Spring 2011 Professional Internships

[tigerlily09]

Hey where did you hear that Lodging Management will know by next week? I have a panel interview at the end of the week and I thought they took a couple of weeks to make the decision.

Last semester our recruiters continually told us that no news is good news, yet hundreds of reps got the dreaded mass e-mail on May 1 and were left without a job after graduation. Don't trust everything they say.

Lodging management will know by next week.

Nov. 1 for all others would be great, but I'd be surprised/impressed.

 

[gatorlexi08]

Has anyone had a second round for Merchandise Management yet?

I don't mean to scare you but I'm assuming Merchandise Management is the same as Retail Management? Yes? If so, then my friend is already on her 3rd interview, but she's doing a CP right now so I'm pretty sure her process is expedited.

 

[gatorlexi08]

Last semester our recruiters continually told us that no news is good news, yet hundreds of reps got the dreaded mass e-mail on May 1 and were left without a job after graduation. Don't trust everything they say.

Lodging management will know by next week.

Nov. 1 for all others would be great, but I'd be surprised/impressed.

Argh. Well that is frustrating news, but whatever happens, happens. If it's meant to be, it will happen! If not, there's something else in the works for you.

 

[disneydevil316]

It sucks because i did not even have a chance to apply for the management PIs....i kept trying to get there and it would only let me try for the Alumni program...i interviewed for the Guest Relations, Magic Kingdom Event, and College Program Staff internships...hopefully i will get one...if not i am going back down as a concierge.

 

[PrincessClare]

It sucks because i did not even have a chance to apply for the management PIs....i kept trying to get there and it would only let me try for the Alumni program...i interviewed for the Guest Relations, Magic Kingdom Event, and College Program Staff internships...hopefully i will get one...if not i am going back down as a concierge.

When did you apply? There was an earlier deadline for MIs.

 

[disneydevil316]

When did you apply? There was an earlier deadline for MIs.

I applied in late august or early september i cant remember exactly

 

[fall08CP]

Hey where did you hear that Lodging Management will know by next week? I have a panel interview at the end of the week and I thought they took a couple of weeks to make the decision.

I can't tell you my source as I'm not sure they want to be outed. However, all of the other dates they gave me (Oct 5 week for GSO interviews, Oct 14 for all to be notified of next round interviews) have been correct. They say Oct 26 is the day offers will go out.

 

[Warrior09]

I had my first interview for Park Operations Managment PI in early September. If they haven't called me back by now does this mean that I have been passed over? Do they let you know that you are not in consideration anymore?

 

[tigerlily09]

I had my first interview for Park Operations Managment PI in early September. If they haven't called me back by now does this mean that I have been passed over? Do they let you know that you are not in consideration anymore?

It sounds like you are still in the running! I also applied for that and have only done a phone interview so far. I have not heard of anyone who has heard back yet. Did you apply for any other MIs or PIs?

 

[ArtGrrl79]

I can't tell you my source as I'm not sure they want to be outed. However, all of the other dates they gave me (Oct 5 week for GSO interviews, Oct 14 for all to be notified of next round interviews) have been correct. They say Oct 26 is the day offers will go out.

I've applied for Distribution Marketing Services Production Artist, Graphic Design and the Creative Entertainment Internships. Do you happen to have any info on those?
I interviewed in late September and thought it went very well. I would love to have some good news!

 

[tigerlily09]

I can't tell you my source as I'm not sure they want to be outed. However, all of the other dates they gave me (Oct 5 week for GSO interviews, Oct 14 for all to be notified of next round interviews) have been correct. They say Oct 26 is the day offers will go out.

Great. Thanks for the info. Did you apply to? If so are you doing a phone or in person panel?

 

[disneydevil316]

I have pretty much given up on getting a PI...i have the credentials, i have worked for the company twice already, i know pretty much everything needed to know for the role, i am overly qualified yet this is my third attempt and i dont think i got it.....ugh

 

[i3reakMeAgain]

Still haven't heard anything about food and bev MI's.. anybody have second interviews for any of the Alumni-only PIs? I talked to my recruiter from when I was a rep (just graduated) and he said as of right now, no news is still good news, but I'm still getting nervous since some people are already getting offers!

 

[disneydevil316]

I guess all my friends did not get in because no one i know has heard back yet....

 

[tigerlily09]

Thats a great thing. I have only heard back from 1 about another interview and the other 3 I have not heard anything from which is probably a good thing...its better than getting a rejection email! I bet you are still in the running. It should be any day now I bet!

 

[qawsed]

I had my first interview for Park Operations Managment PI in early September. If they haven't called me back by now does this mean that I have been passed over? Do they let you know that you are not in consideration anymore?

Still waiting after initial phone screen for this one as well.

 

[Warrior09]

For some reason I have been hearing rumors that people have heard back for second interviews already? Has anymore heard anything yet? Any updates?
Good Luck to all

 

[LAXNover]

I'm new here and I don't know how the application process usually goes but I talked with a recruiter on campus at an engineering career fair and then had a screening and an interview with hiring managers last Friday. Received a call today offering the position in IT Software today for the spring.

 

[hellojamie]

I was selected for a PI and just accepted my role in Internal Communications- Creative Entertainment. Since there are a lot of anxious people reading these threads (and I was one of them) I thought I'd share my interview process.

I applied for four Public Relations/Communications roles, since that was my focus in college and what my degree is based in. I applied for Social Media, Internal Communications, Public Relations, and Sales and Travel Public Relations. I also applied for several alumni-only positions, since I'm currently on the College Program.

I had my phone screening the day after I applied, and the interviewer asked me to rank my preferences. She asked pretty typical questions, do you prefer to work in a team or individually, name an experience when you encountered difficulties achieving x- pretty standard questions like they'd asked on my CP interview. Then she told me that she hoped I advanced and to look out for further communications by mail, phone, or email.

I then got an e-mail requesting my portfolio for the Internal Communications internship, but I think everyone sends in their portfolio. Since I'm in FL right now I had to have my mom send me my college transcripts, and most of my portfolio was in .PDF format on a CD since I didn't have access to a color printer. I was a little worried that my portfolio was weak, since I only included four samples- two writing and two design examples, but my transcript from school and my resume were really strong. I also took some creative liberties and didn't include a full cover letter, just a small paragraph about me and my aspirations, then some explanations of my portfolio contents, then a small note thanking whoever processed my portfolio saying that I hope they enjoyed my work as much as I'd enjoyed creating it. It just felt weird sending out a cover letter with "I would enhance the company with the following relevant skills."

I was rejected two days after my initial application date by Social Media (which I later found out had over 600 applications for just 1 spot), and then a few days after that I was rejected for the sales job. But I did get a second interview for Internal Communications a few days after they received my portfolio. I didn't get an e-mail asking me to schedule an interview, they called me and asked me to set it up right then. I was really surprised because it was a real number, not a restricted one, that popped up on my phone, and the girl that I scheduled my interview with was the one who actually facilitated my interview. Even though I'm currently in Orlando, I still had a phone interview. So it's not a given that you'll have an in-person interview.

When the actual call came, I found out I was on speakerphone in a room full of hiring managers. I didn't talk to anyone other than the girl running the interview, but it was super stressful knowing all those people were listening in. My interviewer told me a little more about the job position, that there were 16 spots I was being considered for, and the different areas I could be placed in.

The questions were a lot harder- right off the bat, they started with, "Tell us about yourself." HAVE YOUR 'PITCH' READY. I wasn't prepared for how fast the interview kicked off, and I wished I'd practiced for that question before. I managed a decent little spiel but I would have felt a lot more confident if I'd had something prepared.

Other questions were about my software skill sets and they asked about my portfolio, as well as my past experiences working in team settings, how I overcame difficult situations, disagreements with colleagues, different questions like that. Then they finished with why I wanted to work for Disney and what I could bring to the company. I was very honest and did my best to just be myself and be enthusiastic and excited without overdoing it. There was VERY little feedback on the other end of the line, which made it even more nerve wracking, because it felt like we were just shooting through the questions.

The whole call lasted around 11 minutes, and at the end I was told that they would be interviewing over the next couple of weeks and that they would let me know before Thanksgiving.

I prepared myself for the waiting game, but the next day while I was at work I just had this weird feeling that Disney had called. I checked my phone on break, and there was a voicemail from a lady in Casting wanting to talk with me for 10-15 minutes regarding the positions I'd applied for. Of course when I called back she was out of her office. I must have called a million times that evening to keep checking. I figured it was good news, since it doesn't take ten minutes to tell someone no. Finally I got a call around 7 pm, when I'd stopped expecting it. She went through a checklist making sure I had my own transportation, could meet Disney Look guidelines, etc, and then officially offered me the role. Of course I immediately accepted and then called my mom. It's still sinking in that I got it, to be honest.

My advice- be yourself during the interview. Let them know you really want it, and don't be afraid to take risks. And don't freak out waiting just because you hear of people getting interviews/accepted. Every department is different. Some handle everything by e-mail, some do panel interviews, some don't do second interviews at all. I learned in one of my DU classes that PR really got on the ball interviewing people, but other departments are still just now starting initial processing. And I never heard anything about any of the Alumni-only, rejecting me or otherwise. So keep up hope and I wish everyone else the best of luck!

 

[gatorlexi08]

Thank you so much hellojamie! Your post was extremely helpful!