Phone Interview 8/27

   This is it! The most nerve wracking part of your application process: your phone interview! If your anything like me, you'll spend all day leading up to your interview pacing and preparing, and getting yourself ten kinds of nervous. But, there's nothing to be nervous about! In all honesty, the calmer you are the better your interview will be! There are some general tips that I've seen floating around the internet. My guess is you've already seen these, but I'm going to put them here again just in case you've missed them!

• Smile! When you smile, your interviewer will be able to hear it. Have you ever heard the saying "fake it til you make it?" Well, experts have proven that faking it will end up making you happier in the long run (I don't know what experts, the internet told me, and we ALL know the internet never lies)
• Be Prepared. Do your research, know what your top 5 roles are, why you think you'd be a good fit, have notes ready, paper and pen.
• Always have questions to ask your interviewer. If you don't have questions to ask, it'll look like you don't have as much interest in the role as you could.
• Remember to write down your interviewers name. 
• Sit in a quiet space where you're not going to be disturbed. 

   Blah, blah blah, blah blah. Okay, that's not fair. It's good advice. Like - really good advice. But, at this point it's also beginning to get a bit tired. Maybe it's because I've read every single blog possible on the process, maybe it's because I've gone through the process so many times. I don't know. Anyway, how about some alternative tip and tricks?

• STOP STUDYING. NOW! All you're going to do is freak yourself out. There is such a thing as being over prepared. Your best interview is going to come from speaking from the heart. If you're reading off of note cards, your interviewer is going to know it. A rehearsed speach is never going to be as good.
• Get silly! It's all fine and dandy to say "just smile, you'll be fine!" But when your stomach is in your throat and you feel like your going to toss your cookies, sometimes smiling is hard. You stutter and shake your way through your interview, trying to force a smile onto your face, and that's not going to help anyone. SO, before your 15 minute cautionary time, turn on an upbeat, happy play list. Happy, Fight Song, Eye Of The Tiger, When Will My Life Begin, ANYTHING! Then dance! Get as silly as your can. You're already by yourself, with other people knowing not to disturb you, you don't need to be worried about someone walking in. Let go, get silly, be ridiculous. It's going to help you relax enough to smile and joke with your interviewer.
• Have a bottle of water ready. The only thing worse than getting a dry throat and starting to cough halfway through your interview is spilling a glass of water all over your notes and yourself. Have a bottle that's (mostly) spill proof at hand to help you through.

   Okay, okay, no more tips. Let's get down to the actual phone interview! Before I go any farther, let me makes something clear. Some questions Disney will ask every time. Sometimes they'll ask some version of the same question every time. I know some people who get all role situational questions, while others get questions about their experience. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to what questions you get, so there is only so much preparing you can do. So, I'm going to walk you through my phone interview, the questions I was asked, but know that there is no guarantee that you'll get these questions or any other questions you find floating around the internet.

   First things first, remember that your interviewer can call you up to 15 minutes early, and as much as 15 minutes late. Taking a max 30 minute interview, you need to leave about an hour for your interview (not including your dancing time of course). Your interviewer is going to call you from a blocked/restricted number. When you answer the phone, they're going to ask to speak to [insert your name here], then confirm that this is still a good time to talk.

   My interview started at 7:16AM, 1 minute after my scheduled time (which was nerve wracking. I am clearly a patient person). I answered the phone and had a wonderful 27 minute long phone interview with Linda. I felt good about my interview from the moment I got off the phone (before I began to let myself spiral out of control with worry as time passed).

  We began the interview with the confirmation that yes, this was still a good time, yes I'm Sunny, etc. They'll explain how the interview is going to go, and then we went through some basic things, just confirmation of things I put down on my application. She asked me about my major and stuff and commented on some of my experience right off the bat. She had obviously either just looked at my application or was looking at it as we talked.

• Which is your park preference? I only put down Walt Disney World, though in the past I have applied for both WDW and Disneyland.(although, your chances of getting WDW are exponential larger than getting DLR)
• Which is your program preference? This time, I only applied for the Spring program, since I work at camp during the summer. If you are applying for both Spring and Spring Advantage you get the chance here to say which you prefer

   So once you get past these basic kind of question, you'll move onto more specific questions.

• Why do you want to work for the Disney company? I've seen some really sappy posts floating around the internet, and I've seen some very goal oriented responses. Be honest and thoughtful. Why do YOU want to work for the Walt Disney company? Think long and hard about this question. They're going to ask you some sort of variation of this question. If you think about your answer, your interviewer will appreciate your sincerity and you'll know why you want this opportunity. The more sure you are, the more self assured you'll sound. 
•  Would you rather work indoors or outdoors? Be honest! Lying to make yourself look good is only going to make you miserable in the long run!
• Have you ever worked for Disney before? Easy enough!
• Disney look: do you know it, do you have any problems complying with it, do you have any piercings or tattoos visible outside a 1 piece bathing suit? Be honest here. Make sure you've looked into the Disney look, let them know if you have any tattoos or piercings. If you have a problem complying with the Disney look, don't even bother starting your interview, they are non-negotiable. Be honest about your body modifications so they don't place you in a role you can't cover them. They're not going to be happy if you tell them after you get accepted. Never, ever lie to get a job. If you have gauges, you need to shrink them gone. If you have multiple piercings in your ears you can only wear one in each lobe. Simple rules. 
• How do you feel about living with people with different backgrounds and from different countries? This is Disney's way of seeing how you feel about living with other people. Don't talk about how nervous you are about living with new people - trust me, we all experience that. Instead, focus on the positive. Talk about how excited you are to experience new things, make new friends, and learn and grow. 
• What was one of the most rewarding things you experienced working as a camp counselor? I went on and on about an experience I had my first year as a counselor. It was touching, it was sweet, it was true. The key to this type of question is honesty. In fact it's the key to the entire interview. Tell a TRUE story, don't try to make it up.

   Next we finally got into role specific questions! They'll ask if you have a drivers license, which is needed for some roles. They let you know that you will be considered for any role you selected,  even if you put low interest (you will NOT be considered if you put no interest). I had put low interest in character performer, but she really pushed me to audition. I have some dance experience, but I'm overweight at this point, but she was really stressing I audition. Maybe they're short on performers? I have no clue. The Chicago auditions are this Thursday, but I don't think I'm going to go. They asked if I would be able to memorize long spiels, and if I ever had. She asked if I had any money experience. Then she asked:

• Do you have any experience life guarding? I am currently a Red Cross certified lifeguard, and I've guarded at camp. We talked about my experience for just a moment.
• Tell me about a time you've had to preform an in water rescue. This is obviously only applicable for previous lifeguards, and obviously I can't actually tell you about my experiences. Sorry.

   She also asked about and pushed the recreation role A LOT. I was actually really excited about it, because she kept talking about how perfect I would be for the role. I wish that Disney still cross trained their life guards in recreation! Finally she asked me about what my top 3 roles are. They were:

1.  Bippidi Boppity Botique
2. Lifeguarding
3. Attractions

   Finally, the interview was over. She asked my if I had any final questions, which you should always have at the ready. First I asked if it is possible to request a location. She said she would pass my message along to Tinker Bell to see if she could work her magic. I requested to work in the Magic Kingdom, or at Beach Club if I am a lifeguard (which I am so... we'll see!) Then I asked if she knew when people would starting hearing back. She said that most people are going to hear around the 3rd week of October, which means that everyone still waiting has a good, fighting chance! I hope this very long, very wordy retelling of my phone interview helps anyone getting ready for their own phone interview! Have a magical day!

Application, WBI, and Scheduling (August 24)

   Now that we've established that I've been accepted, let move onto the HOW.

Application: 9/24/15 10AM (The Day The Apps Dropped)
   The application process is pretty straight forward. I applied the first day they came out, though I waited a few hours to wait out the inevitable site crash from people making a mad rush to submit their application. I want to say that I started my application at about 10am CT. Make sure you set aside at least 45 minutes to complete your application. Rushing through your application is not going to do you any good. I did my application from my phone, which wasn't horrible, but it didn't have the space to put down volunteer experience, which I know from past applications is available on the desktop site.
   The application is going to ask you the same thing any other job application would: Name, address, social security number, past job experience, have you ever worked for the company before, where do you go to school, etc. It's all very straight forward, no trick questions (yet), but make sure you add everything you need to add. I can't stress enough to take your time. Lots of people move straight into submission after they submit their application. Your best chance of getting past to the Web Based Interview (WBI) is to make sure everything is in order. Watching your spelling and crammer, make sure everything that should be capitalized is.

• Before you start your application, make sure you have the address, phone number, and your supervisors name for any job you might have held.
• They're going to ask you about your interest in every role. Try to put as few no interests as possible. I only put 2 (Custodial and housekeeping) with a few low interests. You'll be given the choice between no interest, low interest, medium interest, and high interest. The more things you put any kind of interest in, the more likely you are to get accepted. Just know, you CAN get placed in a low interest role. 

 Thank You For Applying (Email) 9/24/15 11:49AM

   This will be your first email from Disney. It is not the in submission email, it is not the pending email, it is just Disney's way of saying they've received your email and they're going to look at it before getting back to you, plain and simple. It generally takes a while to get this email, it took me about an hour after I submitted my application.

Immediate Action Required (Email) 9/24/15 12:31PM
   If your lucky, you'll get this email pretty soon after. However, some people move straight into submission, which means Disney needs to take a second look at their application. Once you receive this email, you have 3 days to complete your WBI. Set aside AT LEAST 45 minutes. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to complete (I've passed my WBI every time) but life happens and you want to make sure you have the time. Also, I'm a very fast reader, which makes my time shorter than most. You cannot restart the WBI once it has started, and some portions of the test are timed, so make sure you have a quiet, comfortable place to take it and then go ahead and start!

WBI 9/24/15 12:35PM(ish)
   I thankfully had the time to start my WBI right away, which was good since my next few days were crazy with starting school. It took me about 30 minutes to complete and it is fairly straight forward. At the end of the WBI it will take you to a screen that will tell you if you're going to get a phone interview or not. The WBI is, at the core, just a very detailed personality test. It's Disney's way of figuring out if you would be a good fit for the program. There is no real tip or trick I can give you, except be honest and don't be an idiot. If they say "would you ever steal from work" and you say yes, well, you're an idiot. On the other hand, don't lie about your answers or personality. They're going to ask you the same question, multiple times, and if a bunch of your answers are different because you forgot your lie, they're not going to give you a phone interview.So be honest, be smart, take a deep breath, and good luck!

Your Next Step: Schedule Phone Interview (Email) 9/24/15 3:48PM
   Needless to say, I moved onto the phone interview stage. It got this email a few hours after completing my WBI. I've heard of people waiting 30 minutes, I've heard of people waiting 24 hours. It just depends on how busy their server is, how many people are trying to schedule their interview, that sort of stuff. They don't want everyone scheduling at once, or the server will crash. So I got my email about 3 hours later. When I got my email, there were only 2 days available for interviews- Wednesday 8/26 or Thursday /27. That was fine for me, but I know some people weren't available during those times and had to wait a day or two for more times to become available. I scheduled my interview for 8/26 at 7:15AM CT.

• Schedule your phone interview at a time that's convenient for you, where you can be in a quiet place by yourself. DO NOT decide that the common area of your dorm is a good spot. It's not.
• When you schedule, be aware that the interview could take place 15 minutes early or 15 minutes late. Also, the interview could take up to half an hour. So if you were scheduling your interview for 9:30AM, you would need to be available from 9:15-10:15. 
• Make sure when selecting your interview your select your own time zone to keep from missing your interview.

Phone Interview Confirmation (Email) 9/24/15 4:04 PM
    After you've scheduled your phone interview, you'll get a confirmation email with your time so that you don't forget. You'll notice my time says 8:15AM. You'll remember I said 7:15. Also notice the big, bold, all uppercase reminder that the time in the email is Eastern time. And yet, somehow people will still think something went wrong, or they'll be ready at the wrong time. Don't be that person.

   That was my last email from Disney for the day. This is the part where everything happens really fast, lots happens and you're super excited. Now it's time to settle down and prepare for your phone interview. Have a magical day!

And The Verdict Is...

   Okay, so how about a bit about me? My name is Hannah, though I usually go by Sunny these days (Disney and I are currently fighting about that). I am a 23 year old elementary education major (yay little kids) at Indiana University Northwest just outside Chicago, where I am originally from. I've lived all over the midwest (Chicago, Henderson, KY, Louisville, Valparaiso, IN, and now my current town) but Chicago is where I call home. I am a summer camp counselor at a sleep away camp in the Catskills, and the former director of a day camp in Indiana. I work as a nanny for a very sweet 21 month old little girl. I am a Red Cross certified lifeguard, though I'll have to go through a completely different certification for Disney called Ellis. I think that's all you need to know. OH! And I'll be leaving this big baby behind at home, which is heart breaking: