So applications just opened... What now? Let me help!
Photo credit to WDW programs
Background
The Disney College Program is an "internship" through Disney Parks that offers college students the opportunity to work in various roles throughout the Disney World theme parks.
I have applied to four of these programs and I have been accepted to three. I am currently attending my first program! In this post, I will share some of the tips I used that made a huge difference in the one time I was not given an offer versus the three times I was!
The process of being accepted goes through three steps: the application, the web based interview, and the review of the application.
Step 1: Application
Your initial application will consist of answering questions on the program's site. This application will be run through a computer AI that will scan your application for keywords that it is programed to pick up on.
Apply here! Be sure to sign up for the email alerts so you never miss an application.
First you will fill out your information such as name, email, etc. You will then get to a piece about education history where you will state your school(s) and major(s). After that you get to job history and this is what the computer is programmed to look over in order to see if you are a strong candidate. I wrote all of my job experiences in bullet point form, about 5-7 for each job. Once you begin, you can save and pause at any time. Here are some thing to know while applying!
TIP 1: USE DISNEY "KEY"WORDS
All Disney cast members are asked to follow the "Five Keys" in order to ensure they are upholding Disney Company morals and standards. Using the terminology from these keys will help the computer choose your application to go through. These five keys are Safety, Courtesy, Inclusion, Show, and Efficiency. Use these keywords in both your resume as well as when filling out the application.
Example: I worked in a classroom with students. In my application under job experience I would use the Disney "KEY"words to describe the duties I had there.
"I enforced school policies in order to ensure safety for my students""I worked to make sure all my students were welcome and created an inclusive environment for all learners"Example: I worked in a movie theater concessions. Here I would include Disney "KEY"words to describe my role there.
"I worked efficiently to ensure guests were at their movie on time""I treated all guests courteously"TIP 2: USE DISNEY TERMINOLOGY
In your appliaction and resume, use standard Disney terminology, even if it's not what you used at the job you worked at.
Say "guest" instead of customer
Say "cast member" instead of worker
Say "attraction" instead of ride
Say "role" instead of position
Disclaimer: Some people submit resumes/cover letters. I did not submit either of these for all three programs I was accepted to! They are not needed. However I advise having your resume open to refer to as you fill in your application.
Step 2: Web Based Interview
After your application has been approved, you will get an email to do the web based interview! I recieved my email about 4 hours after I submitted my application, but it varies for each person. I had to be checking my spam and updates folders in my email, as the Disney College Program emails often DO NOT go to my main inbox.
The Web Based Interview, or WBI, is basically a personality test that another computer program will assess. You will fill in your answers based on a scale. The good news about this is you get an immediate response after you're finished about whether you continue with the application or you are "no longer in consideration"
TIP 3: BE CONSISTENT
The WBI tries to trick you... So make sure you are being consistent in how you are answering! The computer program is looking for participants that are not "wishy-washy."
For example, the WBI may include a statement such as "I am always on time." For this, you might put strongly agree.
After answering a few more question, the WBI may give you another statement that says "I am almost never late." Here, you would want to again put strongly agree because these statements are similar just worded differently!
Step 3: Review
If you pass you WBI congratulations!... Now you wait. And wait. And wait.
Your application will now be reviewed by one of the Disney recruiters who will make the final decisions. Recruiters will accept applicants in "waves" meaning a ton will be accepted all at once. These waves will only happen on weekdays and usually only about once a week. If a wave comes by and you did not receive an acceptance or a rejection, then you have to patiently wait for the next wave. It typically takes a few weeks to recieve your final answer. Be sure to check your email often and check ALL the folders! During this time, I watched a lot of DCP vloggers to pass the time and learn more about the program.
TIP 4: FOLLOW RECRUITERS ON TWITTER
For this time while waiting to hear from Disney, I downloaded twitter and followed @ChristyRecruit on twitter. I made sure I had my notifications on for her account. Recruiter Christy is famous for tweeting about "acceptance waves." Anytime she tweeted about one, I knew to check my email.
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