Disneyland55

I've been following this topic with great interest the past few days. There are a lot of things to consider when committing to an internship, regardless of whether it's Disney or any other company, and a lot of those topics have already been addressed. However, you are missing one very important point of view, and that's where I come in. I am a full time entry level manager for the Attractions/Operations Line of Business at Walt Disney World. Before I dispense my advice, let me give you my personal College Program success story. I was on the College Program in 2002 as a Custodial Host. Disney was my top choice company to work for after college, so I treated the program as a seven month test and adjust period to see how I liked living and working in Florida. Turns out I liked it a lot, and by the end of my program I knew that I wanted to return as a manager. I left on excellent terms and kept in frequent contact with my managers when I returned home. I was set to graduate in May 2004, but in October 2003 (10 months after my program ended) I received a phone call from my old manager asking me if I would like to be in the first group of Management Interns starting in January 2004. I was thrilled at the invitation, but told him I had one semester of school left and needed to finish that out before moving back. He understood, and promised to keep me in mind for the second group if the first one was a success. It was, and in May 2004 I relocated to Florida to start my Management Internship. When that ended in January 2005 I was extended into a TS (temporary salaried) management position for another six months. I left the company for six weeks during the summer of 2005 for personal reasons, but returned in late July into yet another TS management position. In October 2005 I was promoted to a full time management role and that's where I am today. Now, my situation is somewhat unique, because I've had an unbelievable streak of good luck when it comes to timing in my Disney career. But that aside, there are some very specific things you can do to position yourself into a Disney career after your College Program ends. I deal with CPs every day looking to do exactly that, and here's what I tell them: 1. Have a clear goal. If you know you want to work for Disney as a career, pick out the job you want as soon as possible. Once you know what you want to do, you can work backwards. Talk to people already in that position, figure out what they did to get there, and put their advice to work in your own life. 2. Obviously, it's much easier to talk to people working at Disney when YOU also work at Disney. That's where the College Program comes in. There are two tiers to the College Program: the regular Internships, which are very well known, and the Professional Internships, which are not as well known. There are two types of Professional Internships: Advanced and Management. Advanced Internships pay anywhere from $2 to $6 more per hour than the standard College Program internships. You can learn a lot in your six months, but on the down side, it can be very difficult to segway from an Advanced Internship to a full time job with the company. Most Advanced Interns are only needed for the 6 months that they are here, and then they have to go back to a regular full time/part time job. This can mean taking a pay cut. Management Internships are salaried, and they have a much greater potential of transitioning to a full time management position. That was the route that I took. For more information about the different types of internships, check out Disney's official site www.disneyinterns.com. 3. Take control. Disney provides a lot of opportunities for the College Program cast, but we will not serve them to you on a silver platter. If you're serious about staying on with Disney after your program ends, treat it like a real job hunt. Schedule time to meet with your managers and ask them about opportunties. Visit the Disney Learning Center and take full advantage of the resources available to you. And most importantly, speak up! Gone are the days when management would take notice of you just for showing up and doing a good job. If you want something, you need to ask for it. Don't expect your manager to read your mind. Request a meeting with them, show up on time for it, and tell them about your goals. If your immediate manager is won't help you, find another one who will. Ask your friends if they have good managers, and see if they would be willing to meet with you, even though you are not in their immediate department. Don't stop until you find someone who will listen to you and help you achieve your goals. 4. Conduct yourself with the utmost professionialism at all times. If your ultimate goal is to be a manager at Disney, act with the same integrity you would if you were already in that position. There are a lot of opportunities to goof off on the College Program. Don't do it. I'm not saying don't have fun and behave like a kid, but there is a time and a place for everything. When you are at work, act they way you want your managers to perceive you. If you consistently show up late wearing the wrong shoes and get caught on unauthorized breaks, your mangers are going to have a hard time picturing you in a role with more responsibility. 5. Finally, remember that not all professional connections are made in an office setting. The people who quickly rise to the top of their careers are the ones who use every opportunity to network. Waiting for the Magic Kingdom bus and an executive looking type sits down next to you? Compliment on them on their tie (or shoes if it's a woman, that always works!) If they barely glance over at you, back off. But if they smile and continue the conversation, take advantage of it! Just remember not to treat every encounter as an interview. Establish a relationship with them first, and wait until the second or third time you talk to them to ask for any favors. The easiest way to do this is to ask for their business card and request permission to contact them with further questions. Then send them a handwritten note thanking them for taking the time to talk with you. When you do need a favor, they'll remember who you are and be much more inclined to help you. And remember, details are important! If they tell you their dog's name, write that down on the back of their business card (after they're out of sight of course!). Keep all your contact information in one place and review it periodically. When you run into them three months later and ask about their dog by name they'll be blown away! Good luck to each of you in your future career adventures!