Interns, interns, interns.

This morning while stopped watching the pedestrians crossing the road, I realized one of them was I gone of my interns so I honked to get his attention [My windows don't open if it's been cold overnight] and gave him a lift to work. The same intern I saw walking down St Regis yesterday [where he was almost at work - he got to door before I did walking from parking lot].  I told him about how I wished I'd had my camera because the guy walking made a nice contrast with all the whiteness of the snow.  Told him that I realized when I got closer that it was him.   Also told him years ago I used to wait for the bus at the corner where I picked him up and randomly on some mornings someone from work would see me waiting and give me a lift to work. So that if I see him I'll stop again next time.  He's a nice intern.

I get to my desk this morning and there's a plant on my desk. A purple mini  bell-flower. It was just weird, no note, nothing. Don't know if it was for International woman's day or if it was for another reason. Really I'm puzzled. I asked a couple of people, and no one knew. So I guess I'll never know.  It's quite pretty. I just have to remember to bring a plate and find room for it. Of course, it's also something once summer comes I can plant outside.

I got an email late today from a Coop university coordinator asking me if I could tell him how one of the students I interviewed did on her interview and if there were reasons why she wasn't chosen.  As it turned out, no reason other then luck of the draw. I interviewed around 20 students and out of that number I liked 8 and I had 3 positions to fill with different requirements.   I had first and second choices and even third choices for some spots. 

If my first and second choice for my 'person friday student' had both been from that particular university  he would have seen she had been picked as 2nd choice. Unfortunately my first choice was from another university and I'd been waiting over 2 weeks for a confirmation that he'd accepted the offer. We had given him the deadline of today for an answer and then I would have contacted 2nd choice to make an offer. 

Why I chose the intern I did? I connected better with the first choice. Of all the students I interviewed several weeks ago, he was the one I was instantly at ease with. He had all the skills I was looking for, and a perfect GPA. I figured he'd get lots of offers based on his GPA alone and I would probably not be his first choice with my very junior position.

On the other hand the 2nd choice student I really liked too. She was eager, had enthusiasm and wasn't afraid of hardware, something rare in female internship candidates. She had all the skills I was looking for too. One weakness was that she has zero French, but  she doesn't need it to work in my team. She is taking French classes so keenly aware of the fact it's needed to work in Quebec. English, her second language is still not 100% but I understood her fine.

I wrote back to the coop coordinator that I liked the student and that in summer we get twice as many applicants and it was just luck of the draw.  I also told him why I liked her.  It could just as easily have been her who got the job.  I suspect that the student asked the coordinator why she didn't get the job.