Maybe Jim recommended Ryan.

I don't know if David offered him the job and I think that he was already considering Ryan because he told Micheal that they were going to go a different direction. I kind of think they interviewing the other folks to get a feel for the talent in Scranton. I think that Jim's turning point was when David asked him where he saw himself in 10 years. At that point he realized that he did not see himself in NY with Karen and without Pam. I think he felt that it would be better to be in Scranton at DM so he could be with his best friend.

I think, after seeing Pam's note, Jim decided to break up with Karen, stay in Scranton and pursue a relationship with Pam. He, then, stopped the interview and said he wasn't interested in the job, after all.

Yes, I agree. After thinking about it, Jim leveled with David Wallace and said he wasn't interested in the job.

BTW, Ryan was the best pick for the job because, in addition to having the degree, he was young, computer-savvy and knew DM as it was was failing (reference his speech to his business class). Wallace hired Ryan because he thought Ryan was the best one to take DM into the "online business" world.