22. A Few Words of Advice

"Dear Emily,

Thank you very much for your interest in the Publicity Intern position at Pixar. 

We are fortunate to have many qualified candidates apply to each of our positions, and after careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with other candidates who more closely meet the needs of the position. 

We wish you success in your career endeavors and sincerely appreciate your interest in Pixar!
 
Best wishes, 
Pixar Recruiting"

But, this is how I look at it:

" The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people."

- Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

I can't say that I'm not even a little bit sad about receiving this email, because deep down I wanted to think that I at least had a chance. 97% acknowledged how competitive of a program this was and therefore had realistic expectations about the outcome of my application. But there was still that 3% of me that absorbed all the confidence I have and let me play with the idea that there was even the slightest possibility that this could happen, and it could be me. With all that said, I can honestly say that I wasn't at all surprised by the rejection. Which is why I made certain that I have other arrangements lined up for the summer, that I'm really looking forward to. I have an opportunity to do some freelance work through a creative agency in San Francisco, called Creative Circle. From this experience and my summer planning, I've learned 3 very important things:
1. Always, always, always be persistent.
I sent over 100 emails to advertising and creative agencies in San Francisco about 4 months ago, inquiring about any possible opportunities they might have for internships or shadowing programs. What did I get back? absolutely nothing. Over 100 emails out, and not a single one of them returned. I was so shocked and confused that I called the only person I know who's kind of obligated to hear my whine and complain about my frustrations, my mother. But I'm really glad I did, because she shared some really important advice that will help me no matter what I end up doing in life. She told me to always be persistent. She said I needed to show them that I'm not the person who just sends out a bunch of emails to hundreds of different agencies and just expects to get something promising in return. I have to make an effort to show them that I'm here to stay, whether they chose to act on it or not. I have to follow up and let them know that I'm still interested and willing to stay on top of it because that shows them how much I want it. It show that I can get over the brick wall because I want it that badly.
2. Make the connection.
Its all about who you know. I can't stress this enough. Even the brightest and most talented people need connections. What you know and what you're capable of doing is not enough to get you where you need to be. Make as many connections as you possibly can, and keep track of them. Because one of those connections just might open the door to your future. I would not have gotten the opportunity to work with Creative Circle this summer without my connections. If my mother's friend's daughter hadn't worked in San francisco and reached out to her friends working in the city, the opportunity would have never exisited. Its all about who you know, and more importantly, who they know.
3. Embrace the brick wall.
If I let myself feel defeated for not beating the odds and getting the Pixar internship, I would gain nothing at all from the experience. This experience has two things to offer: an internship, and an opportunity to learn, grow, and move forward. I didn't get the internship, but I did get something i believe is just as valuable. This is such a major part of the real world. There will always be "other candidates who more closely meet the needs of the position". There will always be hundreds of people with your skills, your talent, and your persistence. You have to stand out by embracing the brick wall. You can't let yourself be defeated by the realization that you're not the only qualified candidate. The brick wall is there for a reason. The brick wall allows you to prove that you're able to take rejection and turn it into a positive experience that pushes you to move on to bigger and better things.