In case you couldn't work it out from the title - I've been accepted into the Disney College Program - J1 Cultural Exchange Australia/New Zealand!!!!
This morning, at 5:30am, I was in the middle of a dream about Maleficent when my phone pinged. I woke up with a start, grabbed my phone thinking "An email!" An sure enough, when I looked, there was an email with a great, big, bold CONGRATULATIONS in the subject line.
I am so proud to say that I have been offered a role in Merchandise, and whilst it wasn't my top choice, it was in my top 3 and one of my High Interest roles so I couldn't be happier. The best part is that most of the friends I've made on the facebook group have also been accepted so it's a really happy day all round :D
I will write more on this soon, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the happiness of it all.
I'm off to the most Magical Place on Earth!
Tuesday 23 September 2014
Sunday 14 September 2014
Thank You Email
Just a quick update that at 7:22am on Friday morning I got an email from Disney. As soon as my heart started beating again I realised that of course it would just be the expected 'Thank you for Interviewing' Email. I've put a screenshot of the email below.
Nothing too exciting but it's nice of them to send it out all the same and it's also good to know I've moved on to the post-interview stage (according to my dashboard). So now the real waiting game begins. We're supposed to hear sometime before the end of September so that's about two and a half weeks away. Hopefully I don't go too crazy while I'm waiting and fingers crossed that when I do get a response it will be good news!
Nothing too exciting but it's nice of them to send it out all the same and it's also good to know I've moved on to the post-interview stage (according to my dashboard). So now the real waiting game begins. We're supposed to hear sometime before the end of September so that's about two and a half weeks away. Hopefully I don't go too crazy while I'm waiting and fingers crossed that when I do get a response it will be good news!
Friday 12 September 2014
Interview Adventures
One of the things I love in life is having adventures, and when my interview day finally arrived on Tuesday, I was definitely in for an adventure! A word of warning: It was a long day so this may be a long post!
I went to bed early the night before, setting several alarms so I would wake up in time the next morning. Now I use the term 'morning' very loosely here because I actually woke up at 2:45am on Tuesday! So I got up at this ungodly hour and got myself showered and dressed up in my Disney Look compliant business wear. Stupidly I forgot to get a full shot of my outfit so I can show you that. Sorry!
I left for the airport about 4:15am even though my flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:05am because I wanted to have enough time. I parked my car in the long-term car park, which is a little distance away from the airport terminal but they have a shuttle bus that will take you from the parking area to the terminal. The weirdest thing for the day was catching a plane without checking any luggage - I've never done that before! I went straight through security and found my gate, which was conveniently right next to a cafe, so I grabbed a coffee and sat down to wait.
The plane was on time so we boarded but it was packed! I'm pretty sure it was a full flight, but luckily I had my trusty window seat so I could sit back for the 56 minute flight, rest my head against the wall, close my eyes and listen to Disney music. Once we landed in Melbourne, I made my way outside to the Skybus, bought a ticket and jumped on for the 25 minute ride into the city. It was about 8:15am at this point so after messaging my friend Lily to let her know I was on my way, and then called my parents to let them know I'd managed to get up on time (My mum was worried I'd sleep through my alarm!) and had made it safely to Melbourne. When the Skybus dropped me off at Southern Cross station, I started to get a bit nervous. Melbourne public transport is much more complicated than Adelaide public transport, but I took a deep breath, remembered that I lived for 8 years in Sydney - an even bigger city - while growing up, and found my way to the boards where all the train schedules were. Thanks to a bit of internet research the night before, it wasn't too difficult to work out which train I had to catch and, despite getting caught in a massive crowd of high school kids and nearly crashing into a commuter while trying to read one of the screens whilst walking, I found my train easily enough.
Two stops later, I got off at Melbourne Central and followed the signs to the street I was supposed to go to, except I cam out at a different point along that street than I thought I had, so I was a little bit turned around for a minute until I worked out where I was. Lily had messaged me to say she was at the cafe where we were meeting, so I was pretty excited to get there. Lily and I met through a facebook group for the program and even though we had talked heaps, we'd never met in person. So when I came around the corner and we saw each other, we both ran up and hugged like long-lost friends, squealing with excitement. It was definitely a special moment and made me feel even more excited about all the new friends I would make and people I would meet if I get accepted into the program. I got another coffee and a bagel ('cause they always remind me on America) and after spilling some coffee on my jacket (classy) we sat and waited until Nichola and Lauren (both also from the facebook group) arrived.
Eventually it was time for the presentation (well ok, it was about 10:10am and our presentation was at 10:30am but we wanted to be early) so we made our way to the building and up what felt like an impossibly long ride in the lift until we reached the presentation room! There was a lecture going on inside, so we waited outside and met even more people. There was this guy there who was really loud and funny, but it turned out he wasn't actually applying! I think maybe his friend was or something, but he just joined in for the fun of it.
Eventually, after a bit of a late start, they let us in. We all showed photo ID and signed in before taking our seats. Then the presentation began, and I was a barely controlled bundle of nerves and emotions throughout the entire thing! My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking and yet I couldn't stop smiling. At one point my lip was trembling from excitement! The presentation was run by Jill, who is the Disney international programs recruiter who is in charge of the Australia & New Zealand recruiting and also Delinda, who is an Adelaide girl (yay!) and works for the Disney cruise line. The presentation went for about an hour during which Jill went through all of the details of the program, almost all of which I already knew, but it was good to hear it all in an official capacity. As part of the presentation, they asked some Disney trivia and gave out Disney International Programs luggage tags as prizes. Aaaannd...I won one! I knew all of the answers except one but I got chosen to answer "How many people does the Walt Disney World Resort employ each year?" I said 66,000, which is what I thought the answer was but apparently I had old information because the answer is actually 70,000 but Jill still let me have the prize anyway, which I was super excited about.
After the presentation we went and found the interview room because Nichola was in the first group of interviews, then we said goodbye to her and Lily, Lauren and I headed off to get some lunch. While we ate we talked Disney and musicals (I was seriously in the best company!) until Lauren had to head off for her interview. Lily and I did a bit of window shopping, stopped by the bathroom to freshen up (where I proceeded to poke my finger through my stockings and had to abandon them in the bathroom trash can! Could I be any clumsier?) and make sure we were looking our Disney Look best and before we knew it, it was time to head back for our interviews! When we got there, there were still a few people waiting to be interviewed, so we just chatted and made friends and proceeded to get even more nervous.
And then the time arrived. Jill stepped out into the hall and said "Rebecca" and I just about jumped out of my skin. For some reason I'd gotten confused and thought that another girl was in the interview time slot before mine, so I wasn't expecting it to be my turn when I was called. I quickly rushed forward to shake Jill's hand and made my way nervously into the room.
What I did next was just about the stupidest thing you could ever do in an interview short of ripping off all your clothes and setting the furniture on fire: I let my nerves get the better of me.
I am sorry to say that I completely panicked, and it took about half the interview before I managed to get myself back under control. My answer to the question "Why do you want to do the program?" was not the lovely, heartfelt and well thought out response I'd planned. It was more like me rambling on about why I loved Disney so much. Jill even had to repeat the question because I was doing such a rubbish job at actually answering it! Yeah...not my proudest moment.
I do think that by the end I managed to get my brain in gear, even if I did forget some words (like when I spent what was probably five seconds but felt like three hours trying to remember the word 'retail'), and I made sure to end off with a nice solid handshake and even got to say what my absolute top choice for a role would be. For the record, my questions were something like this (I may have missed a couple and these probably aren't word for word but it's the general idea). I've added my own commentary on some:
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I went to bed early the night before, setting several alarms so I would wake up in time the next morning. Now I use the term 'morning' very loosely here because I actually woke up at 2:45am on Tuesday! So I got up at this ungodly hour and got myself showered and dressed up in my Disney Look compliant business wear. Stupidly I forgot to get a full shot of my outfit so I can show you that. Sorry!
I left for the airport about 4:15am even though my flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:05am because I wanted to have enough time. I parked my car in the long-term car park, which is a little distance away from the airport terminal but they have a shuttle bus that will take you from the parking area to the terminal. The weirdest thing for the day was catching a plane without checking any luggage - I've never done that before! I went straight through security and found my gate, which was conveniently right next to a cafe, so I grabbed a coffee and sat down to wait.
The plane was on time so we boarded but it was packed! I'm pretty sure it was a full flight, but luckily I had my trusty window seat so I could sit back for the 56 minute flight, rest my head against the wall, close my eyes and listen to Disney music. Once we landed in Melbourne, I made my way outside to the Skybus, bought a ticket and jumped on for the 25 minute ride into the city. It was about 8:15am at this point so after messaging my friend Lily to let her know I was on my way, and then called my parents to let them know I'd managed to get up on time (My mum was worried I'd sleep through my alarm!) and had made it safely to Melbourne. When the Skybus dropped me off at Southern Cross station, I started to get a bit nervous. Melbourne public transport is much more complicated than Adelaide public transport, but I took a deep breath, remembered that I lived for 8 years in Sydney - an even bigger city - while growing up, and found my way to the boards where all the train schedules were. Thanks to a bit of internet research the night before, it wasn't too difficult to work out which train I had to catch and, despite getting caught in a massive crowd of high school kids and nearly crashing into a commuter while trying to read one of the screens whilst walking, I found my train easily enough.
Two stops later, I got off at Melbourne Central and followed the signs to the street I was supposed to go to, except I cam out at a different point along that street than I thought I had, so I was a little bit turned around for a minute until I worked out where I was. Lily had messaged me to say she was at the cafe where we were meeting, so I was pretty excited to get there. Lily and I met through a facebook group for the program and even though we had talked heaps, we'd never met in person. So when I came around the corner and we saw each other, we both ran up and hugged like long-lost friends, squealing with excitement. It was definitely a special moment and made me feel even more excited about all the new friends I would make and people I would meet if I get accepted into the program. I got another coffee and a bagel ('cause they always remind me on America) and after spilling some coffee on my jacket (classy) we sat and waited until Nichola and Lauren (both also from the facebook group) arrived.
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| Lily and Me! Sorry that I took such a terrible selfie! |
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| This was on the screen outside the lecture theatre - I couldn't resist taking a photo! |
Eventually, after a bit of a late start, they let us in. We all showed photo ID and signed in before taking our seats. Then the presentation began, and I was a barely controlled bundle of nerves and emotions throughout the entire thing! My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking and yet I couldn't stop smiling. At one point my lip was trembling from excitement! The presentation was run by Jill, who is the Disney international programs recruiter who is in charge of the Australia & New Zealand recruiting and also Delinda, who is an Adelaide girl (yay!) and works for the Disney cruise line. The presentation went for about an hour during which Jill went through all of the details of the program, almost all of which I already knew, but it was good to hear it all in an official capacity. As part of the presentation, they asked some Disney trivia and gave out Disney International Programs luggage tags as prizes. Aaaannd...I won one! I knew all of the answers except one but I got chosen to answer "How many people does the Walt Disney World Resort employ each year?" I said 66,000, which is what I thought the answer was but apparently I had old information because the answer is actually 70,000 but Jill still let me have the prize anyway, which I was super excited about.
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| Me with my luggage tag - look how excited I am, haha! |
And then the time arrived. Jill stepped out into the hall and said "Rebecca" and I just about jumped out of my skin. For some reason I'd gotten confused and thought that another girl was in the interview time slot before mine, so I wasn't expecting it to be my turn when I was called. I quickly rushed forward to shake Jill's hand and made my way nervously into the room.
What I did next was just about the stupidest thing you could ever do in an interview short of ripping off all your clothes and setting the furniture on fire: I let my nerves get the better of me.
I am sorry to say that I completely panicked, and it took about half the interview before I managed to get myself back under control. My answer to the question "Why do you want to do the program?" was not the lovely, heartfelt and well thought out response I'd planned. It was more like me rambling on about why I loved Disney so much. Jill even had to repeat the question because I was doing such a rubbish job at actually answering it! Yeah...not my proudest moment.
I do think that by the end I managed to get my brain in gear, even if I did forget some words (like when I spent what was probably five seconds but felt like three hours trying to remember the word 'retail'), and I made sure to end off with a nice solid handshake and even got to say what my absolute top choice for a role would be. For the record, my questions were something like this (I may have missed a couple and these probably aren't word for word but it's the general idea). I've added my own commentary on some:
- How are you?
- Where are you studying?
- What are you studying?
- What are your future career goals after your study?
- So you've been to a Disney park before? (this was in response to something I'd said about Disneyland)
- Have you worked in America before?
- Why do you want to do the program? (asked twice because I'm such a dingbat!)
- I see your top role choices are Operations/Attractions and Merchandise. How would you keep guests safe in these roles? (I think this was my best question/answer. I gave examples for both roles, but then also talked about how I would keep people safe as a Character Attendant because she'd somehow missed that it was one of my top roles - actually my number 1 role!)
- How do you feel about living with other people? Do you currently live with others or at home with your family?
At this point she asked me a series of rapid-fire questions which I guess are questions they have to ask at all interviews. They were very much 'yes or no' questions, and there wasn't really time to elaborate on them:
- Many of the roles involve working with cleaning chemicals and heavy lifting. Are you ok with this?
- Are you okay working indoors or outdoors in high pressure environments?
- You may be working in large groups or independently, is this okay?
- Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
- What colour are your glasses? (Obviously you won't get this question if you don't wear glasses. Also, this probably seems like a funny question since I was sitting right across the table from her, but the glasses I was wearing are a sort of dark plum colour and it can be hard to tell what colour they are. For the record, she said I may need to wear different glasses for work, such as black or brown frames).
- Do you have any questions? (I did - I asked two questions and then said that Character Attendant was my top role choice).
My interview felt so ridiculously quick, that when I walked out the first thing I said was "That was so short!" It honestly felt like five minutes, but the others promised me that it was at least double that. I then proceeded to tell the others about my brain freeze and how I was sure I'd stuffed up my chances. Lily was called in soon after me and I continued to chat with the others while we waited. We waited for the last couple of people to finish their interviews so we could say goodbye and then that was it! After all the months of waiting and planning and preparing and struggling, my Disney interview experience was over!
Lily walked back to the train station with me and helped me work out what train I was supposed to catch (it involved going two stops and transferring to another train but it wasn't too complicated) and then we said goodbye in the hopes that we will get to catch up again soon when and if we have to go to the American Consulate for our visa appointments. It was cold and wet and rainy and I was starting the really feel my 3am wake up time (It was about 3:30pm at this point) so I was feeling a bit emotional on the Skybus shuttle ride back to the airport. Once I got there, I found a quiet spot near the international gate and called my parents to tell them how it went. I was still feeling pretty teary and at this point I was almost sure I'd ruined my chances in my interview. I tried to stay as positive as I could but I was feeling pretty disappointed.
After I got off the phone I got some dinner and found a place to sit where they had phone recharging stations because my battery was nearly dead. By the time I had eaten something I was feeling a bit better but still ridiculously tired and I just wanted to get home. Unfortunately there was a storm in Melbourne so the airport shut down the runways for a bit, which meant my flight got delayed by about an hour and a half. I wandered the shops for a while and even found this awesome Disney luggage and neck pillow!
Eventually, after more coffee, chocolate, a wander through more shops, a phone call to my sister, some people watching and countless games on my phone, I was finally able to board my plane. Once again it was full, but I had my window seat and I was so tired I didn't really care. When I got back to Adelaide I had to wait a couple of minutes in the cold night air (cursing myself for not taking a spare pair of stockings because my legs were freezing at this point) before the shuttle bus picked me up and took me back to the car park. I called my mum (legally, using bluetooth) on the drive home and arrived back at my place about 11pm. I dumped my bag, washed off my makeup and put on some pj's before falling into bed and fast asleep.
Saturday 6 September 2014
What's in My Bag?
Today while I was making lunch my phone pinged. When I had a look at what it was, I had a notification from my countdown app...
Squeeee! The excitement and nerves are definitely building! I've been thinking about my answers to possible questions and double checking all of the details for Tuesday's adventure to Melbourne for the interview and presentation.
One of the things I've been doing to get ready is working out exactly what I'm going to take with me. I'm only flying to Melbourne for the day so I won't need any checked luggage, but I want to be sure I have all of the essentials in my bag. Here's a picture of my supplies...
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Now there are a couple of things missing from this photo, but I'll go through everything I'm taking:
1. Handbag
Obviously I'm going to need something to put everything in. I got this bag 25% off at Strandbags because I thought is was a nice-sized, professional looking accessory. It also has lot of compartments so hopefully things won't get lost in there!
2. Important Documents Folder
The only thing you're required to take to the presentation/interview is photo ID, but I prefer to err on the side of obsessive, over-prepared caution. In my lovely pink folder I have a printout of my flight itinerary, copies of my CV and Cover letter, a photocopy of my passport, my Proof of Student Status form and a photocopy, and a printout of the confirmation of my presentation and interview times and locations. I'm also planning to print out a typed copy of some questions I want to ask so I can make sure I get answers for them on the day. Once I've checked in online for my flights, I'll print out the e-tickets and put them in there too.
3. Notebook and Pens
Just in case I need to take any notes or write down important dates, I've got a small notebook and 2 relatively new pens (just to be on the safe side).
4. Water Bottle
Hydration is important people. Plus it means I won't have to waste money on buying bottled water.
5. Sunglasses
Very important because I'll be on the move in the sunshine and I want to be able to see properly! And I'm sunsmart.
6. Passport
Even though I'm only travelling domestically, I thought it would be a good idea to take my passport with me in case they want to see it. By the way, how cute is my little green passport case?
7. Camera
I've recently bought a new camera and I thought it would be fun to vlog some of the experience and maybe even get a few happy snaps. Plus, I'm catching up with some family for dinner before flying home so I'll want to get some pics then as well!
8. Tissues
So, so, so important! These little guys are so versatile - running noses, a surprise sneeze, a particularly poignant moment in the presentation makes me tear up, I get bored waiting for my interview slot and decide to make origami boats...
Plus, how cute is the little packet with owls on it?
9. My Survival Kit
This is the green thing that looks a bit like a pencil case. That little pvc bag is what I call my 'Survival Kit' and I always make sure to chuck it in whichever bag I'm taking with me (unless it's like a tiny little evening bag and then my over-preparedness must suffer for the sake of fashion). It's a bit like my own version of Mary Poppins' carpet bag because I had managed to cram so much stuff inside it like: paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets, hand cream, deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm, a hair brush, band aids and a few other bits and pieces. Very, very handy.
10. Makeup
Since I'm going to be out from about 4am until around 9pm on Tuesday, I figured it's best to have some makeup in case I need to touch up a little bit. In my colourful little pouch I have lipstick, lip liner and lip gloss, eyeliner and mascara as well as a small compact set that has blush and eye-shadow as well as a mirror.
11. Extra Items
There are a few things I haven't photographed but will definitely be taking:
So that's my interview bag! Hopefully it doesn't get too heavy, I think the water bottle is the only thing that will really weigh it down so hopefully it's not too bad. I probably won't get a chance to blog again before Tuesday, but I'll make sure to write an update afterwards!
Have a magical day!
Squeeee! The excitement and nerves are definitely building! I've been thinking about my answers to possible questions and double checking all of the details for Tuesday's adventure to Melbourne for the interview and presentation.
One of the things I've been doing to get ready is working out exactly what I'm going to take with me. I'm only flying to Melbourne for the day so I won't need any checked luggage, but I want to be sure I have all of the essentials in my bag. Here's a picture of my supplies...
Now there are a couple of things missing from this photo, but I'll go through everything I'm taking:
1. Handbag
Obviously I'm going to need something to put everything in. I got this bag 25% off at Strandbags because I thought is was a nice-sized, professional looking accessory. It also has lot of compartments so hopefully things won't get lost in there!
2. Important Documents Folder
The only thing you're required to take to the presentation/interview is photo ID, but I prefer to err on the side of obsessive, over-prepared caution. In my lovely pink folder I have a printout of my flight itinerary, copies of my CV and Cover letter, a photocopy of my passport, my Proof of Student Status form and a photocopy, and a printout of the confirmation of my presentation and interview times and locations. I'm also planning to print out a typed copy of some questions I want to ask so I can make sure I get answers for them on the day. Once I've checked in online for my flights, I'll print out the e-tickets and put them in there too.
3. Notebook and Pens
Just in case I need to take any notes or write down important dates, I've got a small notebook and 2 relatively new pens (just to be on the safe side).
4. Water Bottle
Hydration is important people. Plus it means I won't have to waste money on buying bottled water.
5. Sunglasses
Very important because I'll be on the move in the sunshine and I want to be able to see properly! And I'm sunsmart.
6. Passport
Even though I'm only travelling domestically, I thought it would be a good idea to take my passport with me in case they want to see it. By the way, how cute is my little green passport case?
7. Camera
I've recently bought a new camera and I thought it would be fun to vlog some of the experience and maybe even get a few happy snaps. Plus, I'm catching up with some family for dinner before flying home so I'll want to get some pics then as well!
8. Tissues
So, so, so important! These little guys are so versatile - running noses, a surprise sneeze, a particularly poignant moment in the presentation makes me tear up, I get bored waiting for my interview slot and decide to make origami boats...
Plus, how cute is the little packet with owls on it?
9. My Survival Kit
This is the green thing that looks a bit like a pencil case. That little pvc bag is what I call my 'Survival Kit' and I always make sure to chuck it in whichever bag I'm taking with me (unless it's like a tiny little evening bag and then my over-preparedness must suffer for the sake of fashion). It's a bit like my own version of Mary Poppins' carpet bag because I had managed to cram so much stuff inside it like: paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets, hand cream, deodorant, sunscreen, lip balm, a hair brush, band aids and a few other bits and pieces. Very, very handy.
10. Makeup
Since I'm going to be out from about 4am until around 9pm on Tuesday, I figured it's best to have some makeup in case I need to touch up a little bit. In my colourful little pouch I have lipstick, lip liner and lip gloss, eyeliner and mascara as well as a small compact set that has blush and eye-shadow as well as a mirror.
11. Extra Items
There are a few things I haven't photographed but will definitely be taking:
- Purse with photo ID/Driver's License and some money for food and anything else.
- Phone & Charger
- A couple of snacks like museli bars in case I get peckish
- Possibly a small foldable umbrella
- My Keys (so I can drive to the airport!)
So that's my interview bag! Hopefully it doesn't get too heavy, I think the water bottle is the only thing that will really weigh it down so hopefully it's not too bad. I probably won't get a chance to blog again before Tuesday, but I'll make sure to write an update afterwards!
Have a magical day!
Thursday 4 September 2014
The Emotional Equivalent of Space Mountain: Part 3
I've been a bit busy lately but I'm finally getting around to updating the story of my application dramas, and tonight I shall share the conclusion of my tale thus far!
Last time, I had just received an email from Disney's Australian recruiter, and in that email she asked if she could phone me in two days time to discuss my application questions. To say I was stunned would be an understatement of epic proportions! I quickly replied to confirm the time for the phone call and then proceeded to spend the next two days wondering what it could all mean. I figured she was just going to explain the situation to me, but there was that tiny glimmer of hope inside that made me think that just maybe I could still have a chance with Disney.
We had organised for the phone call to be at 8am so on the morning of the call I woke about 7am and just lay in bed waiting for the call. Around 8:10 my phone rang and I had to take a few deep breaths before I could answer. The conversation started with the usual pleasantries (I think we may have talked about the weather) before Jill, the recruiter, began to talk about my studies. She confirmed that I had indeed begun my course in January 2013, but then she said the words that made my heart skip a beat. It was something along the lines of "And you completed that in December 2013?"
For a moment I forgot how to breathe, how to speak, how to do anything.
Eventually though, I found my voice and managed to say "Uh, no. My course doesn't finish until December 2014. I'm still a student."
Jill sounded surprised and quickly re-checked my application and CV before telling me the wonderful news: A mistake had been made and I was still eligible for the program! I tried to remain calm as the conversation finished up, Jill promising I would receive the interview invitation in the next few days. I think I said "Thank You" about fifty times in two minutes!
When I hung up, I just sat there staring at my phone for a couple of minutes, not really sure what to do or what to think. After a week of devastation at having my dream taken away and finally beginning to adjust to that, suddenly it was being handed back to me. I will admit that even though I was excited, it did take me a couple of days to re-adjust. But by the time my interview invitation came through, I was ready to take my second chance and make the most of it.
So after not hearing anything for months, being made NLIC then being told it was a mistake, I finally got to book in my interview with Disney on August 25th, exactly four months - to the day - that I first applied to Disney. My interview is on September 9th which is now only 4 days away and I'm pretty excited, so I'll make sure to update again soon!
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