This morning I had my interview for the Marine Mammal Professional Internship! I wanted to share my experience with you all because there is very little information available online about Animal Programs Internships, and even less information about the Marine Mammal Internship.
My interview was at 9:30 AM with Kim, the marine mammal manager. We used a program called Blue Jeans, which is an online video conferencing program, to conduct the interview. I was really nervous about using Blue Jeans because I've heard rumors that there are a lot of technical difficulties with it, but everything was fine and the audio and visual worked perfectly the entire interview! I rented a room in my school's career center for the interview and arrived about 20 minutes early. I made sure to dress in business casual clothing and I was in Disney Look as well! I logged in about 8 minutes early to make sure everything was working properly and because I wanted to be online when Kim joined. She joined the conference at exactly 9:30 and our interview began!
The interview began with her just going over some basic information: making sure I had full work availability, that I could lift 50 pounds, and that I understood that this was a learning opportunity and that it would not involve a lot of hands-on work with animals. Then we moved into discussing my prior experience in the field and how it related to the requirements of the internship. We then moved on to discussing this specific internship and why my personality and particular interests drew me to this position. Finally, we wrapped up with some general information about what to expect if accepted and I asked her a few questions before we ended the interview! All in all, it was a 24 minute conference call.
I was extremely nervous before the interview, mostly because I feel as though there is a lot riding on this internship opportunity. I'm graduating in May so I am really hoping to get an internship with Disney so I can begin my post-grad career with the company. However, as soon as the interview started I relaxed and felt very at ease talking with Kim! We laughed and had a genuinely good time. I think the interview went really well and I'm happy with the way I presented myself and my experiences.
Kim did inform me that she is interviewing for 6 positions from a pool of approximately 75 applicants, so the competition is extremely intense for this internship! I am not sure if all 75 applicants get interviews or not, but regardless, there are a lot of people vying for very few positions! Regardless of the outcome, I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to interview for this dream role and I feel really good about my performance. Now I get to continue playing the waiting game and keep my fingers crossed for some good news in the next few weeks!
February 24, 2016
February 23, 2016
Update on Applications
So, as predicted, the first DCP acceptances did go out at the end of last week and the beginning of this week. Unfortunately, I was not a part of the first wave of acceptances, however I still am in progress! I know there is really no rhyme or reason to the waves of acceptances, but it's still frustrating to not hear anything! I'm just trying to remain patient and I'm constantly refreshing my email and dashboard!
However, on the bright side, I received an email from the Marine Mammals Department over the weekend to set up an interview with their team! I have an interview set up for tomorrow, February 24, at 9:30 AM! We are going to be doing a video conference. I'm so excited for the opportunity to speak with some members of the team and tell them about myself, my experiences, and my passion for animal care and training! I'm going to be spending most of today preparing for the interview. I booked a room in my career center so that I have a professional background and I'll be wearing business casual "Disney Look" clothes!
I'm so excited for my interview. I'll be sure to blog about it tomorrow and let you know how it goes!
February 15, 2016
This Week?!
Last week there was a DCP Twitter Q&A session with Marcie, one of Disney's recruiters (and also the administrator of the Disney Alumni Association, in case you were curious!). She answered a lot of questions that were posed to her using the hashtag #AskDCP. If you're interested in learning more about the program, I highly recommend searching #AskDCP on Twitter to view the question and answer session! However, probably the most exciting news to come out of her Q&A session was that the first wave of acceptances will be starting this week!
While I'm obviously thrilled with the news that the first acceptances will be coming out very soon, this is still a very vague response. Why? Because not everyone gets accepted during the first "wave" of acceptances. Also, "this week" could mean any day or time during this week. It's 6:30 on Monday night now, so the whole day has gone by without anyone seeing any acceptances. Does "this week" mean tomorrow... Friday?!
Anyway, the point is that I hope to start hearing news from Disney very soon! While I would love to be a part of the first wave of acceptances, I really will be excited once ANYONE hears back, because that means the acceptance process has started. Once it starts, it usually goes pretty quickly with acceptances rolling out every few days, so it will make the waiting less difficult. Last time I applied I only had to wait 13 days after my phone interview to hear about my acceptance. This year, it seems like Disney is doing things a lot differently. On Friday it will officially be one month since my interview and it's been way more than a month since I submitted my application. Disney is certainly testing my patience this time around!
So, to wrap up this whole post, Recruiter Marcie claims that the first acceptances for the Fall 2016 DCP will go out this week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will be fortunate enough to hear about my status sooner rather than later!!
While I'm obviously thrilled with the news that the first acceptances will be coming out very soon, this is still a very vague response. Why? Because not everyone gets accepted during the first "wave" of acceptances. Also, "this week" could mean any day or time during this week. It's 6:30 on Monday night now, so the whole day has gone by without anyone seeing any acceptances. Does "this week" mean tomorrow... Friday?!
Anyway, the point is that I hope to start hearing news from Disney very soon! While I would love to be a part of the first wave of acceptances, I really will be excited once ANYONE hears back, because that means the acceptance process has started. Once it starts, it usually goes pretty quickly with acceptances rolling out every few days, so it will make the waiting less difficult. Last time I applied I only had to wait 13 days after my phone interview to hear about my acceptance. This year, it seems like Disney is doing things a lot differently. On Friday it will officially be one month since my interview and it's been way more than a month since I submitted my application. Disney is certainly testing my patience this time around!
So, to wrap up this whole post, Recruiter Marcie claims that the first acceptances for the Fall 2016 DCP will go out this week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will be fortunate enough to hear about my status sooner rather than later!!
February 8, 2016
Professional Internship Questionnaires
On Thursday afternoon I was fortunate enough to move on to the next step of the professional internship application process - the questionnaire! I received an email from the Animals, Science and Environment Talent Management Team letting me know that they had received my application from the Disney Campus Recruitment team and that I had passed the initial screening process. It then went to answer some FAQs (program timeline, requirements, etc.) and then ask for me to fill out and return the attached questionnaires. I was so thankful to see three questionnaires attached to the email, because that means I moved on in the process for all three of the internships I applied for!
The questionnaires were essentially asking for me to elaborate on my resume. For each position it listed the basic requirements that you have to meet in order to be able to qualify for the internship. I had to check off that I met the requirements and then it gave me space below several of them to explain how I met them. Essentially, this was just elaborating on my experience and letting the team know how I have used it to prepare for this internship opportunity.
It took me about 2 hours to complete all three questionnaires. I checked them over numerous times and even called my mom and read them aloud to her to make sure they sounded professional! I'm so thankful to have family that is supporting me through this whole process - it makes the application and waiting periods much less stressful!
I'm currently waiting to hear confirmation from the ASE Talent Management Team that they received my questionnaires. Several people did hear today, but they all applied Thursday night and I didn't send mine in until Friday afternoon. I had a really busy Thursday with several meetings and a lot of homework, so I waited until Friday to submit them so I had the time to sit down and actually think about how to best answer each question. I'm hoping to hear confirmation tomorrow (Tuesday), but I'm trying not to stress myself out about it too much - I have faith that they received them and are processing them!
One more thing about the questionnaires that I want to stress is that Animal Programs applicants are the only ones who receive them! Most of the other positions have phone screens with recruiters. I would equate the questionnaire to a phone screen in that you're just elaborating on your experience and trying to let recruiting know why you're the best one for the job!
If you have any specific questions about any point thus far in the application process, feel free to let me know! I'll be keeping you posted on this magical journey!
The questionnaires were essentially asking for me to elaborate on my resume. For each position it listed the basic requirements that you have to meet in order to be able to qualify for the internship. I had to check off that I met the requirements and then it gave me space below several of them to explain how I met them. Essentially, this was just elaborating on my experience and letting the team know how I have used it to prepare for this internship opportunity.
It took me about 2 hours to complete all three questionnaires. I checked them over numerous times and even called my mom and read them aloud to her to make sure they sounded professional! I'm so thankful to have family that is supporting me through this whole process - it makes the application and waiting periods much less stressful!
I'm currently waiting to hear confirmation from the ASE Talent Management Team that they received my questionnaires. Several people did hear today, but they all applied Thursday night and I didn't send mine in until Friday afternoon. I had a really busy Thursday with several meetings and a lot of homework, so I waited until Friday to submit them so I had the time to sit down and actually think about how to best answer each question. I'm hoping to hear confirmation tomorrow (Tuesday), but I'm trying not to stress myself out about it too much - I have faith that they received them and are processing them!
One more thing about the questionnaires that I want to stress is that Animal Programs applicants are the only ones who receive them! Most of the other positions have phone screens with recruiters. I would equate the questionnaire to a phone screen in that you're just elaborating on your experience and trying to let recruiting know why you're the best one for the job!
If you have any specific questions about any point thus far in the application process, feel free to let me know! I'll be keeping you posted on this magical journey!
February 2, 2016
Waiting, Waiting, Waiting
So it's been over a week now since my last post discussing my professional internship applications. Absolutely nothing has changed, but I wanted to check in and let people know that I'm still here, still waiting, and still as excited as ever!
I'm still "in progress" for my College Program. "In progress" is typically a good sign. It means that your application has been reviewed and you are still in the running as a qualified applicant. For me, I've already completed my WBI and phone interview, so the next step in the process will be a decision. Today marks three weeks since the applications opened (20 days since I applied) and yesterday was two weeks after the first interview. I anticipate that acceptances will start going out very soon (hopefully this week), and I pray that I will be one of the lucky ones accepted again!
As far as my Professional Internships (PIs) go, I'm still "in submission". Submission isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's also not as good as "in progress." Submission typically means they haven't had time to look at your application yet OR they need more time to review your application to see if they want you to move on with the process. In my case, it seems as though everyone who has applied to Animal Programs internships is still in submission. My interpretation of that is that the Animal Programs team just hasn't had time to go over applications yet. People from previous years are saying that it took them 4-5 weeks to get an interview with Animal Programs, so I'm not too worried yet. I would love to see some movement on my Dashboard (Disney's communication system), but I'm going to stay calm until more time has passed. It's only been 8 days since I applied for PIs, so there is still plenty of time for things to happen/change. My understanding of the PI process is that is is much longer and more drawn out than the college program process.
UPDATE: As of 12 PM on February 2nd, I became "In progress" for all three of my professional internships! I guess all it took was me posting about the waiting game for some movement to happen!
So, I find myself playing the waiting game yet again. My advice to all of you who are joining me in this (agonizing) game of waiting is to stay calm and stay positive! It's a good sign if you are still in the running! Check your dashboard/email a few times a day, but don't consistently refresh it all day. It will only make you more crazy and it doesn't change when Disney will send out acceptances at all. One major thing I have learned as a Cast Member with the Walt Disney Company is that Disney does things when they want and how they want. The only thing we can do is wait - and have faith, trust, and pixie dust!
I'm still "in progress" for my College Program. "In progress" is typically a good sign. It means that your application has been reviewed and you are still in the running as a qualified applicant. For me, I've already completed my WBI and phone interview, so the next step in the process will be a decision. Today marks three weeks since the applications opened (20 days since I applied) and yesterday was two weeks after the first interview. I anticipate that acceptances will start going out very soon (hopefully this week), and I pray that I will be one of the lucky ones accepted again!
As far as my Professional Internships (PIs) go, I'm still "in submission". Submission isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's also not as good as "in progress." Submission typically means they haven't had time to look at your application yet OR they need more time to review your application to see if they want you to move on with the process. In my case, it seems as though everyone who has applied to Animal Programs internships is still in submission. My interpretation of that is that the Animal Programs team just hasn't had time to go over applications yet. People from previous years are saying that it took them 4-5 weeks to get an interview with Animal Programs, so I'm not too worried yet. I would love to see some movement on my Dashboard (Disney's communication system), but I'm going to stay calm until more time has passed. It's only been 8 days since I applied for PIs, so there is still plenty of time for things to happen/change. My understanding of the PI process is that is is much longer and more drawn out than the college program process.
UPDATE: As of 12 PM on February 2nd, I became "In progress" for all three of my professional internships! I guess all it took was me posting about the waiting game for some movement to happen!
So, I find myself playing the waiting game yet again. My advice to all of you who are joining me in this (agonizing) game of waiting is to stay calm and stay positive! It's a good sign if you are still in the running! Check your dashboard/email a few times a day, but don't consistently refresh it all day. It will only make you more crazy and it doesn't change when Disney will send out acceptances at all. One major thing I have learned as a Cast Member with the Walt Disney Company is that Disney does things when they want and how they want. The only thing we can do is wait - and have faith, trust, and pixie dust!
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