After training the middle and opening shifts, I finally learned the closing shift, which completed all of my different shift training! The closing shift is from 10 to 7. When you close, most of your day is pretty much the same as usual, except the last two hours are spent on manatee and closing everything down. The closer does all of the manatee spiels from 5-7, makes sure that all of the animals are safe for the night, and makes the building secure. There are also some closing cleaning responsibilities to get done as well. It's not a particularly hard shift, but my least favorite part of it is leaving at 7:00. I feel like there's not a lot you can get done for the rest of the night, so I usually go home, eat dinner, watch some TV and then go to bed.
I'm happy to be done all of my training, because that means that my shifts are going to start to be more varied. I'll probably work 1-2 of each shifts per week rather than doing the same shift all week, so it will be nice to have variation in my schedule!
Showing posts with label professional internship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label professional internship. Show all posts
August 31, 2016
July 15, 2016
Manatees
A huge part of the marine mammal internship is learning about and caring for the manatees! The Seas is home to 2 West Indian Manatees, Lil Joe and Lou. We are a manatee rehabilitation center, which means both of our manatees are rescued and we hope to eventually release them back into the wild. Lou was rescued after a boat strike accident and Lil Joe was originally rescued as an orphan. Usually the interns cover the manatee stage. We are there to feed the manatees, make behavioral observations, answer guest questions, and make sure that both the guests and the manatees remain safe. We also give spiels twice an hour (unless another presentation is happening) where we talk for about 10 minutes on microphone about manatees.
My spiel begins by introducing the manatees and I talk about how to tell the difference between them. I then go into how we are a manatee rehabilitation center and how/why the manatees were rescued. I talk about what manatees eat and who their closest relative is (it's an elephant!). From there I go on to explain how manatees are marine mammals and talk about the 5 characteristics of a mammal and how manatees exhibit all of those. Finally, I wrap up with a conservation message about how it's illegal to interact with a wild manatee and what people can do to help manatees! Even though it's only been a few weeks, I already feel very comfortable giving my spiel and answering questions about the manatees. I've also had a lot of great, informative conversations with guests (with the occasional 'where is the bathroom' question thrown in as well)!
I've loved learning about the manatees and getting to be a part of their daily care. It's been a great experience and I'm excited to learn and experience even more during this dream internship! If you have any questions about the manatees, feel free to let me know in the comments below and definitely come check them out at The Seas with Nemo and Friends in Epcot!
My spiel begins by introducing the manatees and I talk about how to tell the difference between them. I then go into how we are a manatee rehabilitation center and how/why the manatees were rescued. I talk about what manatees eat and who their closest relative is (it's an elephant!). From there I go on to explain how manatees are marine mammals and talk about the 5 characteristics of a mammal and how manatees exhibit all of those. Finally, I wrap up with a conservation message about how it's illegal to interact with a wild manatee and what people can do to help manatees! Even though it's only been a few weeks, I already feel very comfortable giving my spiel and answering questions about the manatees. I've also had a lot of great, informative conversations with guests (with the occasional 'where is the bathroom' question thrown in as well)!
I've loved learning about the manatees and getting to be a part of their daily care. It's been a great experience and I'm excited to learn and experience even more during this dream internship! If you have any questions about the manatees, feel free to let me know in the comments below and definitely come check them out at The Seas with Nemo and Friends in Epcot!
July 6, 2016
Opening
It has been a few weeks since I officially started training with the marine mammal team. The first week of training I focused on learning the 8-5 shift, and then shortly after I was transitioned to learning the opening shift, which is 7-4. While I am not a fan of waking up early to get to work, I really love being done early and my shift goes by really quickly whenever I open!
The opener is the first member of the marine mammal team to arrive at The Seas. When I arrive, it is my job to open the office, turn on the computers, get the phone messages, and then check on the animals. After that, I start preparing the AM diets for the dolphins. This basically means I sort and weigh fish (capelin and herring) for each of the 4 dolphins. This is a pretty tedious job since I have about an hour to prepare 12 buckets of fish. Afterwards, I clean the kitchen and then get ready to dive! The opener always dives to clean the manatee pool and uses the vacuum. I really like diving because it makes the morning go by really quickly. Typically a second person dives with me to help move the sand around while I vacuum the bottom, but sometimes, like this morning, I dive alone, which means the dive safety people have to tether a rope to me! After diving, I shower and get changed back into my clothes. Typically, I go watch a dolphin session or give a marine biology talk afterwards and then it is time for lunch! The morning definitely flies by when you are an opener.
After lunch I typically cover the manatee stage, which consists of answering questions, feeding the manatees and giving spiels. There are usually some other cleaning tasks I help with in the afternoon. For example, this afternoon I also prepared the PM diets, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed some rails, did dolphin observations, and covered manatee some more.
So far I am really enjoying the internship! I am totally exhausted by the end of the day, especially because a lot of the work I do is pretty physical, but I find the job very rewarding. I enjoy talking to guests and working with the trainers to care for the dolphins and manatees! I'll be posting more soon about the manatees and my marine biology spiel, so be sure to check back soon for more posts about my Disney Dream!
The opener is the first member of the marine mammal team to arrive at The Seas. When I arrive, it is my job to open the office, turn on the computers, get the phone messages, and then check on the animals. After that, I start preparing the AM diets for the dolphins. This basically means I sort and weigh fish (capelin and herring) for each of the 4 dolphins. This is a pretty tedious job since I have about an hour to prepare 12 buckets of fish. Afterwards, I clean the kitchen and then get ready to dive! The opener always dives to clean the manatee pool and uses the vacuum. I really like diving because it makes the morning go by really quickly. Typically a second person dives with me to help move the sand around while I vacuum the bottom, but sometimes, like this morning, I dive alone, which means the dive safety people have to tether a rope to me! After diving, I shower and get changed back into my clothes. Typically, I go watch a dolphin session or give a marine biology talk afterwards and then it is time for lunch! The morning definitely flies by when you are an opener.
After lunch I typically cover the manatee stage, which consists of answering questions, feeding the manatees and giving spiels. There are usually some other cleaning tasks I help with in the afternoon. For example, this afternoon I also prepared the PM diets, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed some rails, did dolphin observations, and covered manatee some more.
So far I am really enjoying the internship! I am totally exhausted by the end of the day, especially because a lot of the work I do is pretty physical, but I find the job very rewarding. I enjoy talking to guests and working with the trainers to care for the dolphins and manatees! I'll be posting more soon about the manatees and my marine biology spiel, so be sure to check back soon for more posts about my Disney Dream!
June 24, 2016
Marine Mammals - Finally!
I just finished my first week working with the marine mammal team at The Seas and I could not be more thrilled! After weeks of long and tedious training in classrooms, it felt great to finally get to meet my team and see some of the work I'll be doing throughout the internship.
This week I trained the 8-5 shift, which is the middle shift. There are two other shifts, opening and closing, which I will learn in the weeks to come. Each shift has a different focus, but the middle shift is most focused on guest interaction, which was a perfect start for me! This week I wrote and was approved to give my manatee spiel! About every 30 minutes (unless there is another presentation), someone will give a talk on the stage about manatees. There are two manatees at The Seas, Lil' Joe and Lou. My spiel revolves around sharing information about the manatees, talking about our manatee rehabilitation work, and giving information about manatee diet, adaptations, and conservation issues. So far I really like being on the manatee stage! I like getting to interact with guests and answer questions about the manatees and I especially like getting to feed the manatees their lettuce heads. I even like spieling! The first time I did it I was really nervous, but after getting the first one out of the way I feel so much more comfortable and actually enjoy doing them now! And, I've already caught on to some of the most popular manatee questions (do they only eat lettuce?!)
I have also done a lot of cleaning this week. One big lesson I learned is that cleaning anything is better in the water! I have gone scuba diving to clean the manatee exhibit, scrubbed the walls of the dolphin back pools, pressure washed the decks, and used the power scrubber to clean the floor of the dolphin pools! It's been a lot of hard work, but being in the water makes it a lot more fun. Besides that I also learned how to do some fish prep and a lot of other kitchen tasks.
The third task I have been focusing on this week is observing sessions. I've watched several of the dolphin research sessions as fell as some fish feeding and marine biology sessions. I need to observe these so I can eventually learn how to narrate these sessions as well! I love watching the dolphin research sessions because not only are the dolphins adorable, but they are really smart and it's so interesting to see how they think!
While this has been a great first week, it has also been an exhausting one. I forgot how tired you get after being on your feet for 8 hours a day! Additionally, I'm in the process of adjusting my sleep schedule to waking up early... it's been rough so far, but I hope I can adjust to going to bed early and getting up early soon!
All in all, I would say this has been a very successful first week. I've learned a lot, had some fun, and finally achieved my dream of being a member of the marine mammal team at The Seas!
June 18, 2016
Check-Out Dive
Today was my last day of training before I start my next phase of training (it's confusing, I know) with the marine mammal team! To summarize, I have had a week of training that has consisted of company orientations, park orientations, building orientations, animal care operations, and several safety courses related to diving. Today was my last day of this, which consisted of a check out dive, a guest programs overview, and a review of the operating guide. Starting next week I begin my training specifically with the marine mammal team! It's A LOT of training, but I know it will be worth it once I feel comfortable in my role.
The check-out dive was definitely the best part of my day! We got to dive in the main aquarium which holds 5.7 million gallons of water and dozens of species of marine life. The Seas is so large that the entire Epcot ball could fit inside of it and there would still be room to drive a bus around it! We had to demonstrate that we were comfortable in the water and with our gear and could do a few basic skills, and then we got to free swim in the aquarium and check it out! This was really cool because the fish at The Seas are fearless. They will swim right up to you, under you, over you, and basically all around you, which is such a neat experience. I also got to swim alongside sharks, rays, turtles, and watch the dolphins through the divider!
To wrap up the day, we learned about the different guest programs offered at The Seas (Dolphins in Depth, Aqua Tours, and Dive Quest) and how to answer guests' questions about the programs. Finally, we went over the dive operating guide and took a short knowledge test on the material. All in all it was a good last day of (stage 1) training. I'm very much looking forward to my day off tomorrow so I can sleep in and play in the parks! Then, on Monday I begin my time with the marine mammal team! I can't wait to meet everyone and learn more about the animals and people I will be working with. Stay tuned!!
The check-out dive was definitely the best part of my day! We got to dive in the main aquarium which holds 5.7 million gallons of water and dozens of species of marine life. The Seas is so large that the entire Epcot ball could fit inside of it and there would still be room to drive a bus around it! We had to demonstrate that we were comfortable in the water and with our gear and could do a few basic skills, and then we got to free swim in the aquarium and check it out! This was really cool because the fish at The Seas are fearless. They will swim right up to you, under you, over you, and basically all around you, which is such a neat experience. I also got to swim alongside sharks, rays, turtles, and watch the dolphins through the divider!
To wrap up the day, we learned about the different guest programs offered at The Seas (Dolphins in Depth, Aqua Tours, and Dive Quest) and how to answer guests' questions about the programs. Finally, we went over the dive operating guide and took a short knowledge test on the material. All in all it was a good last day of (stage 1) training. I'm very much looking forward to my day off tomorrow so I can sleep in and play in the parks! Then, on Monday I begin my time with the marine mammal team! I can't wait to meet everyone and learn more about the animals and people I will be working with. Stay tuned!!
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| The newest fish at The Seas - meet the interns! |
June 17, 2016
Training Classes
I've been continuing my training at The Seas with many more classroom learning experiences. The first thing that had to happen in order for me to continue with the training was to pass a dive physical. I went to Health Services last week to get a bunch of tests, and then back a few days later to see a doctor and have the results interpreted. Thankfully, all my tests came back normal and I passed my physical, which means that I am officially cleared to dive on the job!
Besides my appointments, I have had a lot of classroom training. I have to go through all of this training before I can even begin working and learning my role within the marine mammal staff. I have to admit, the classroom work is starting to become tedious. I totally understand why I need all of it, but I am just really anxious to get to meet the marine mammal staff and get to know more about my specific duties! It's been a long wait, but luckily, I get to officially start at the beginning of next week, which is very good news.
I've had classes on dive safety, behavioral husbandry, interpretation, and CPR and first aid. In dive safety class we took a tour of all of the places we could potentially be diving and identified all of the safety features at each spot. We also reviewed important paperwork involved with diving and talked about how to practice safe diving. In behavioral husbandry we learned about training and enrichment and how Disney is combining the two to give their animals the highest quality of care. The interpretation class was all about how to talk to guests about animals. We got to give practice spiels to one another and talk about sensitive topics and how to address them in an appropriate manner. Finally, I had CPR and first aid class this morning. I was anticipating a pretty dull day, but it actually was a lot better than I originally thought! My instructors were great, they made us laugh and made the tedious tasks so much better. So, after today, I am now officially certified through DAN (Diver's Alert Network) to administer first aid or CPR in the case of a diving accident!
Tomorrow is my check-out dive and I finish up the rest of my general training. Then, it will be time to move on to specifically training with the marine mammal department! I could not be more excited to officially get started and get to know everyone on the team that I'll be working with for the next few months. Stay tuned for many more posts coming soon, and as always, keep on dreaming!
Besides my appointments, I have had a lot of classroom training. I have to go through all of this training before I can even begin working and learning my role within the marine mammal staff. I have to admit, the classroom work is starting to become tedious. I totally understand why I need all of it, but I am just really anxious to get to meet the marine mammal staff and get to know more about my specific duties! It's been a long wait, but luckily, I get to officially start at the beginning of next week, which is very good news.
I've had classes on dive safety, behavioral husbandry, interpretation, and CPR and first aid. In dive safety class we took a tour of all of the places we could potentially be diving and identified all of the safety features at each spot. We also reviewed important paperwork involved with diving and talked about how to practice safe diving. In behavioral husbandry we learned about training and enrichment and how Disney is combining the two to give their animals the highest quality of care. The interpretation class was all about how to talk to guests about animals. We got to give practice spiels to one another and talk about sensitive topics and how to address them in an appropriate manner. Finally, I had CPR and first aid class this morning. I was anticipating a pretty dull day, but it actually was a lot better than I originally thought! My instructors were great, they made us laugh and made the tedious tasks so much better. So, after today, I am now officially certified through DAN (Diver's Alert Network) to administer first aid or CPR in the case of a diving accident!
Tomorrow is my check-out dive and I finish up the rest of my general training. Then, it will be time to move on to specifically training with the marine mammal department! I could not be more excited to officially get started and get to know everyone on the team that I'll be working with for the next few months. Stay tuned for many more posts coming soon, and as always, keep on dreaming!
June 8, 2016
Move In, Check In, & Casting
I've had a busy few days since my last post! On Monday I moved into my apartment with my roommates, Allie and Megan. It was a crazy day of unpacking, shopping, and assembling furniture! The day was even crazier because a Tropical Storm came through the area. Luckily, I was able to get all of my furniture and belongings inside before it started raining, so I stayed pretty dry during the storm!
We moved into a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment in Davenport, Florida, which is about 20 minutes from Disney property. The area is very nice and the apartment is fantastic! I had a blast decorating and trying to make my bedroom my own. We still have some more decorating to do in the common areas, but the apartment is definitely coming together very nicely and I'm thrilled to be living with Megan and Allie again.
I also had to say goodbye to my parents and sister this week. They left the day after move-in, so the night before they left the four of us went out to our last family dinner for a while. We ate at Olivia's which is the restaurant at Old Key West Resort. Dinner was really good and we even experienced a magical moment while at dinner. My parents actually became Disney Vacation Club members and owners at Old Key West during their honeymoon 25 years ago. When we were talking to the waitress about this, she decided to make some magic for us during dessert! They made a toast to my parents and brought them out complimentary champagne and gave them a customized picture of the resort as a gift! We also all took a picture together with the chef, the manager of the restaurant, and some of the Cast Members working. It was honestly so much fun and I was so excited that my family got to experience a magical moment before leaving Disney!
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| Thanks to the amazing staff at Olivia's for making some magic for my family! |
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| The Casting Center |
Now I am officially checked in and ready to begin my internship. Tomorrow I will attend The Gathering to meet up with the fellow ASE interns and meet the ASE managers. I'll get the rest of my training schedule tomorrow before I have Traditions on Saturday morning. Be on the lookout for many more posts coming soon because the next few weeks are going to be so exciting as I start my dream internship!
June 1, 2016
One Week
It's officially one week until check-in for my professional internship and about 6 hours before I leave my home in Pennsylvania and embark on my move to Florida! My mom, sister, and I are getting up bright and early to leave for the ~20 hour road trip to Florida! The cars are all packed (that's right - we needed two!) and I am completely ready to go. I'm so excited to finally be moving, but I'm also nervous! I need to buy a bunch of furniture down there plus go shopping for groceries and other basic supplies and I'm nervous there won't be enough time to get everything done.
Our plan is to drive all day tomorrow (Thursday) until we get to a decent stopping point for the night. Then, Friday we will finish the drive to Orlando, check in to our hotel, and go furniture shopping! I need a new mattress, sofa, and dresser, so we will definitely be busy. The plan on Saturday is to finish up any shopping we need to do and hopefully make it over to one of the parks before dinner time! Then, on Sunday, we are going to spend the entire day de-stressing in the Magic Kingdom! We even have dinner planned at the Grand Floridian with one of my roommates and her dad. I'm sure by Sunday we will all be exhausted and in need of a break. Finally, Monday I get to move in to my new apartment! I'm so excited to see what it looks like and how my roommates and I can make it our new home!
Next Wednesday (June 8), I officially start my professional internship. I have an 11:30 appointment at Casting where I will be filling out all my new hire paperwork and getting fingerprinted and officially "hired" by the company. I have a busy week of training after that, so look out for more posts about the start of my marine mammal professional internship!
I'm so thankful that I got to spend a little over a week at home saying goodbye to all my family and friends and getting to do some last minute Pennsylvania things (like going to a Phillies game!) before it was officially time to leave. Now I'm off to my new adventure, and I could not be more excited for what lies ahead! Keep checking back to find out more about my Florida adventures, and as always, keep on dreaming!
Our plan is to drive all day tomorrow (Thursday) until we get to a decent stopping point for the night. Then, Friday we will finish the drive to Orlando, check in to our hotel, and go furniture shopping! I need a new mattress, sofa, and dresser, so we will definitely be busy. The plan on Saturday is to finish up any shopping we need to do and hopefully make it over to one of the parks before dinner time! Then, on Sunday, we are going to spend the entire day de-stressing in the Magic Kingdom! We even have dinner planned at the Grand Floridian with one of my roommates and her dad. I'm sure by Sunday we will all be exhausted and in need of a break. Finally, Monday I get to move in to my new apartment! I'm so excited to see what it looks like and how my roommates and I can make it our new home!
Next Wednesday (June 8), I officially start my professional internship. I have an 11:30 appointment at Casting where I will be filling out all my new hire paperwork and getting fingerprinted and officially "hired" by the company. I have a busy week of training after that, so look out for more posts about the start of my marine mammal professional internship!
I'm so thankful that I got to spend a little over a week at home saying goodbye to all my family and friends and getting to do some last minute Pennsylvania things (like going to a Phillies game!) before it was officially time to leave. Now I'm off to my new adventure, and I could not be more excited for what lies ahead! Keep checking back to find out more about my Florida adventures, and as always, keep on dreaming!
April 28, 2016
Megan's Disney Dream
So, I may have hinted once or twice (and in my blog title) that working for Disney has always been my dream. When I accepted my college program, I truly felt like all my dreams were coming true. I got to work for my dream company, meet incredible people, network, make magic, and have the opportunity of a lifetime! What more could a girl ask for? Well, truth be told, I did have another, slightly bigger Disney Dream. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a Marine Mammal Intern at the Walt Disney World Resort.
My family and I traveled to Disney World countless times growing up. It became our home away from home and we all loved our vacations. I have loved animals for as long as I can remember and especially enjoyed spending time at Animal Kingdom and The Seas learning about the animals and their care. I could be kind of a shy kid at times, but my parents always made me go ask the same question to the Cast Members, "what can I do to get your job in the future?" The answer was always the same - get a college degree, get lots of experience, and work incredibly hard.
As I got older and discovered more about myself and what I wanted to do, it became clear to me that I wanted to work with animals in a zoo/aquarium setting. Disney was always in the back of my mind, but I knew how competitive their programs were so I never wanted to get my hopes up too much. On my College Program in 2014, I fell in love with the Company and decided that Disney was actually my long-term career goal and that I would do absolutely whatever it took to work with the animals at Disney.
It was then that started to look at the Professional Internship job descriptions. I noticed you needed experience, and lots of it, to even qualify for most of the internships. It was at this point that I was determined to get the experience I needed and develop my resume so that it was geared towards getting a Professional Internship with the Animals, Science, and Environment Department after graduation. I started with the Animal Department Internship at the Greenville Zoo, where I worked for a year learning how to take care of exotic animals in a zoo setting. I then moved to the Marine Mammal Internship at the National Aquarium, because I wanted to make sure that marine mammals were something I still had an interest in. I was right - I still loved marine mammals, which meant that I was definitely going to apply for Disney's Marine Mammal Internship the following year. I also joined a Research Program at my school and studied primate personality and behavior so I would have experience in a laboratory setting quantifying and explaining animal behavior. Finally, I traveled to both India and Turks and Caicos for study abroad opportunities so I could experience fieldwork and learn about the natural environment outside of the classroom.
So, after getting all of this experience and learning so much about biology, psychology, animal care, husbandry, and so many more topics, I finally submitted my application to be the Marine Mammal Intern at the Walt Disney World Resort. I also submitted two other PI applications, just to increase my chances, but my first choice was always the Marine Mammal one. I actually could not believe that after years of preparing for this internship opportunity, it was finally happening! I mean seriously, I've wanted this internship since I was about 10 years old! After going through the long process of filling out questionnaires, interviewing, and most importantly, waiting, I finally got the call that confirmed that all of my dreams were coming true - I was going to be a Marine Mammal Intern at Disney!
The amount of support I have received from family and friends during this whole process has been overwhelming. Everyone is so supportive and excited for me and they keep wishing me luck "pursuing my dreams at Disney." And every time they say that, I just smile. Yes, I'll be pursuing my dreams down in Disney, but in my opinion, I've been pursuing my dreams for the past four years, and now it's time to enjoy my dream! I do want to continue with the company after my internship and make a long career out of working for Disney, so I plan on networking a lot while down there and start working on a new dream. BUT, I also plan on enjoying every second of my current dream. I've worked hard to get to where I am, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it!
My family and I traveled to Disney World countless times growing up. It became our home away from home and we all loved our vacations. I have loved animals for as long as I can remember and especially enjoyed spending time at Animal Kingdom and The Seas learning about the animals and their care. I could be kind of a shy kid at times, but my parents always made me go ask the same question to the Cast Members, "what can I do to get your job in the future?" The answer was always the same - get a college degree, get lots of experience, and work incredibly hard.
As I got older and discovered more about myself and what I wanted to do, it became clear to me that I wanted to work with animals in a zoo/aquarium setting. Disney was always in the back of my mind, but I knew how competitive their programs were so I never wanted to get my hopes up too much. On my College Program in 2014, I fell in love with the Company and decided that Disney was actually my long-term career goal and that I would do absolutely whatever it took to work with the animals at Disney.
It was then that started to look at the Professional Internship job descriptions. I noticed you needed experience, and lots of it, to even qualify for most of the internships. It was at this point that I was determined to get the experience I needed and develop my resume so that it was geared towards getting a Professional Internship with the Animals, Science, and Environment Department after graduation. I started with the Animal Department Internship at the Greenville Zoo, where I worked for a year learning how to take care of exotic animals in a zoo setting. I then moved to the Marine Mammal Internship at the National Aquarium, because I wanted to make sure that marine mammals were something I still had an interest in. I was right - I still loved marine mammals, which meant that I was definitely going to apply for Disney's Marine Mammal Internship the following year. I also joined a Research Program at my school and studied primate personality and behavior so I would have experience in a laboratory setting quantifying and explaining animal behavior. Finally, I traveled to both India and Turks and Caicos for study abroad opportunities so I could experience fieldwork and learn about the natural environment outside of the classroom.
So, after getting all of this experience and learning so much about biology, psychology, animal care, husbandry, and so many more topics, I finally submitted my application to be the Marine Mammal Intern at the Walt Disney World Resort. I also submitted two other PI applications, just to increase my chances, but my first choice was always the Marine Mammal one. I actually could not believe that after years of preparing for this internship opportunity, it was finally happening! I mean seriously, I've wanted this internship since I was about 10 years old! After going through the long process of filling out questionnaires, interviewing, and most importantly, waiting, I finally got the call that confirmed that all of my dreams were coming true - I was going to be a Marine Mammal Intern at Disney!
The amount of support I have received from family and friends during this whole process has been overwhelming. Everyone is so supportive and excited for me and they keep wishing me luck "pursuing my dreams at Disney." And every time they say that, I just smile. Yes, I'll be pursuing my dreams down in Disney, but in my opinion, I've been pursuing my dreams for the past four years, and now it's time to enjoy my dream! I do want to continue with the company after my internship and make a long career out of working for Disney, so I plan on networking a lot while down there and start working on a new dream. BUT, I also plan on enjoying every second of my current dream. I've worked hard to get to where I am, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it!
April 14, 2016
So You Accepted a Professional Internship, Now What?
About three weeks ago, I officially accepted my PI with the Marine Mammal team at The Seas in Epcot. The days after my acceptance phone call were filled with excitement - I got to tell all my friends and family, make a big Facebook announcement, and start to get excited about graduation and my future. But then, after those few days had passed, I found myself sitting there thinking "so now what?" I still had a few weeks until graduation and a few months until my start date. I had let the PI application process consume my entire semester, and now that it was officially over, it was a completely strange feeling.
So, allow me share my "so now what" journey with you as I eagerly anticipate my start date for the Fall 2016 Marine Mammal Internship.
The first point of business after accepting a PI is to find housing accommodations. Disney does offer PI housing in Falcon Square, but they charge $140 a week (as of now) and you have to share a room with another intern. I've heard that the PI housing is nicer than CP housing, and it is really convenient because you don't have to worry about finding a place with a short-term lease or buying furniture. However, I did not have the best experience with CP housing, and being a 22-year old college graduate, I did not feel like being put back in a situation where I had a lot of strict housing rules to follow while sharing a room and paying a fortune for it. So, my friends and I (my roommates from my CP) decided we would find our own housing. Looking for apartments was kind of a long process, but I started a few weeks before I was accepted to make the process easier! We ended up signing a lease with Victoria Park Apartments in Davenport, Florida. The reason we signed here was because it was relatively cheap compared to other options, the staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and it came recommended by some friends! All of this made it a lot easier to sign a lease from out of state and without having actually seen the complex. We are currently in the process of signing the lease for our 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom place! I'm really excited for move-in and think that Allie, Megan, and I will have an absolute blast when we are reunited in Orlando!
The next communication I got from Disney was about joining Yammer, which is an online social networking site for businesses. Basically, it's a place to get to know one another and ask any questions about your position, costume, or other parts of your internship! The ASE Yammer is really cool because Issac, who is a part of the talent management team, is also on the page and is available to answer questions and share some funny stories with all of us. It's a really great resource and a way to keep us all busy before check-ins start!
The last piece of communication I received from Disney (so far) is my welcome letter. The ASE Talent Management Team sent me a welcome letter introducing themselves, telling me how to contact them, and giving me details about Yammer. The letter also included information about my arrival date, the Disney Look, and my costume and shoes. Finally, since I am a marine mammal intern and will be SCUBA diving as part of my responsibilities, I had to read another part of the letter specifically about diving. This section mainly just talked about how we can't wear jewelry on the job, how we have to use special animal-safe hair-ties, and about how they will provide us with diving gear for on the job use! I had to respond to the email with my height, weight, and shoe size so that my gear would be ready for me when I arrived!
Besides finding an apartment, figuring out Yammer, and preparing for my arrival, I've also been trying to enjoy my last few weeks at Clemson! Two weeks from today I will be done my finals and officially done with my undergraduate career. I have mixed feelings about this - I'm so excited for my new Disney adventure (and to be done with school, for the time being), but I am also really going to miss my friends and Clemson overall. Clemson has given me so much during my 4 years here, and I am really going to miss it!
So, if you've made it through this long post - congrats! You now know how I've been handling this "so now what" period, and the best ways for you to handle it as well! My advice would be to plan ahead and don't leave all of the preparation until the last minute. You want to be able to enjoy your last few weeks of school without having all the stress of finding roommates, an apartment, and getting acquainted with the company policies. I should be getting my new hire paperwork and some more information about the internship closer to my arrival date, so be on the lookout for another post about more pre-arrival tasks! And, as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and let me know!
54 days and counting...!
So, allow me share my "so now what" journey with you as I eagerly anticipate my start date for the Fall 2016 Marine Mammal Internship.
The first point of business after accepting a PI is to find housing accommodations. Disney does offer PI housing in Falcon Square, but they charge $140 a week (as of now) and you have to share a room with another intern. I've heard that the PI housing is nicer than CP housing, and it is really convenient because you don't have to worry about finding a place with a short-term lease or buying furniture. However, I did not have the best experience with CP housing, and being a 22-year old college graduate, I did not feel like being put back in a situation where I had a lot of strict housing rules to follow while sharing a room and paying a fortune for it. So, my friends and I (my roommates from my CP) decided we would find our own housing. Looking for apartments was kind of a long process, but I started a few weeks before I was accepted to make the process easier! We ended up signing a lease with Victoria Park Apartments in Davenport, Florida. The reason we signed here was because it was relatively cheap compared to other options, the staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and it came recommended by some friends! All of this made it a lot easier to sign a lease from out of state and without having actually seen the complex. We are currently in the process of signing the lease for our 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom place! I'm really excited for move-in and think that Allie, Megan, and I will have an absolute blast when we are reunited in Orlando!
The next communication I got from Disney was about joining Yammer, which is an online social networking site for businesses. Basically, it's a place to get to know one another and ask any questions about your position, costume, or other parts of your internship! The ASE Yammer is really cool because Issac, who is a part of the talent management team, is also on the page and is available to answer questions and share some funny stories with all of us. It's a really great resource and a way to keep us all busy before check-ins start!
The last piece of communication I received from Disney (so far) is my welcome letter. The ASE Talent Management Team sent me a welcome letter introducing themselves, telling me how to contact them, and giving me details about Yammer. The letter also included information about my arrival date, the Disney Look, and my costume and shoes. Finally, since I am a marine mammal intern and will be SCUBA diving as part of my responsibilities, I had to read another part of the letter specifically about diving. This section mainly just talked about how we can't wear jewelry on the job, how we have to use special animal-safe hair-ties, and about how they will provide us with diving gear for on the job use! I had to respond to the email with my height, weight, and shoe size so that my gear would be ready for me when I arrived!
Besides finding an apartment, figuring out Yammer, and preparing for my arrival, I've also been trying to enjoy my last few weeks at Clemson! Two weeks from today I will be done my finals and officially done with my undergraduate career. I have mixed feelings about this - I'm so excited for my new Disney adventure (and to be done with school, for the time being), but I am also really going to miss my friends and Clemson overall. Clemson has given me so much during my 4 years here, and I am really going to miss it!
So, if you've made it through this long post - congrats! You now know how I've been handling this "so now what" period, and the best ways for you to handle it as well! My advice would be to plan ahead and don't leave all of the preparation until the last minute. You want to be able to enjoy your last few weeks of school without having all the stress of finding roommates, an apartment, and getting acquainted with the company policies. I should be getting my new hire paperwork and some more information about the internship closer to my arrival date, so be on the lookout for another post about more pre-arrival tasks! And, as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and let me know!
54 days and counting...!
March 23, 2016
Marine Mammal Professional Internship
This morning I received the phone call that I have been dreaming about for years - I officially accepted a position as the Marine Mammal Intern with the Walt Disney Company starting in June! Words cannot even begin to describe how excited I am for this opportunity. I've been dreaming about this internship for as long as I can remember. I cannot believe that my dreams are finally coming true!!!
Last week my dashboard status changed to "post-interview stage" for the marine mammal position. Then, I received an email late last night to set up a "brief phone conversation" to further discuss my position. I had a pretty good idea this meant good news, but I was still really nervous!! Finally, around 10:00 this morning I received a phone call from the recruiter. We went over basic information about the applications I submitted, verified a lot of information, and then at the end of the conversation she let me know that the Marine Mammal team wanted to offer me the position!!
So, beginning June 8, 2016, I will officially be moving to Orlando and starting work as the Marine Mammal Intern at The Seas in Epcot!! I have dreamed about this opportunity for so many years, and I am so thrilled to share my journey with you all!!
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
February 24, 2016
Marine Mammal Interview
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!
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 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 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!
January 25, 2016
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!
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!
March 14, 2014
Meet & Greet at The Seas
Today I had the most amazing experience; I had a meet and greet with Lisa, one of the dolphin trainers at The Seas in Epcot! Let me start this off by saying that there are only five, yes FIVE, dolphin trainers that work for the Walt Disney World Resort, so having the opportunity to meet her and talk to her is truly amazing!
Let me back up a bit by explaining how I got here, and then I'll tell you all about my time with Lisa! So, for those of you who don't know me, I'm a conservation biology major and a psychology minor and my goal is to work with animals after I graduate, hopefully in the animal training/behavior field. Obviously Disney is the dream, which is why I am here right now, but really I would love to work at any zoo or aquarium. So, that being said, about a year ago over winter break I went to work with my dad to help him file papers and all that kind of fun office stuff. Long story short, I ended up having lunch with some of my dad's coworkers and telling them about my school experience and what my plans for the future were. Lisa is his coworker's niece, and she is a dolphin trainer at The Seas. She was kind enough to put me in contact with Lisa, and I have been speaking with her since about this time last year. We spoke on the phone about breaking into the marine mammal/training field and she offered me advice about where to go with my career and education path. Then, when I got accepted to the DCP, I sent her an email telling her I would be living in Florida for 7 months. Since I've been in Orlando, we've been in contact, and we were able to set up a time for me to go meet with her at work and learn a little more about her job and what life is like at The Seas!
Flash forward to today, when I met Lisa at The Seas for the very first time! She was truly amazing, and did more than I would have ever imagined. First, she gave me my own personal tour of the aquarium from the guest's perspective. We talked about all the different kinds of fish, how they are collected, their care, and she gave me some fun facts about the aquarium. Fun fact: The entire Epcot ball could fit inside the aquarium tank and there would still be room for someone to swim around the entire ball!
Then, we went backstage and I got to see what the facilities look like from a Cast Member and trainer perspective! I was completely shocked by how huge the aquarium truly was (you can't tell from the aquarium windows). I even got to go see the dolphins while they were resting and learn about dolphin enrichment and training, which is something I am SOOOO interested in.
Finally, we went back on stage and talked about breaking into the field. I asked Lisa how she got to where she was, and she said it's all about working hard, networking, and of course, a little bit of luck. I asked her what kinds of things I should be doing to get myself prepared for a career in the field, and she said to volunteer and get as many internships as possible, because internships turn into jobs! Luckily for me, I'm already scuba certified, which is a huge step in the right direction, since most internships/jobs require you to be scuba certified to work there. I also asked about the professional internship (Marine Mammals) and what kind of stuff I could do to best prepare for the application process. It's an EXTREMELY competitive internship, but it's a dream of mine and the advice she gave me was great and will hopefully help me reach my goal!
After meeting with Lisa, I stuck around to watch the dolphin training session downstairs and I got to talk to one of the professional interns, Jenna. She told me about how she landed the experience, and to just keep volunteering, working hard, and wished me good luck with everything! Also, the dolphins were amazing. The dolphin I watched, Calvin, was doing a test where he saw a moving picture and then was shown three pictures, and he had to choose the correct one that he originally saw. The whole idea of the training/research is to try to see how dolphins think/learn so that we can better understand them.
I am so thankful for my time with Lisa. She is an amazing person to talk to, and truly went above and beyond with her time with me. I'm not kidding when I say that I was hoping we could grab a cup of coffee or something, so imagine my surprise when she offered to take me around the entire aquarium!! I had a great day and learned so much that I definitely will put to use when it's time to apply for internships in the future.
So, thanks to Lisa for all of her help, and thanks to all of you for reading this and joining me on my journey! If you have any specific questions, PLEASE feel free to ask me, I love answering questions about my time here!
Let me back up a bit by explaining how I got here, and then I'll tell you all about my time with Lisa! So, for those of you who don't know me, I'm a conservation biology major and a psychology minor and my goal is to work with animals after I graduate, hopefully in the animal training/behavior field. Obviously Disney is the dream, which is why I am here right now, but really I would love to work at any zoo or aquarium. So, that being said, about a year ago over winter break I went to work with my dad to help him file papers and all that kind of fun office stuff. Long story short, I ended up having lunch with some of my dad's coworkers and telling them about my school experience and what my plans for the future were. Lisa is his coworker's niece, and she is a dolphin trainer at The Seas. She was kind enough to put me in contact with Lisa, and I have been speaking with her since about this time last year. We spoke on the phone about breaking into the marine mammal/training field and she offered me advice about where to go with my career and education path. Then, when I got accepted to the DCP, I sent her an email telling her I would be living in Florida for 7 months. Since I've been in Orlando, we've been in contact, and we were able to set up a time for me to go meet with her at work and learn a little more about her job and what life is like at The Seas!
Flash forward to today, when I met Lisa at The Seas for the very first time! She was truly amazing, and did more than I would have ever imagined. First, she gave me my own personal tour of the aquarium from the guest's perspective. We talked about all the different kinds of fish, how they are collected, their care, and she gave me some fun facts about the aquarium. Fun fact: The entire Epcot ball could fit inside the aquarium tank and there would still be room for someone to swim around the entire ball!
Then, we went backstage and I got to see what the facilities look like from a Cast Member and trainer perspective! I was completely shocked by how huge the aquarium truly was (you can't tell from the aquarium windows). I even got to go see the dolphins while they were resting and learn about dolphin enrichment and training, which is something I am SOOOO interested in.
Finally, we went back on stage and talked about breaking into the field. I asked Lisa how she got to where she was, and she said it's all about working hard, networking, and of course, a little bit of luck. I asked her what kinds of things I should be doing to get myself prepared for a career in the field, and she said to volunteer and get as many internships as possible, because internships turn into jobs! Luckily for me, I'm already scuba certified, which is a huge step in the right direction, since most internships/jobs require you to be scuba certified to work there. I also asked about the professional internship (Marine Mammals) and what kind of stuff I could do to best prepare for the application process. It's an EXTREMELY competitive internship, but it's a dream of mine and the advice she gave me was great and will hopefully help me reach my goal!
After meeting with Lisa, I stuck around to watch the dolphin training session downstairs and I got to talk to one of the professional interns, Jenna. She told me about how she landed the experience, and to just keep volunteering, working hard, and wished me good luck with everything! Also, the dolphins were amazing. The dolphin I watched, Calvin, was doing a test where he saw a moving picture and then was shown three pictures, and he had to choose the correct one that he originally saw. The whole idea of the training/research is to try to see how dolphins think/learn so that we can better understand them.
I am so thankful for my time with Lisa. She is an amazing person to talk to, and truly went above and beyond with her time with me. I'm not kidding when I say that I was hoping we could grab a cup of coffee or something, so imagine my surprise when she offered to take me around the entire aquarium!! I had a great day and learned so much that I definitely will put to use when it's time to apply for internships in the future.
So, thanks to Lisa for all of her help, and thanks to all of you for reading this and joining me on my journey! If you have any specific questions, PLEASE feel free to ask me, I love answering questions about my time here!
February 6, 2014
Professional Internship Insight Series - Meet the Recruiters
An awesome part of the Disney College Program is the fact that they host so many classes, seminars, and series. These programs are designed to help current CP's learn more about the company, learn about the company's values, learn about a career with Disney, and learn about future opportunities. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the first session of the Professional Internship Insight Series. In this session, about 80 college program members met with Professional Internship recruiters to learn the ins and outs of applying, obtaining, and keeping a Disney Professional Internship.
To start, I will explain what a Professional Internship is. A PI is an internship with Disney that is designed to give college students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain real world experience within their field of study in the Walt Disney Company. Disney offers hundreds of PIs in fields such as marketing, communications, entertainment, human resources, animal programs, and many, many more. Since I am a Conservation Biology major, I am extremely interested in their Animal Programs internships.
To start off the night, the panel of recruiters hosted a FAQ session. They went through a series of frequently asked questions about the application, interview, and hiring process. This was really helpful because I learned that it can literally take a manner of seconds for them to eliminate you as a candidate for a position. I also learned what kinds of things need to be on my resume to make it stand out, and I learned about the interview process for internships.
After the FAQ session, we broke down into smaller groups so that we could do individual networking with the recruiters who recruited for our positions. I talked to Ernesto, who recruited for a variety of positions including HR, Entertainment, and Animal Programs. The networking session was cool because it was the first opportunity I had to talk with someone in that field, however the session was also a little stressful. The one thing I will say about Disney is that once you are in, they want you to stay in the company. The entire night made me feel as though they didn't care how long it took me to complete my degree, which is something that is extremely important to me. Regardless, the whole session was interesting and helpful and I'm glad that I attended.
As a side note, these sessions are something I intend to take complete advantage of. Tomorrow morning I am attending a session on Resume Writing and I am planning on going to several more as the weeks go on. The information made available in these sessions is invaluable to my career and my future!
If you have any specific questions about what was covered in the seminar, please feel free to leave your question in the comments below, or get in contact with me! I would love to give you any more details about the session and the information I received.
To start, I will explain what a Professional Internship is. A PI is an internship with Disney that is designed to give college students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain real world experience within their field of study in the Walt Disney Company. Disney offers hundreds of PIs in fields such as marketing, communications, entertainment, human resources, animal programs, and many, many more. Since I am a Conservation Biology major, I am extremely interested in their Animal Programs internships.
To start off the night, the panel of recruiters hosted a FAQ session. They went through a series of frequently asked questions about the application, interview, and hiring process. This was really helpful because I learned that it can literally take a manner of seconds for them to eliminate you as a candidate for a position. I also learned what kinds of things need to be on my resume to make it stand out, and I learned about the interview process for internships.
After the FAQ session, we broke down into smaller groups so that we could do individual networking with the recruiters who recruited for our positions. I talked to Ernesto, who recruited for a variety of positions including HR, Entertainment, and Animal Programs. The networking session was cool because it was the first opportunity I had to talk with someone in that field, however the session was also a little stressful. The one thing I will say about Disney is that once you are in, they want you to stay in the company. The entire night made me feel as though they didn't care how long it took me to complete my degree, which is something that is extremely important to me. Regardless, the whole session was interesting and helpful and I'm glad that I attended.
As a side note, these sessions are something I intend to take complete advantage of. Tomorrow morning I am attending a session on Resume Writing and I am planning on going to several more as the weeks go on. The information made available in these sessions is invaluable to my career and my future!
If you have any specific questions about what was covered in the seminar, please feel free to leave your question in the comments below, or get in contact with me! I would love to give you any more details about the session and the information I received.
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