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!

Professional Internship Applications

Today's the day I've been waiting for! The Professional Internship (PI) applications opened up early this morning for the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Internships. I have been waiting and preparing for this moment for several months now, and it's kind of surreal that the application season is finally here!

I applied to three Animal Programs internships - Marine Mammals, Animal Behavior, and Behavior & Technology. You are limited to only applying to three Animal Programs internships, so I chose those three as the ones I was most interested in and most qualified for.

Professional Internships are really competitive as there are many applicants and very few spots! I feel as though I am certainly qualified for the positions I applied for, but I know that there are many other qualified candidates as well! I don't know as much about the professional internship application process as I do about the college program application process, so I'm excited to learn and share my experience with you all!

I applied around 9 AM this morning and received my "Thank you for Applying" email around 9:50 AM. I haven't gotten any other information since then. From what I've been reading, the professional internship application process is much slower than the college program one and it really tests your patience. I'm anxious to get going with the process, but I also know that patience is a virtue, so I'll be patiently waiting to hear about the next steps of this application process!

I'm still in progress for my CP and now in submission for my three PIs, so it's going to be a long few weeks of playing the waiting game until I hear back from my dream company! I'll be sure to keep you all posted, but until then, keep on dreaming!

Phone Interview - Round Two

So after submitting my application and passing my Web-Based Interview (WBI) I had my phone interview this morning! It was scheduled for 9 days after my WBI (which was the earliest I could schedule it). I have been looking forward to my phone interview all week, and it lived up to my expectations!

I interviewed with Christy, who was an absolute pleasure to talk to. I was a little bit nervous before she called, but as soon as we got on the phone I felt completely comfortable and at ease. It truly was as though I was talking to a friend about something we are both passionate about! My interview was scheduled for 9:15 AM and my phone rang at 9:17 AM and the interview began. It lasted 23 minutes. I really actually enjoyed this phone interview and felt much more confident going in and coming out than I did on my interview for my Spring 2014 program.

We mostly talked about my last program: the living, learning, and earning aspects of it. We talked a lot about my role at Finding Nemo and how I handled different guest situations there. We also talked a little bit about the roles I felt most qualified for and she asked me some situational questions about those roles. Finally, we ended with her asking me specifically about my interests and requests, which thrilled me, because I wasn't expecting it at all! I'm hoping that was some positive feedback coming from her!

I'll be patiently waiting to hear from now on. I was told the latest I would hear back is mid-March, but I'm hoping it's sooner than that!! I expect that the Professional Internship (PI) applications will open next week, so check back soon to see about the status of my DCP application and how the PI application process works!

Keep having Disney Dreams & throw a little extra pixie dust my way for these next few weeks!

Round Two?!?!

Well everyone, I can't believe I'm typing these words, but it's officially time for me to apply to once again be an intern at Walt Disney World! I feel as though I've been waiting for this moment ever since the end of my first program, and now it's here and it's completely exciting, unbelievable, and magical.

I'll be graduating from Clemson University in May and have decided to go back down to Orlando to continue pursuing my dreams. This time around I'm applying to both a DCP and some PI's (professional internships - more on these later) so I'm feeling hopeful that something will work out and I will once again be able to work for the mouse! The PI's I'm applying to will all be in the Animals, Science, and Environment Department and the DCP will just be the general application once again.

I'm so excited/anxious/nervous/hopeful for this second round. I cannot believe that my four short years at Clemson are rapidly coming to a close. I'm looking forward to an amazing final semester here at the best university in the world and hopefully an acceptance into an internship at Disney so I can finalize my post-graduation plans!

I'll be sure to keep you all just as updated as last time on the whole application process and the final results. It's officially time for round two, and I could not be more thrilled to once again share my journey with you all!

Post-Disney Update

I wanted to give you all an update on what's going on in my life Post-DCP. I'm back in school at Clemson University still studying environmental and natural resources and psychology. I've had a great time catching up with all of my friends from school and getting back into the swing of my "school life."

Something exciting that I currently have going on is that I am the Animal Department Intern at the Greenville Zoo. This means I am working at the zoo helping zookeepers with cleaning, training, enrichment, and diet preparation for a variety of animals. I've had a lot of amazing experiences already, and I would love for you all to check out my zoo intern blog at http://tailsofazoointern.blogspot.com/. 

I've definitely been experiencing some post-DCP depression. I miss my friends from Disney so incredibly much, and it's so hard with them being scattered all over the country and the world, to keep up with one another. I've also had a hard time adjusting to this "homework/school" thing, since I haven't had homework or tests in eight months... So, needless to say, that's been an interesting adjustment I've had to make. I also just miss being surrounded by people like me, who love Disney. Not too many people here get super excited to hear about the new improvements they're making around the theme parks! 

I think the best way to sum up my Post-DCP experience is that it's different. I started a completely new internship at the zoo (which I'm loving), and am back in the swing of my school schedule. It's fair to say that I feel like my heart is split in half and I'll never have it all back in the same place again. Half of my heart lies in Clemson, with my friends, school, and extracurriculars, and the other half lies in Disney, and with the people, memories, and experiences I had there. 

The DCP is certainly a life-changing experience, and I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to have had my life changed for the better because of it. Please continue to keep up with all of my adventures at Tails of a Zoo Intern, and if you have any questions/comments, please feel free to reach out to me! Until next time, always keep on dreaming!