Friday, March 21, 2014

Second Interview = COMPLETE!

WHEW!

What a sigh of relief! My interview was Wednesday at 10:30a my time. I could barely sleep the night before! To be honest I probably went to be around 6 or 7am because I was just so restless and nervous. I work up around 9:30 to get dressed and set up my computer and etc. 10:30 came and went and around 10:40ish they joined the montage interview. I interviewed with two leaders, both men, one who worked front office and one who worked retail. They took turns asking my questions, mostly situational but leadership based.

Example questions:
-tell me about a time that you had a difficult situation
-tell me about a time when you were part of a project from beginning to end
-tell me about a time that you led a team in good business practices (I think that's how the question was worded, to be honest the sound cut out for a second so I'm like 98% sure that is what the question was)

...there were a few more questions but to be honest I can't remember them at the moment. Like I said I honestly think I did a very good job. I don't remember stumbling on any answers, and I think I gave very good answers with good examples to back them up.

The only thing I am slightly worried about is that I don't have a lot of "official" leadership/management experience. What I mean is that if they have to choose between me and someone else, they will choose someone else who has more "traditional" leadership/management experience. I've always been a trainer at all of my jobs, but I've never been a manager. I've assisted the guest service team lead (which is basically the manager of the front lanes) when I was working at target, I'd cover their lunches and sometimes meetings, meaning I'd work that position for a few hours, but I was never fully promoted to that position. So I fear that someone who has actually been a manager before will get the position instead of me. Personally, I believe that anyone can be leader, it's not just about holding the position, it's how you actually lead the people that look up to you.

Either way, time will tell! They said the last day to hear back was may 2nd (SO FAR AWAY). But from other people I've heard 2-3 weeks, so I honestly have no idea what the time frame is at the moment. I've done everything i can at this moment, so the only thing I can possibly do is cross my fingers and hope for the best! :)

-KT

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Rejection...

Well...I have to say I kind of knew it was coming. I logged into my dashboard a few days ago and saw the dreaded "No Longer In Consideration" title on my dashboard. Thank goodness it was only for the Theme Park Ops Management Internship.

Why did I know that I would be NLIC? Well when I got the call about interviewing for other MIs (Management Internships) I wasn't asked to interview for this position. So I had the feeling that I wasn't going to be interviewed for the Theme Park Ops, therefore I would end up being NLIC'd. While its a little saddening, i'm very excited for whats in store for my other internships that are still "in progress".

I've got my MI interview on wednesday for lodging and retail, and i'm quite nervous. All I can really do is hope that everything will work out! As always I will let you know how the interview goes!

-KT

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Phone Calls, Interviews, Progress, oh my!

I haven't heard a peep, beep, or *ding* from my email since Feb 28th. Well I mean I have, but the emails aren't from Disney, which means I really don't care about them. That all changed March 7th.

I had just gotten out of work and saw that I had a missed call from a (407) number, which is also known as Disney's area code, not did I miss the call, but they left a voicemail!!! Needless to say I was freaking out, I only had 1% of battery left on my phone, so I raced to my car where I have a car charger, and listened to the voicemail. It was from Disney recruiting letting me know that they want to schedule a second interview for a MANAGEMENT internship! I did a little happy dance in my car, and called them back praying that my car charger would do its job and that I would be able to still catch them before they left the office (since this was friday around 4pm-ish). Chris from Disney Recruiting answered the phone, and informed me that I was part of special group of applicants in which they wanted to interview for TWO different management internships...at the same time! He informed me I would be interviewed for the lodging and retail management internships. (my #1 and #3 choice, since i haven't heard anything back about theme park ops, i'm going to assume that I wont be getting an interview for that, even though my dashboard still says "in-progress"). The day and time were set up, and on March 19th (in exactly one week), I will be taking part in what is called a "montage" interview, meaning it will be over webcam. There will be leaders from both lodging and retail interviewing me at the same time. Chris also told me that after the interview there would be no "yes/no" answer right away, but that in one to two weeks I will have a answer. Which means that by the beginning of april I will know if i am going to Disney for just a college program, or for an actual management position!

To say i'm nervous is an understatement, I have never really interviewed for a management position anymore, and having to do it "face to face" means I can't have a pile of notes next to me. I have rely all on my charisma! For the next week I will be going over my resume to find examples ways I have displayed good leadership, and I have started thinking of answers to possible interview questions. As always, I will let y'all know how it goes!

to recap:
College Program: ACCEPTED! (arrival- june 9th, role-concierge)
Professional Internships: Alumni-Only (guest relations)- in progress! (this internship only has one interview, which is the one that I already completed, so there's nothing left to do but wait. These internships are usually the last to hear back)
Management Internships: In progress in all 3, with an interview for retail and lodging on march 19th!

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust y'all!
-KT

Friday, February 28, 2014

AMAZING news!

So i've got some amazing news for y'all (i mean if anyone actually reads this).......

I GOT ACCEPTED FOR THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM! FALL ADVANTAGE SEASON!

For those of you who don't know, the College Program is actually my back-up plan, i am still "in progress" for a few professional/management internships, but i still needed to get the college program in order to insure the fact that i will be returning to florida this summer/fall...for good! i have completed a few college programs in the past, but this time it just feels more 'real' because i plan on staying down in florida for good, rather than returning to texas after the internship is over. its a crazy feeling, i'm so excited for school to end, but at the same time im so nervous for the rest of my life to being. i've been dreaming about this for a solid 4 years, i can't believe its actually happening!

My role is concierge, and arrival date is June 9th. I already have a countdown on my phone and its only 99 days away! i can't believe in less than 100 days i will have graduated college (#FINALLY), quit my job at the hotel i currently work at (and don't really enjoy), and have moved down to florida, with the plans of staying there for the rest of my life! i still can't believe it! i feel like rapunzel when she's about to leave her tower!

To those of y'all still waiting, good luck!

"The big questions is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure." 
-Joseph Campbell

-KT

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

2-week mark.

Pretty short update here...today (well technically yesterday since it's past 12a) is my two week mark since my phone interview for the college program! They tell you at the end of the phone interview that you should hear back in 2-3 weeks (sometimes its longer, but in all my past CPs i've gotten accepted within the 3 week mark). Basically im hoping this week goes by fast! It should though, considering that i've got 3 tests and work every single day until saturday, so i should be able to stay busy.

Thats about it! i've got no quote today unfortunately, i'm really tired from being sick this past weekend, plus during that sickness i worked 2 overnight shifts at work, which mess with my normal-people sleeping schedule. oh, and i also have a test tomorrow that i should be studying for. 

Here's to hoping that i get some good news this week! 
-KT

Monday, February 17, 2014

Updates! (warning, long post ahead)

(whew! Its been a while! I'm SO sorry for the lack of updates, two jobs + school + sorority events has me being a pretty busy girl!)

So where do I begin....

PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP UPDATES:
Where did I leave off at? ah, yes, movement happenings!
I got the email Feb 4th to schedule my phone interview, which I did so for Feb 7th. That day I was a ball of nerves, luckily I had my sororities recruitment that afternoon, so I was able to take my mind off of everything for a short while. After recruitment finished I went home and proceeded to freak out a little before the interview. Overall I think I did ok in the interview, I had Nina as my interviewer, she had me rank the 3 management internships that I applied for in order of importance (I said lodging was my #1, with with Theme Park Ops as my #2, and retail my #3), and then she asked me some questions about each one, and also about the Alumni Only internship that I applied for (guest relations). I am a little nervous because I haven't had a whole lot of "official" leadership experience, being that most jobs I have had I have been a trainer, but never a supervisor. I think overall I did well though, only time will tell! Management Internship applications closed Feb 14th, which means that I should hopefully be seeing movement within the next week or so, I don't know for a fact but I think that for the Management Internships I might have to do a second interview. As for Alumni-Only Applications, those don't close until feb 28th, so i'm not expecting any movement on those for a few weeks if not for a month. The great thing is that the internship office does a great job with updating dashboard. For instance you can tell that they are going through management internship applications, because a few people on the FB group have been NLIC for Management Internships that they weren't necessarily qualified for, while I do feel bad for those that have been NLIC, it does give me a little hope because I haven't been NLIC yet.

Just as a little refresher here's my professional internship "timeline":
Applied: Jan 29th
"Thank you for applying" email: Jan 29th
"Schedule phone screen" email: Feb 4th
Phone screen: Feb 7th
(Management internship applications close Feb 14th)

COLLEGE PROGRAM UPDATES:
Did I tell y'all that I was applying for the college program as a back up? WELL I DID! And boy did this application process go by quickly! I applied the day that applications opened (feb 6th), and a few hours later received my WBI (web based interview) email. For those of you who don't know, the web based interview is basically a personality test that asks you your opinion when it comes to certain situations. If you don't pass that WBI then unfortunately you aren't able to continue with the application process, which made me nervous! It's been a long time since I took the WBI, and one wrong answer can make you not pass, so needless to say I was VERY nervous. Well.....I passed the WBI!!!! After passing I received an email to schedule a phone interview, which I did schedule for Feb 10th. I can't remember my interviewers name, but I can honestly say that I am very confidant with this interview! With my experience already with the college program, combined with my job experience outside of the program, I do believe that I will be accepted. The college program is technically my back-up plan for if I don't get a professional internship, but its good to know that i've got a really good chance! They said they would let me know within 2 to 3 weeks, but sometimes people hear back sooner. I'm just keeping an eye on my dashboard and crossing my fingers for good news!

Here's my college program "timeline":
Applied: Feb 6th
"Thank you for applying" email: Feb 6th
WBI: Feb 6th
"Schedule phone interview" email: Feb 6th
Phone Interview: Feb 10th

Thanks for putting up with my long update, and I promise to try and update much more often!
- KT :)

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." 
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Movement begins!

Hello everyone, i've got exciting news!!


(these are just screenshots for two out of the four internships I have applied for)

I made it past the "auto resume check" for every single one of my internships!!

So for those who don't know the process, when you apply for a professional internship your resume is put through a computer program that looks for certain "key words" if your resume doesn't contain these key words than you are automatically NLIC (nlic = no longer in consideration), BUT if your resume does have the key words, then you move onto the next stage of the application. In the next stage of the application a real person will look at your resume, and if they like it then they will contact you for an interview. These key words are usually hinted at in the job description, so as long as you include the key words, when your resume is put through the program you should get to the next stage. I was sure that I would make it past the computer program, but nonetheless I was nervous, but it looks like there was no need!

In addition, for the alumni only professional internships (aka guest relations) I am already in the "interview stage" as seen above. I got the email this morning to schedule a screening interview, it is my understanding that this screening interview is not only for the alumni only internship, but also any other internships that I have applied for. So I am preparing myself for a wide range of questions, since I am applying for a wide range of management internships. My interview is scheduled for this Friday (Feb 7th) at 10pm. It was the latest possible time that they would allow, and I would be lying if I said i wasn't nervous. This weekend is also recruitment for the sorority that I am in (Sigma Kappa), so friday I will be at recruitment from 6-8:30, then I will have to rush home to prepare for my interview! (at this time I am considering changing my interview time to be before recruitment, but I haven't quite decided yet)

So here's an update on where my applications stand:
Alumni Only PI: interview stage
Management Internship-
Lodging- In progress
Retail- In progress
Theme Park Ops- In submission

Wish me luck!
-KT

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."
-Theodore Roosevelt