Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview

A question that I see come up time and time again is what questions to ask at the end of the interview. Many interviewers ask if you have any questions for them after they have finished going through their list of questions for you. This is the time to ask any lingering questions for them. However, if you need ideas of what to ask, here are some suggestions, some of which were compiled from a PI Facebook group and others that I have added myself. Some of these may be more applicable to a recruiter and others may be better suited for the department hiring manager, so use your best judgement for the audience of these questions.These aren't necessarily Disney internship specific and may be helpful when applying to full time positions with Disney or other companies.

Enjoy and good luck!


-What do you find to be the biggest challenges that interns face?
-What is the company culture like?
-If the person interviewing me has been an intern themselves - what was the most important thing you got out/learnt of being a [role title] intern?
- What have you gotten out of Disney that is different from other companies you have worked for? 
- Ask interviewers what their personal journey with a company has been

-What types of projects does the position work on?
-Describe a typical day in the role.
-What are the day-to-day tasks the position entails?
-If you could time travel back to when you were starting with the company, what would you tell yourself?
-What would you consider to be the most challenging part of the job?

-How will the PI experience differ from a CP?
-Where past interns have gone after their internship?
-What housing options are available?
-If you're an internal candidate, you can ask how the transfer works.
-What qualities have you seen in past interns that were successful in their role?

-What would you like to see in future interns who hold the position?
-Is there anything else you need to know about me that would help you make the hiring decision?
-What does the training for the position look like? 
-What characteristics are necessary to be successful in the position?
-What is the timeline to hear back for the position?

-What are the next steps in the interview process?
-What is the typical work/life balance? 
-What made them specifically choose that company? 
-What benefits do they think are most valuable?
-What's the best part of their job? 

-What is the best piece of advice you were given in regards to your career?
-If you ask what a typical day is like, maybe also ask them what an atypical day is like. 
-What is your favorite thing about working for the company and why?
-What networking opportunities are there for interns?

Updated Phone Screen Questions

Hello again!

One of the most popular posts on this blog has been Screening Interview Questions and Tips. I can't believe that I wrote that post 2 and a half years ago! How time flies!

While I don't do it as much as I used to, I still hang around the PI Facebook groups answering questions here and there. Therefore, since it has been so long, I have combed through the last few seasons of groups to put together another list of Phone Screen/Interview Questions. Many of these may be the same as my previous article, but I figured I would update the list to show what has been asked within the last year or so.

Focusing on the phone screen, you will mostly be asked about yourself, your career goals, and general questions about your experience. Listed below are some of the other potential questions that may be asked. Most phone screens last between 10 and 20 minutes, so you will likely only encounter a handful of the questions listed below.

While panel interview or interviews with the individual hiring manager may be more in depth, more internship interviews do not get too detailed. While you may encounter more role specific questions, many of the questions below are just as likely to come up in a second interview as in a phone screen.

Note: These were all taken from different Professional Internship Facebook groups and are all real questions that were asked applicants. 

General Questions
-Specific items listed on your resume
-Current work/school tasks
-Past experience
-Education background
-Talk about your struggles and accomplishments
-What positions have you most enjoyed and why?
-Describe one trait about yourself
-Do you have experience with professional email correspondence?

-Why do you want this role?
-What are your career goals?
-How will this internship help your future goals?
-What do you hope to get out of this internship?
-What are some of your hobbies?
-What you want the hiring managers to know about you?
-Which of your work experiences most aligns with the position?
-Why do you think you are the best candidate for the position?

Disney Specific Questions
-Why Disney? (this is a very common question!)
-Why do you want to come back to Disney (if you previously worked for the company)
-Are you a current cast member?
-What do you bring to our company?
-Do you have any tattoos and piercings? (they need to determine if you can follow Disney Look)
-Can you provide your own housing and transportation (there is limited company sponsored housing for non-MIs)
-What's your favorite Disney character?
-If you did a CP, what did you like and what didn't you like about your experience?


Situational
-Explain a time when you overcame a difficult situation
-Describe a time when I went above and beyond for a customer
-How do you deal with disagreements between co-workers?
-Tell about a time when you went above and beyond for a guest
-Describe a time you worked with a difficult/negative coworker

-Tell me about a difficult guest situation.
-Describe a time that you didn't agree with your leadership
-Tell a magical story and a not so magical one.
-Tell about a story that you turned a bad day into a good day
-How do you deal with conflict resolution with your peers, your superior and with guests?

-What has been your greatest mistake?
-Strength and weakness (may also be referred to as places you excelled or felt overwhelmed in a specific position)
-Talk about a challenge encountered in a project you have worked on
-How do you work on a team?
-Explain a situation where you made a mistake/received correction and how you reacted?

-Tell me about a time you had to lead a group during a team project.
-Tell me about your most encompassing project you have completed in school and what did it involve
-Tell me about a time you were positively recognized at school work/and a time you needed coaching
-What is your favorite/least favorite part of your current job?
-What is something that bothers you at work/in a coworker?

-Describe your communication style.
-Tell me three things about you that would be important for this role that we haven't discussed.
-How do you deal with working in a busy, fast-paced environment?
-How do you balance tasks when it’s busy?

-What is your main strength and what is your main weakness?

Leadership Questions (mostly for Management Internships)
-Previous leadership experience
-Management responsibilities
-How do you manage teams
-How do you motivate teams
-Qualities of a good leader
-Why are you interested in a leadership position?
-Why retail? (as a specific area for an MI)
-If I was interested in the 6 months or 12 months program or both
-How do you go about working with a different line of business
-What are the hardest/most enjoyable aspects of being a leader?
-What are some of the challenges of being a leader?
-How long have you had leadership experience? What does it involve?


VIP Tour Specific
-Why VIP Tours?
-What can you provide?
-Level Of safety
-Working with others/independently
-Any coachings or record card issues
-How a Disney professional internship with help your future

WDI Set Decoration:
- Ask for experience with props (i.e. design, handling, installation) and the importance of props and how that applies to the role
- Ask to explain familiarity and experience with hand tools
- Rate skill for Photoshop, Illustrator, and SketchUp
- Ask what you are most proud of in your portfolio and your role in that work

Other Role Questions
Events: What are your experience in events? 

      -Describe an event that you executed from start to finish
Technical roles: What programs are you familiar with and rate your proficiency (e.g. Illustrator, Excel, SAS, PhotoShop, programming experience, etc)

      -Walk me through your experience with Excel.



I know that this is an extensive list, but I didn't want to cut anything out as I know some people like to be as prepared as absolutely possible. I hope that lists like this and other information in my blog is still helpful and relevant to everyone out there applying for PIs that may come across this blog!

A Once in a Lifetime Business Trip

In August my team did a little bit of a re-org, which was both nerve wracking and exciting. In the re-org my responsibilities changed from working with the Disney Springs Region Resorts at Walt Disney World to our Hawaiian Resort: Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. I'm not going to lie, this has been the biggest challenge I've had yet in my career, but last week I got to experience the perks of working with the West Coast team....a trip to Disneyland and Hawaii!

It was my first trip to DLR, so while my bosses were flying in Sunday afternoon, I decided to get up bright and early to fly out early Saturday morning. Since I am going to grad school, the week leading up to the trip was spent with some late nights trying to get as much homework done as possible. I also of course waited until the night before to pack, so I can't say that I started the trip off with a lot of sleep. While I had issues with my luggage and a few rides breaking down, I spent almost the entire day at Disneyland and it was magical! I even got upgraded to a theme park view at Paradise Pier so I headed back to watch World of Color from my room! It was so nice to relax and listen to the show music with my TV.

Saturday I was able to do Extra Magic Hours at Disney's California Adventure starting at 7 am and then finished a few more rides at Disneyland before heading to my new room for a nap: at the Grand Californian concierge level! It was a much needed nap before meeting up with my freshman college roommate and conquering DCA! We also met up with my bosses for dinner which was nice. Karen and I closed out the park with another late night.

The team spent the next two days in meetings, including a late work night on Monday, but late nights are better with concierge snacks! Then my one leader and I continued onto Hawaii on Wednesday. Aulani is an amazing resort! It was seriously paradise and I recommend it to everyone who can get a chance to go! I didn't get to enjoy the amenities this time, spending a lot of my time in meetings and the evenings trying to finish my homework. Luckily I was able to submit everything so I could enjoy my extra vacation days! I booked a red-eye out on Monday, so I had 2 and a half days to pack as much island fun in as possible! Including relaxing, swimming with sea turtles, watching surfers on the North Shore, watching traditional hula, enjoying Hawaiian food, going on a movie tour, and visiting Pearl Harbor! My internal clock is all messed up now, but I slept most of Tuesday when I got home at noon until this morning since I only got a little nap in on my flight. 

My trip was full of a lot of hard and meaningful work, but I also played pretty hard, too. While I have a lot of work to do in the next week with my job and school, and I will miss the weather of Anaheim and the beauty of Oahu, it feels good to sleep in my own bed again after 4 hotels in 10 days.

It's amazing what a few years and some hard work can do!