Now that we've finally made it through the story time tunnel it's time to delve into the real stuff. For obvious reasons we start, where most begin, at application. (If you want the
The application is daunting. The application is nerve wracking. The application is, once you get into it...not actually that bad.
For those who read my previous posts and understand just how long I'd been waiting for the moment to come you probably wouldn't be too surprised if I told you that from about December 2013 I'd been refreshing the Disney Careers International Programs job listing page on an hourly basis. Having attended the interview session in May, I expected that applications would be opening in early 2014. So I refreshed. And refreshed. And refreshed.
Even after I discovered that applications wouldn't be until May I refreshed. Even when I promised myself I would only start checking in April. I refreshed.
Which completely explains why, on the evening of April 22nd 2014, I was watching a movie with my father and refreshing every ad break. One particular ad break I refreshed, went to the bathroom and refreshed again when I returned. Riveting stuff, right? RIGHT! Because that particular refresh returned some result.
APPLICATIONS WERE FINALLY OPEN.
I immediately shot up from my gross, slouched position and clicked apply. I was skimming through the information like crazy. I felt like I was flying through it. Everything was so easy until I reached a roadblock. And here's where I have my first tip for you.
TIP NO. 1: Have your resume/CV and cover letter handy, up to date and presentable.
From my conversations with past (successful) applicants I had heard that Disney doesn't actually read or need your resume. So I hadn't prepared one. Big mistake.
One stage of the application is submission of your resume and cover letter which you cannot skip or pass. You have to submit a resume and cover letter to proceed with the application. So I'd hit a brick wall. I had to wait until I'd written a good resume and cover letter before I could submit.
TIP NO. 2: If you get stuck be prepared to start the process all over again because saving does not work.
After I'd saved my application I told my dad what had happened and he didn't seem sure. He asked me if I was 100% sure there was no way to proceed without one. When I told him I was 99% sure he asked me to try again. I tried to recover my saved application but it told me I didn't have any. I tried to log in and it told me I didn't exist. I worked out later that it's because Disney doesn't actually create an account for you until you've fully completed the application so there is literally no way to successfully save your application unless you've applied before. Fun.
I started a whole new application, re-filled the details, got all the way to the resume page only to discover that I was absolutely correct and it was all a grandiose waste of time.
I went to bed that night too nervous to sleep. Despite having to get up at 7.30 am the next day I spent all night researching how to write resumes. Despite having real work to do I spent the whole day researching resume templates. I was resume obsessed.
My friend's mother, a well seasoned English teacher, was famous throughout the land for being the best resume coach in town but she was at a school camp until the Friday. On the Wednesday I researched, on the Thursday my friend (the one whose mother was practically resume royalty) and I attempted to write a resume without her. When the Friday rolled around I was at their house again at the crack of dawn ready to get this thing perfect. And by the end of the day, it was.
I returned to my father's house, on the evening of April 25th 2014, ready to finally submit. It was a wild ride.
TIP NO. 3: Don't worry about your graduation date. You can guess. Same goes for when you started your jobs.
TIP NO. 4: If you've worked for the same company for a gross amount of time, you might be embarrassed but Disney will love it.
TIP NO. 5: Volunteer work goes under work experience.
TIP NO. 6: Do not freak out about asking everyone you know for references. Disney no longer asks for them on the application.
TIP NO. 7: Read an article on how to internationalize your phone numbers.
TIP NO. 8: Stay calm.
TIP NO. 9: Savor every word of that 'Thank You For Applying' email. You earned it.
- Lily
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