To the candidate I’d like to say that I did wonder at the time of the original post if there were some US/Canada differences afoot, such as the endemic class structure that seems to undermine the so-called meritocracy the US purports to support when in reality the old boys networks are still hoarding all the juicy jobs. I dunno. I always did think Canada was the real land of milk and honey. ; )

I hear your pain re the rejections and your life history. In no way do I want to belittle any of that. Sadly, as human as these experiences are, we cannot use them to explain away certain behviours in a work context. Believe me, I’ve tried. But now you know. Lesson learned. I work with people with horrendous personal stories, but they get the job done and don’t act out. Just be careful about that, that’s all. And this comes from someone who fracked up from 20 - 39 (I’m 40 now) so cut your mistake years shorter than mine, kiddo.

I sincerely wish for you the job that makes the most of your skills, your heart and your soul. There is a reason this whole thing happened, so make use of it. I wish you the absolute best.

Scary Liz Phillips

Hire her. Forget the typos, forget the outburst. The fact that she showed contrition and humor about the incident, AND the fact that she was a good sport about opening herself up publicly to possible harsh judgment and ridicule shows that she has some real character. Maybe she’s not the most qualified candidate you’ve received, but I’ve seen some real emotional maturity and resiliency just in this thread that I don’t see in people twice her age.

And if you hire her, I think you’d have one of the most hard-working, loyal people in you and your company’s future.

I still feel that the candidate was way out of line with her original comments. They were unprofessional. However, she has since apologized, and shown some personality. That counts a lot in my books.

On the other hand, her writing was not great, and her language was rough in the piece she wrote. Not good. On the other OTHER hand, she’s still young and learning. So…

I’d express my concerns, and hire her. She made some mistakes, but we all learn a lot more from our mistakes than we do from what we get right. And the last thing any growing company needs is someone who never makes mistakes. I’d give her a chance, but make sure she knows that she’s the one who will determine whether or not she works out.

When I was 24, my writing skills were not that great either. Perhaps they still aren’t. But aren’t internships all about learning?

I think she’s got heart - and at this point in the game, that’s what really matters.

Best of luck to you!

Dude, if she thinks you’re tall, hire her.

Also, sending out 250 resumes is horrifying. Someone give her a break…

What do you want? A good employee; a good writer; a spunky character with balls… “What is the job at hand?” is the number one question. “Do you like her” or “Can she banter with the big boys?” should be further down the list.

If you’re looking for good writing - look at her writing. If that’s there and you can stand her spunky character and balls, then hire her; end of story. I, however, get the distinct feeling she’s a “Yeah, but…” kind of person. We all know the type.

Note to spunky applicant: Nothing personal, babe. Just an observation from an experienced …bounty hunter.

I do rather agree with a few of the previous commenters when it comes to grammar issues in her writing. There are a few instances of random capitalization and her rhetorical questions lack question marks - but grammar skills can be honed.

When do we learn the results Matt?

Whether you hire her or not, this incident has already taught her more than she bargained for and if not you, then someone else will hire her simply on the merit that she is capable of taking responsibility for her actions, meets challenges head on and when push comes to shove, she’s willing to fight dirty for what she believes in.