NEVER DO THIS TO A PERSPECTIVE EMPLOYER (Shawna Welter/shawnaleigh1d@gmail.com)

Follow this chain of emails.  Another winning job enquiry from someone who has the resources to make a good impression, but failed miserably.

From: Drew
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 12:45 PM
To: Shawna Welter

Subject: Re: Internships

Dear Shawna -- and sister,

Apparently you have missed the point about applying for internships.  They are for getting real world experience and education by professionals who are working in the industry.  I personally, have had 25+ years of instructing, coaching and mentoring individuals in various settings -- retail, entertainment in its various aspects, and legal. So, yes, as a professional, I am qualified to give feedback and advice.

One of the things we do for our interns is to help them sell themselves and their talents.  We also do this for those who are starting out and reached out, just like you have, and we are one of the few in the business in Orlando that will actually take the time to proffer feedback.  Lashing out because I had called you out on a few important details on how oneself should present themselves professionally is totally inappropriate.  Either say "Thank you for your time" or not respond at all.  The last response just shows your maturity level and how one deals with rejection, which is rather unpalatable.

Being a first timer to the internship hunt is no excuse for a)  not knowing how to search for internships, and b)  displaying such behavior and responses to our feedback.  You, Shawna, should have used the many resources available at your disposal to learn how to brand and market yourself effectively.

Which leads me to my next point:  Watch carefully what you say and how it is said.  Reviewing who this email was sent to, my business partners and I know either on a personal or professional level many of the recipients that you had sent your initial email of enquiry to.  What you did in response to our feedback, in the eyes of many in the entertainment industry, is career suicide, as we do talk.  And you have no idea if and to whom emails get forwarded.

Personal attacks on with your opinion as to how we present ourselves as a company and a business, are totally inappropriate.  Again, I repeat, if you didn't like the response, then either say "Thank you for your time." or not respond at all.

Finally, you are not only representing yourself, you are also representing the school you are attending.  This not only reflects on you, it reflects upon your instructors, your program and your school.  You might have spoiled it for your colleagues and classmates who are also trying to get internships.

Think carefully about the points I have made.  No response required or requested.  After carefully considering your email, my response should suffice for closure of this matter.

Drew

On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 1:28 AM, Shawna Welter <shawnaleigh1d@gmail.com> wrote:

Drew,

Thank you for taking the time to provide me with the gift of feedback. The e-mail was beautifully crafted, truly. I would expect nothing less from a creative individual at AEO Studios. A greater testament to your studio's repertoire, however, is your company website. Was that also a product of your own design? It is  impressive, to say the least. If a website like that does not "project a professional image", I don't know what does. Sure, it reeks of 1997, but hey! If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Before you condemn me, you should probably know that this is not Shawna speaking, but her older sister, a professional web developer. Allow me to offer you the "gift of feedback", no charge. You should really tidy up your own online presence before you offer unsolicited advice to college freshmen about the biz. Many words came to mind when I saw your site, but "professional" was not one of them. As a studio whose primary business is design and special effects - in other words, VISUALS - your site should be VISUALLY appealing, don't you think? As it stands now, the site does nothing for the studio's credibility. Had I seen your site before my sister contacted you, I would have told her not to waste her time.

Forgive me, Drew; I'm just blowing off steam. I know you were probably just trying to help. Shawna's just getting started, and she's allowed to be unprofessional for a little while. Next time, leave the advising to her professors. Just answer her questions, or don't reply at all.

Best,

Shawna's Big Sister

PS - I'm serious about the website. It's gross. You should really tell someone.

On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 11:33 PM, wrote:

Shawna,

Thank you for your enquiry.  Here is some important information that you need to know in order to land that ideal internship:

Do your research:  Sending a mass email to assorted people says that you know nothing about each individual company that you are making enquiries, which means you didn't make the effort to fine tune your search, therefore making you look either lazy or desperate.  Had you done your research about us, you would discover that we are a Special FX studio that caters to various elements of the entertainment industry, that we do not accept unsolicited submissions for interns, but if you choose to submit yourself, to send pertinent information by snail mail.

Contacting perspective internship opportunities:  Sending a mass email is also unprofessional.  Any enquiries should be catered to that specific company with the following in your correspondence:  what you know about the company, why you want to work with that company, your career goals, how your skills, education, and experience can benefit that company, and how we can benefit from what you offer.  If you are going to solicit for opportunities by email, at least have a list of credits and a sampling of work product attached to the email so we can decide for ourselves if you are worth approaching.  Finally, no one needs to know who else you contacted, as that can potentially lead to lots of drama, as there are rivalries in the industry and there are people out there that do love to bad mouth their enemies.  You don't need to know that, nor should you be subject to that.

It is rare in the industry to receive honest and fair feedback, and most likely this email would end up deleted or in the trash can.  We feel that it is important that people understand how to be professional and how to project that image, so we are taking the time to give you the gift of feedback.

Thank you for your interest.  We wish you luck in your search.

Very Truly Yours,

Drew

On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 3:14 PM, Shawna Welter <shawnaleigh1d@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello!

My name is Shawna Welter, I'm a student at Valencia College, and I was wondering if you offer film internships? What exactly do they consist of, and what other information would I need to know to possibly work with you all? Thank you!

     - Shawna W.