January 2012 Applicants!

I think there will be more applicants this time and there were last time too because there is only one application date for a year - but that also means mroe people got waitlisted and given dates as well.

When I first applied back in 06 (god that seems ages away1!!) they had around 800 applicants, 300 phone interviews and around 200 f2f interviews and they interviewed in london, scotland and n.ireland across 2 days but they did 2/3 recruit ment drives a year so it was different and even tho less people applied less people seemedd to go through - i think maybe like 20 or so from each day.

This is gonna be my 3rd time reapplying lol im hoping persistence is the key in getting back out there - im with the rest of you whenever i come back from orlando i miss it like crazy - ive been reading blogs, watching vids etc -- for any of you guys who havent seen it check out the confessions of a cm vid on youtube its very funny

Im almost considering going back to uni just so im eligible for the icp and summer work programme lol

Oh and on the age thing - i just turned 30 so will prob be the oldest but i really dont care the other itnernationals seemed to have a lot of older people there when i was there and the oldest brit was 32 it's never an issue except for the whole drinking thing

i think the worse thing about this is that other people who arent in the disney bubble kinda dont get it at all thats why the boards are so great cos you get to meet other disney geeks

and for anyone who has done teaching you know you can apply for the disney english programme in china for 12+ months as well

 

Sounds like so many! I believe that i can be one of the ones who gets taken on though as long as I work hard to impress. And I can only assume that your difficulty in getting in again is because you have been before and have to work really hard to make them see why you're good for a second go? Can imagine that being soooo frustrating.

I have loked at both that and Cruise Line but not sur ehow either will help me get to WDW

So, a little bit of potential informal practice for phone interviews and stuff, as well as a question to spark some conversation. What makes you think that you are a ideal for a job at Disney World? What experience and qualities do you have that makes you think that Disney would be interested in hiring you?

 

Tigger - I'm looking in to DCL aswell, it seems they're not likely to take students fresh outta uni, have you had any contact with the uk agency about it yet? I sent my CV for 'advice' and a bit of direction but i havn't heard back yet.

pinkspider - I totally get what you mean about other applicants not really getting it, i suppose in that way, they look for the most qualified etc, they don't just want people who are crazy about Disney, but it's hard because you know because you're in that bubble and you do just 'get it' that you'd do a great job! So frustrating!

 

I haven't looked into DCL too much yet, just thought about it as an option and wondered whether it might increase my chances of a permanent job at WDW or in Florida.

 

if you want to do dcl its best to apply directly after or during your crp because if you leave it too long after they will want a longer time period of work experience if that makes sense? i wouldnt hold out too much hope for them to get back to you they are incredibly busy your best bet is to call them

as for how doing dcl gets you to wdw eventually - ive heard of people working up to management and then getting offered a job shore side but its rare

i think to be honest the reason i didnt get in was my cover letter wasnt good enough the 2nd time and the first time i messed up my phone interview i take full blame for it i got the days mixed up and insgtead of sitting at home with my notes i was in work when they called me and had to do the interview hiding in my bosses office which meant i wasnt particularly calm. i hope this time my cover letter will be good enough and that i can show that i am what they are looking for

it is harder if u have done the programme we were told that by yj but i think i have a lot more to offer and a lot more to gain and i hope that will come across this time round

And i would be ideal for the job because not only am i aware of disneys expectation of their cms i am prepared not only to meet them but to exceed them in every possible way

 

I really need to start cracking on my cover letter and making my CV look pretty. January is coming by so fast, so exciting!

I know what I want to write on my cover letter, it's just figuring out how to word it and how to attract their attention!

 

pinkspider - it's good that you know what you did wrong, i wish they could give feedback so i know what i was missing, i'm really not sure what i need to improve on, i tried not to sound like a Disney nut because i thought most people that applied would be I LOVE DISNEY but i really do!

how do you explain to them that you REALLY do!!

 

If you get a phone interview, they'll ask you then when you're free from, and they ask you again at the F2F. If you don't have a specific reason for wanting to go later, though, I'd just say ASAP. There's enough people applying that can go whenever that having a timeframe limit on your availability might be a disadvantage. I said I wasn't free until mid April 2012 (a friend of mine is getting married at the beginning of the month and I'm a bridesmaid), and I feel like that's some of the reason I got waitlisted rather than given a date.

As for the whole DCL thing, I know someone who did it and although they enjoyed it, DCL is really quite separate from the parks. It seems pretty damn unlikely that working on DCL will lead you into a job at WDW. The rules of visas are that if they can get an American to do the job, they have to take them over an international candidate (why pay to sponsor someone when they can get an equally good candidate for free?). It sucks, but that's just how it is

 

Thanks Emma

I have another question (yes, I will probably have lots more in the next few weeks! haha) if you say you would prefer to do merch would this mean you have less of a chance of getting in (since there are less positions in merch)? So theoretically if there was a choice between 2 people for a F&B position, do you think someone who'd put F&B as their preference would be chosen over someone who'd put merch? I have a lot of experience in both, so I would do either but I think I'd prefer merch...I just don't want to hinder my chances of getting in by putting it as a preference!

Oh and has anyone started their cover letter yet? I might start mine soon! (It's strange how eager I am to do this in comparison to writing my post-grad personal statement! haha)

 

I have been wondering this as well! Do some people just slip through the net because they put merchandise (which has less available positions) as their preference? Would be handy to know whether you can undo yourself with the answer to that one question!

I am writing my cover letter as we speak! I know we have 6 or 7 weeks to keep chopping and changing it, but Jebus Christ, I hope mine gets me somewhere.....

 

When i applied last year,there are a lot more positions in F&B,however it seems to be if you convince them you would benefit in the future from getting merch experience then they would me more inclined. However i got merch and i was waitlisted for 6 months. I also put no preference for the job. So who knows.

 

Hmm...do you think it would matter how much experience you have in each area? I have 3 years in F&B (waitressing, bar staff and in a cafe) and 5 years as a sales assistant, so I have more that's related to merch so if I put that as my preference surely it'll be clear why? I don't want to come across as being inflexible, but at the same time don't want to miss out on what I'd prefer because I'm afraid to say what it is...!

 

I put merch as my first choice and got merch but just because u put merch doesn't mean u won't get into f and b, I shudnt think itl hinder ur chances. In the f2f they ask what you would prefer and why so that will give u the chance to explain ur reasons. I know some people put merch as there first choice but ended up with f and b instead. I don't think it matters what u end up with cause the experience will be amazing just the same! xxx

 

on my first prog I put merch as my choice - i had several years experience in merch but when i got there they were like would you consider fnb? i was like ill clean toilets if you want me to! I got given fnb but the training for any role is really comprehensive - so long as you have cosutmer servvice experience it doesnt matter really where from. I wouldnt worry too much about it as majority of people seem to choose fnb over merch anyways - if they like u they will offer you a role where they have availability

 

What was F&B like? What did you do? The only thing that puts me off is that I've heard it gets pretty stressful, and whilst I can cope when it gets really busy at a bar or where I work now making drinks in a (really!) busy cafe, I'm not sure I'd be great with the pressure of the restaurant if it gets hectic. I was a food runner once for a week at a casual job I used to have and it was quite literally the worst week of my life! So I just worry I might not enjoy it as much.

 

well in fnb theres a bunch of positions - everyone starts out being trained on chippy, seating and greeting. the only thing that can be a bit stressful there is greeting when its busy and people demand tables and stuff but its not too bad. Then you can also be trained on beercart, stocking or assigning. assigning is pretty strerssful as you basically run the restaurant deciding where poepl will sit and how many walkins u c an get etc but at the same tmie u have to look at the servers and kitchen to make sure they dont get weeded.

if you decide to go into service u do a week of food running, then like a half week of server training then you get scheduled in as normal. food running can be stressful but mainly u develop whats known as the claw - where your hands ache and curl automatically into the position for carryinog plates lol.

Service can be stressful and long hours but you make decent money doing it same for food running

theres also the opportnity to work bar which i never did

before you go into a tipped position u have some tests to do as well

 

Thanks for the info so when they train you for different roles (after the chippy etc.) do they decide what they want to train you for based on what they've seen you do and what they think you'd be good at?

(sorry for all the questions...I like to know everything there is to know!)

 

i think it has changed since i was there as when i was here u had to ask to be trained on the other podium (non tipped positons) the basics were seater greeter and chippy but everything else u had to ask to be trained to do

wither service - u have to ask to sit ur preservice test - if u pass that u have to learn all the menus and speil to managers /chefs and if u pass that u go on a waiting list to go into food running training - again this may have changed ut wheni was there they only had 2 people training at a time

when i wanted ot be an assignor i had to go and ask and the response was hmm really you think you can do it? they werent keen to train me but it was fine and in the end i proved i could do it - someone else in my group trained to be an assignor and was terrible so they took her off it.

if your naff at like serving they will put u back on podium also when i was there people got put back for failing some of the service stabndards and guest complaints, for callinf in too many times and a few others things as weell

 

Hi sorry to just butt in here, but just wanted to say best of luck to you all (esp you Ellie) but everyone too!!!

I am from the last group of applicants, that applied Jan this year and luckily I got through and got a date to go after the face to face interviews. Seriously to everyone that makes it through each stage, ENJOY the journey, cos honestly Id love to go through it all again, even though they changed the timelines and such for us and we were the first group to deal with the new dates for phone interviews and final interviews, usually they would have 2 lots of interviews per year, but as they changed it to just one per year, the time between applying and finding out about the next stage was stretched by a good few months.

But really it was so exciting and you really bond with all the strangers that apply as you are all going through it together, then hopefully get to meet up at the face to face interviews in London, which btw if they run the dates the way they did last time (my time) you end up in London at the start of June, with the lovely weather! It was a heatwave when we went (not exactly best weather for full suit but still...).

Honestly just don't panic/freak out, except for the day before Yummy are due to email you It is such fun and the interviews are really relaxed, hopefully I will meet a lot of you over there in WDW.

Best of luck everyone

Rob

 

cheers Rob I was gutted last time round to not get in but really glad you and some of the others did