Transcontinental Talent - Wilhemina Scouting Network ripoff college kids looking for summer internships Norfolk Virginia

I sit here, reading everyone's horror stories about their encounters with TCT or Wilhemina (I wonder what the new name change will be?). I can't believe that this scam is so wide spread.

I came across TCT/WSN as a college freshman looking for summer work. I was a theater major, so the school's career center would often send me information on jobs that are related to the entertainment industry.

The job sounded too good to be true-it was. I had never heard of TCT or WSN before so I had no idea of what I was getting into. I applied, believing that I would be earning $1500-2000 for the summer as an intern. The interview was one on one in an office AT MY COLLEGE! I thought that everything was legit!

When I started, I never really got specific instructions on what my job resposibilities were; I was told to straighten up before open calls. I was told to come to two open calls per week. When I asked the office director about payday, he tells me "You don't get paid". That absolutely blew me away-I had been there for almost two and a half weeks!

The office director told me that I could earn that money by scouting, so I thought that I would give it a try. They explained the process to me for about an hour, on my first venture out, I failed miserably.

As my frustration with the job continued to mount, they switched up the office directors! We got a woman from an office in North Carolina, while the other was in Florida for some random thing-I don't remember. She tells me that I should be spending more time in the office if I am an intern, but by then I'd had it.

I took the job because I needed money but with parking and gas expenses, I ended up putting out more than I was getting back. I don't even want to think about the amount of people who have wasted their money, thinking that this was the beginning of an exciting career.

What concerns me even more is that I recently saw my former office director back at my school. Looking for fresh meat for this summer I suppose.

Dannah
Norfolk, Virginia
U.S.A.