A quick question...and then can be moved down

[samsoner]

the forum listing.

If you're someone who's not a seasoned freelancer and would like to pitch your skills for an entry-level summer position at a web dev company, what would you need to include in the pitch, depending on what they're looking for?

A former co-worker gave me 11 companies in my immediate area that were great for temporarily hiring college students. I am working on my pitch to send via their email form.

Salud!

[samsoner]

Was it something I said?

Yikes, 50 views and no replies.

I know what this economy is doing to professionals. Many of them can't find work and I choosing the freelance route because ABC Company doesn't have the budget to hire them full or part-time.

I know, because I worked at a PBS station as a student worker, through FASFA. There's no way in hell that the PBS station would hire me because they didn't have the money. After 8 months, I had to hit the road.

I realize that the 11 companies might only be interested in a person with years of experience and a masters in comp sci, but I still need to try while I'm submitting job applications to supermarkets and retailers.

[NetNerd85]

What skills and experience do you currently have? What is your pitch so far?

[samsoner]

This is what I have so far. But my question is: Should you write a letter to the companies you're interested in working for? How should you do it? If you have to do it by telephone, how can you bypass the receptionist?
What are some other ways besides cold-calling and cold-emailing?

I am not certain if my idea will work, but it's better than browsing through job search websites.

• Hello, my name is ________ and I am a communications student interested in the potential web design opportunities you have available this summer.
• I will gladly help out in the areas of entry-level webpage development, content updating, production art assistance and Flash animation.

• I can follow instructions well, complete tasks promptly, thoroughly check my work and consult with my supervisor for input. Additionally, I am enthusiastic about the web as a communications medium and will look forward to assisting co-workers with years of experience.

[e39m5]

Why talk about entry-level, and assistance? Let them decide the caliber of jobs they'll give you. There's no reason to request those positions. Just list your skills.

Remember that this company isn't actively seeking someone for the role you want to fill. If your letter is too formal, they'll just say "Were not hiring right now" without giving you an extra thought. You're looking for a summer position which only lasts 3 months. Your email needs to show that the cost of hiring you, which includes training and your pay, will be less than the amount they'll earn from you. Why won't it cost a lot for them to train you?

Also, never "put all your eggs in one basket." I find that it's a lot easier to get someone to like you if you have a few emails back and forth. If you give them everything, they'll have no reason to email you back.

Lastly, be open about compensation. Don't let them get away with paying you less than the cost of lunch and transportation, because this certainly shouldn't cost you anything. However, realize that this company is doing you a favor, and you shouldn't be expecting to get paid anything near what their long-term developers get paid. If you look at this as more of a learning experience than a contracting job, chances are food and transportation is enough of a stipend.

I'm speaking from my own experience, so no promises. I did this two years ago, and tried a lot cover letters for a lot of different companies. Ultimately, the one below is what worked out for me. There were no attachments to this email. I received an email interview a few days later, then a small code test, then went in for an in-house interview.

My name is [name] and I have extensive experience with PHP, MySQL, and AJAX technologies. I have developed a variety of applications ranging basic form submission to live multiplayer AJAX games.

Currently, I am seeking an internship for part of my senior year curriculum. The internship will be required to meet [my internship details]. I have worked freelance for the past two years and would love to secure a steady stream of work. Compensation
can be discussed.

Please let me know if you are interested and I will send more information. If you would like to see some of my work samples do not hesitate to ask.

The best part about this email is that the "senior year curriculum" I was referring to was for high school. They didn't figure out I wasn't in college until the in-house interview. I don't think you'll have to worry about this.

Good luck.

e39m5

[samsoner]

Thanks for the reply.

Could you elaborate more on this:

"Also, never "put all your eggs in one basket." I find that it's a lot easier to get someone to like you if you have a few emails back and forth. If you give them everything, they'll have no reason to email you back."

[samsoner]

Okay e39m5, here is my revision:

My name is ----- and I am interested in the possible internship opportunities at your company, where I can make the following contributions:

- Editing or updating web pages by hand-coded HTML, content management systems, blogging applications and web editors.

- Using Adobe Photoshop, Indesign or Fireworks to prepare images for the web.

- Flash animation assistance for interactive projects.

- Support tasks such as file-uploading, metadata creation, basic video editing, scanning images and administrative data entry.

If selected, you will find me to be a friendly and professional individual who can follow instructions well, complete tasks promptly, and thoroughly check my work.

Enclosed is my resume and a link to my portfolio. If you are interested in my qualifications I can be contacted via phone or email. Thank you for your consideration.

This will be for a paid/unpaid internship.