a decision to stay at Scranton and conveyed it to David during his interview.

TL; DR; Jim was never offered the corporate job, he walked off the interview midway, removing himself from consideration.

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