Unanswered Questions from the Spring 2015 Twitter Q&A

Unanswered Questions

The following are questions that were asked, but not answered by the recruiters, during the Spring 2015 Twitter Q&A session. I took a go at answering them so people could get their answers. :) I broke them up into categories of similar questions to make it a little easier to look at. 

Eligibility

Are there any available for UK residents?

If i'm not from the USA could I apply for your intern program?

PI's generally require you to be eligible to work in the US and have unrestricted work access. I don't think that Disney really sponsors people to get work access so if you don't already have a visa I think it would be hard to get a PI. There are cultural representative programs open to international students and you could always email the recruiting team to double check and see if you could do a PI.

Is there a certain age group Disney tries to keep to when choosing an intern?

Definitely not! It is actually illegal to make hiring decisions based on age and I've seen interns be a WIDE variety of ages. As long as you have the experience and the qualities that recruiters/hiring managers are looking for you'll be considered!

I graduated last May. Is it possible to apply for an internship still?

Do you accept applicants who have graduated more than 6 months ago if they graduated from an accelerated degree program?

PIs either require you to have graduated within 6 months of applying or 6 months of starting the position depending on the PI. They are pretty strict on the requirements of the PI, so make sure you are eligible before applying. If you have graduated more than 6 months ago you can apply for full or part time positions. If you have the right experience you might just get the position!

Are recent graduates eligible? Is it a paid internship? Do science majors apply?

This question pretty much needs to be answered in three parts:

-Recent grads are eligible and either require you to have graduated within 6 months of applying or 6 months of starting the position depending on the PI, so look at the requirements of the positions you are looking at. 

-All PIs are paid, but the pay does WIDELY vary based on position. 

-There a variety of internships for science majors, everything from chemistry to biotechnology to science education to engineering, etc. It's one of the awesome parts of Disney, they have just about any job you can think of!

Applications

If I already had a phone interview, can I still send in apps for other PIs?

Yes! I did this during my second cycle applying. Not all PIs are posted at the same time, so if you see one you are interested in and qualified for, I say apply! Just realize they will likely use the same phone screen you already did to determine which internships you will be further considered for. Occasionally they will call to ask follow up questions if need be.

Are applications reviewed on a rolling basis or not until the deadline for application passes?

They are viewed on a rolling basis. My first internship I applied on the last day and got the position! For positions that go through recruiting, the recruiter will usually wait to pass on resumes until after the posting has ended. They will likely start doing phone screenings before the posting closes since there are so many applications. For PIs that don't do phone screenings like animal programs they sometimes start interviewing before applications close but are good at pacing out interviews and acceptances based on the number of positions they have.

What are you looking for in a resume? How can I make my resume stand out?

Resumes pass through an electronic scanner to weed out applicants that are not qualified so make sure you use key words from the job postings. Make sure you proof read it and highlight the required and preferred qualifications that you have in your experiences.

What's the number one thing that recruiters are looking for?

Since I'm not a recruiter I don't know for sure, but I would say they want to make sure that applicants fit well with the Disney Values.

Timeline

How long after an application is "In Progress" does it normally take to hear back about progress?

Depends by position. Different departments go at different paces. For many positions, recruiters have to pass along a narrowed list of candidates after a phone screen which can take a while. Then it is up to the department to find the time in their work schedule to interview the candidates and chose who they want which can take a while. Then their picks will get passed along to recruiting to notify the applicants, which can take a while. This is the most general case scenario, but as you can see it can take a while :)

Is there a timeline as to when we will be notified of consideration for a position, or does it vary?

Varies heavily based on position. Just keep an eye on your email and dashboard and try to be patient. In the PI world there is a saying that has been going around for years: No news is good news. Basically saying if you haven't heard you aren't being considered you are still being considered.

Will there be a timeline after the application date is closed for us to know an update?

Generally for Fall internships they try to let everyone know by Thanksgiving (but some usually go past then) and in the Spring they try to let everyone know by the end of April.

How long will it take to get a response?

Varies. It is generally a LONG process. You sometimes can get a phone screening within a couple of days or weeks. Sometimes you won't get a phone screening. Sometimes you might not hear anything until you find out at the end that you are no longer being considered. It really depends on the internship, but as long as you aren't NLIC (no longer in consideration) just try and be patient because they are still considering you. 

For an internship how/when will we be notified if we are still being considered after we've sent in our materials?

You will usually find out within a day if you don't pass the initial resume scanner by getting an email saying that you are no longer in consideration, but beyond that it is a long process that varies heavily based on position.

Experience

How important is previous experience?

Very important! I think experience related to the position is what gets you to the interview with the hiring manager and your personality gets you the rest of the way there. So get related experience and it won't only help for Disney PIs but any other position you ever apply for, Disney related or not.

What is the possibility to get a data analyst intern if I have the skills but no work experience?

Depends on the specific internship. Some don't always require a lot of experience if you have the appropriate skills. However, the rule of thumb is you should meet all of the required qualifications and most of the preferred ones. If you don't meet the qualifications for any internship you want (including data analyst but really any field) then I would recommend trying to figure how to get those experiences that would allow you to meet those qualifications and try again another semester.

Other Questions

Are you allowed to do summer PI and CP in the fall if accepted to both?

Yes! You are allowed to be an intern for up to one continuous year with Disney. This can be any combination of CP, PI, or MI. If you want to do another internship you have to wait 6 months and still be eligible school wise. Most people do the CP than a PI, do a second PI after a PI, or extend their PI, but you are definitely allowed to do any combination you want.

Do Summer internships tend to be more competitive than fall or spring?

I'm not a recruiter so I don't know hard numbers. However, there are far less positions offered only for the summer. Now these are in very specific areas such as engineering, so I'm not sure if the number of applicants is actually any higher per internship since they are generally require very specific background. All PIs are pretty competitive.

What is the most effective way to find summer housing?

The easiest for just a summer term would to do Disney Housing since it would be hard to get a place for only a few months. However, there is a Cast Member Roommate Facebook Finder page you c

Is it possible to wait and see the results of our other PI applications before accepting our first offer received?

Depends. Most of the time I have heard the recruiter asking if they want to continue being considered for their other applications. So basically you accept the offer you were given and wait to see if you have others. I have also heard of times when the recruiter knows you're getting considered for more than one they will wait to hear from both departments and let you chose between them. However, this semester I have heard animal programs is saying that if you accept your position you will no longer be considered for any others, so this could start being seen more in other areas as well.

Is it possible for an applicant to get accepted into the DCP and for a PI? If so, how is it decided where they go?

Yes! This is not uncommon so the recruiters are really good at helping you through this. You will most likely hear back from the DCP first, so you will accept that. You will still be considered for the PIs and if you get one any fees you paid for the CP will be transferred to the PI if you are going to living in Disney PI housing or will be refunded 3 weeks after the start of your PI if you chose to find your own housing. 

Will interns be considered for full time employment once their internship ends?

If I get a job as a PI, will I have the option to transfer to a full-time position with the company once I complete my internship?

Ahhhh, this question again. As I have posted before, this is not really a short answer and definitely deserves its own post. I promise I will eventually get around to making that post.