I was fine for about an hour leading up to the interview, but then when the 15-minute waiting period came, my chest started tightening up, my stomach was in knots, and my mouth started going dry (as it usually does before an interview, in my case). But these were extreme jitters. It was such a surreal moment. I had been reading about these interviews for years, and it was finally my time!
To calm my nerves and pump me up, I listened to the "Go the Distance" reprise on repeat for about five minutes straight. Don't judge me, that's my jam.
The phone rang four minutes past my interview time, at 2:34 PM. As soon as the interview began, I felt fine. My interviewer started out by introducing herself and making sure this was still a good time for the interview (Um, yes! I've set aside a five-hour period for you!). We first went through my employment history, with her confirming that I had worked for the company before (Disney Store). I was asked to go through my previous positions and talk about my responsibilities.
Next we spoke about why I wanted to work for Disney and what I hoped to get out of the Disney College Program. I told her that I've wanted to work for Disney my entire life and that, when I was a kid, I wanted to either sell popcorn on Main Street U.S.A. or be a princess. Now that I am older, my career goals have changed a bit, but the company I want to work for has remained the same. I told her that I would love to use the program as a stepping stone towards a career with Disney and that I would be using the opportunity to network with individuals in the departments I'm interested in, such as the Disney Event Group. She said that was wonderful and that she wished me luck!
I was then asked a series of the typical questions that everyone else is asked. Here are some of the questions and my answers, to the best of my memory:
What pace do you prefer to work at?
Generally fast, as it helps the day go by faster and I feel like it helps me to be more efficient. However, I do like for there to be a few slower periods throughout the day to regain my composure.
Are you comfortable working in all types of weather conditions?
I've been in all types of weather conditions as a guest in the parks, so I definitely think I could handle it as my job. However, I am fairly susceptible to heat exhaustion and would prefer working indoors, if possible.
Name a time when you had to deal with a difficult guest.
Told a story about dealing with unorganized and unprepared group leaders when I worked in group sales at a water park this past summer and how I resolved the issues.
How would you deal with repetitive tasks?
While there are repetitive tasks in any job, no day is ever the same for me. There are always unique situations that come up and every guest is different and deserves customized service and reactions.
Regarding attractions, I was asked if I have ever had to memorize long spiels of dialogue.
Mentioned being comfortable with public speaking, but that I had only done so with notes in the past.
If you had a lot of tasks to do throughout the day, how would you go about getting everything done?
That's basically all I do at school - professors always tend to schedule assignments and tests around the same time, so time management and prioritizing tasks is something I'm very familiar and comfortable with. I am always making lists and making sure everything on them gets checked off. I always get things done.
Do you think your past experience will help you in any of your selected roles?
(Yes. Hospitality major, love planning vacations, lots of guest service experience, and am very familiar with the property.)
Do you work best individually or as a team?
I think I work more efficiently as an individual, since I don't have to worry about the performance of others. However, I do think working in a team environment is beneficial when you're new at a job or if you have a lot of tasks to accomplish. You're able to help each other and work together to get things done.
Would you be able to stay calm in an emergency?
Yes. I don't get frazzled in high-stress situations while on the job. I think things through rationally, go through the steps that needs to take place to deal with the situation in my head, and then act in an appropriate manner.
Are you comfortable with being interupted?
Yes. That's what I'm there for. If I were already with a guest and someone came up to me with a simple yes or no question or simply needed to be pointed in a certain direction, I would go ahead and tell them and apologize to the orginal guest I was helping. However, if a guest came up to me with a lengthy situational issue, I would explain to them that as soon as I was done helping the original guest, I would be happy to help them.
We confirmed all of my role choices (High - Hospitality, Vacation Planner, Concierge / Moderate - Attractions, Photopass) and I was then asked about my top three and why I wanted to do them.
Hospitality - Because I want a role that ties in with my major and would earn me more experience in the industry.
Vacation Planner - Because I love planning vacations and would love helping other guests plan their own.
Concierge - Because I feel that it is a very respectable role, since you are expected to know everything there is to know about the property.
I was never asked any real situational questions for any of the positions, and we never even mentioned Photopass.
She then asked if I was familiar with the Disney look, if I had any tattoos/piercings that were viewable outside of a one-piece swimsuit, if I knew about the pay rates and availability, etc.
She then said that that was all the questions she had for me and asked if I had any questions for her. Earlier in the interview, I was asked about living with roommates. We talked about how I would be getting married before the start of the program and that I would be bringing my cat with me, so we were looking into permanent relocation to the Orlando area. She told me about the process of having to e-mail the program to get that approved. I also expressed my concerns about attending the housing events while living offsite, and she told me that I would definitely be able to.
I then asked her if, since I would be done with school and wouldn't be getting credit for anything, if she would still recommend taking any of the courses that are offered within the program. She said absolutely, especially the Disney Heritage series since I am wanting a career within the company. She mentioned all the networking opportunities, and I told her that was one of the things I was most looking forward to.
After that, I took the opportunity to express my location requests! I told her that, while I know it's not guaranteed, if I am placed in a hospitality-related position, I would love to work either at Pop Century, the Polynesian, or the Boardwalk. She confirmed that neither an offer nor a work location is guaranteed, but she asked me to repeat the locations and definitely wrote them down! So here's hoping!
After that, the interview was over. She thanked me for my time, and I thanked her (by name!) and we said our goodbyes. My entire interview lasted 17 minutes and 20 seconds, according to my phone.
I just fell back into my chair after that and took a big breath. It was over! I had no feelings regarding if I did well or not - I was just completely neutral. And I still feel that way. There's no telling what the outcome of this will be, but I remain confident in myself!
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