Before hitting submit on your application, we wanted to give you our top hints and tips to set you up for success!
The most important starting point is that we are not trying to trick you – we want this to be a two-way process! We want to get to know more about you, but you also want to get to know more about what you’ll be doing, what team you will be part of, and what opportunities this will give you to ensure you have the most rewarding and fulfilling 12 months with us:
Invest the time to tailor your CV and cover letter...
... to the internship you want to apply for, as well as the reasons why you want to come and do this at Disney. Think about what skills and attributes you have; these can be transferable skills and don’t necessarily need to be direct work experience. The more tailored this can be, the more we can get to know you and match you up to the best opportunity for you.
Don’t rely on AI tools too heavily...
...AI can be a helpful tool when preparing for application processes, but we want to see that you have taken the time to personalize your application. We would much rather see that your application authentically represents you as a person rather than generic AI answers.
Ask if you’re not sure...
...Please make sure to read all the information and correspondence that is sent to you (the job advert is your best friend; our correspondence will provide you with clearer details of what to expect). But if you’re not sure, do not hesitate to get in contact. We want to make sure you have everything you need and you are comfortable with what is being asked.
Be sure to learn about the role you are being considered for...
...Once you’ve made the application and completed the blended online assessment, we will review this to understand if you’ll be progressed to the next stage, which will be learning more about the specific internship you’ll be considered for. You will hear from the team you could potentially be working with. This is your opportunity to showcase why you want this and why they should consider you. So, it’s important to really think about this and prepare ahead of this interview taking place.
When preparing for an interview, use the Rule of Three...
...so think about three reasons why you want to work for us, three reasons why the role appeals to you and three reasons why we should choose you. Your statements are more impactful and memorable when you group them into three, and this can help you structure your answers more effectively. Hopefully, thinking about these reasons excites you about the role! If not, you may need to ask yourself if this is the right thing for you.
Make sure to really focus on the question you’re being asked...
...not the one that you want to be asked. A lot of candidates will make the mistake of rehearsing their answers perfectly, but it is important to listen and make sure the answer showcases the key points being asked. Your interviewers have been interviewees before, so they know exactly how nerve-wracking it can be! They will not mind at all if you ask them to have a moment to think or to repeat the question.
Go beyond the careers website when researching...
...Think about what newspapers or sources can support you with the latest trends in the business area you’ve applied for. Following our company and competitors on social media is a really easy way of staying up to date without needing to be too deliberate. Using this material and selecting what you feel is relevant is a great chance to showcase your commercial awareness.
Make sure to use the “STAR” technique when responding to interview questions...
...It gives a clear format, thinking about the situation, task, action & result. Remember to focus on your individual contribution, not what “we” did, as this doesn’t help the interviewer understand what you did in that scenario. When drawing on the result, detail the outcome of your actions, and it is always good to highlight the impact with quantitative or qualitative results achieved and what lessons you learn from the task at hand (this will showcase your self-awareness).
Have questions ready at the end to ask your interviewer but...
...think carefully about the impact these questions have. Asking open ended questions will prompt much more insightful answers for you to learn about the team and the role. For example, asking “do you enjoy your role?” is a closed “yes or no” question. Asking “what do you enjoy about your role?” encourages the interviewer to provide you with further information which will help you understand if this is the right fit for you.
If you’re not feeling too confident about the interview...
...consider practicing interviews with friends and family to start feeling more comfortable in an interview scenario. Or you can record yourself and watch it back to see how you are coming across.
We hope these hints and tips help! Please make sure to read the information carefully before applying and throughout the process, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Good luck!