Disney College Program Rejection

[QueenKT]

I am a sophomore at a private liberal arts college. I am 21, bilingual, have a good GPA, have had good jobs in the past and have service hours for miles. However, I have not made it into the program both times I have applied. I made it to the interview both times and sent an email of rejection the day before the deadline the first time. The second time I applied was a little different because they sent me an email saying they wanted to keep me on file for another 2 weeks to see if anything opened up and after 2 more weeks sent me a rejection letter. During my phone interview I answered questions with confidence, happiness and professionalism (maybe my mistake was being too calm and not energetic enough). I checked high interest in maybe 5 jobs, moderate interest in quite a few things and some in low interest. The first time I applied halfway through applications. The second I applied within hours of the applications opening. It did not seem to make much of a difference either way.

So, all that being said, does anyone have any suggestions/advice/constructive criticism on what I did wrong or what I can do better? Thanks!

 

[mummabear]

I don't have any suggestions but wanted to say sorry tkbhear your plans aren't working out.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

The Disney College Program is one of the most competitive programs around. There are limited slots and Disney gets more resumes than they can handle.

 

[Rockette]

Have you contacted them for any formal reasons for rejection? Then you could at least use that to strengthen your resume/skills for the next time.

I would call them. Many managers/HR is very open to feedback. Keep in mind that sometimes you may get the reason that someone was slightly better than you in the categories they were looking for... which stinks, but it is a very competitive program.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

Sometimes, it almost seems random.

I know several people who weren't accepted on the first or second try and eventually made it in, so don't be heartbroken. It might even be an age thing...I know a lot more juniors and seniors who were accepted then sophomores. Keep on building up that experience and don't be disheartened.

Does your school have an office of career advice or something like that? I recommend seeing if there is anyone who can give you tips on how to practice your interviewing skills or do a mock interview with you. Now that you know what to expect, perhaps you can ask your friends or family to practice mock interviews with you.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't know a whole lot about the Disney College Program, but I would suggest you go back to basics on interviewing beginning with things like appearance, basic etiquette, and role playing in an interview with someone you trust to give you honest feedback. What were you wearing? A lot of dress styles today are very low cut. While great for a night out, it may not be the right type of dress for an interview. (This actually happened to someone I know. I heard it from the manager's side who was interviewing a friend of mine who was a new college graduate at the time. She had at least two other complaints as well. It was eye opening.) Here are some other ideas. (And just speaking very generally, I don't know if any of these applied to you, but you asked for thoughts.) Fresh and clean is good, but bathed in perfume or other scents is not. Well groomed - nails clean and trimmed, no chipped polish, for example. (A little clear looks nice and, along with attention to nails, sends the message you care about your appearance.) Minimal make up. Fresh breath - floss, brush and use some mouthwash that morning. (Lol but true, there are a lot of people out there with bad breath and visible plaque on their teeth! Your interviewer might be the type of person very in tune to this sort of thing!) Firm hand shake. Eye contact. It's natural to be a little nervous, but don't get overly chatty OR quiet. Think middle of the road. Consider picking up a magazine in the waiting room instead of using your phone. (They don't want people using their phones constantly.) Be on time, or about fifteen minutes early. Be aware of your body language. Try to have the attitude in someone that Disney would want to have working for them. Things like that. But all that said, it could be very true what a pp said, that it's hard to get in as a sophomore. If true, then consider your previous two interviews good practice. Kill it in your next one! Good luck! PS these are things I talk about with my own kids who are your age, as well as some of the young people I work with who are looking for jobs if they ask my advice.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I don't know a whole lot about the Disney College Program, but I would suggest you go back to basics on interviewing beginning with things like appearance, basic etiquette, and role playing in an interview with someone you trust to give you honest feedback. What were you wearing? A lot of dress styles today are very low cut. While great for a night out, it may not be the right type of dress for an interview. (This actually happened to someone I know. I heard it from the manager's side who was interviewing a friend of mine who was a new college graduate at the time. She had at least two other complaints as well. It was eye opening.) Here are some other ideas. (And just speaking very generally, I don't know if any of these applied to you, but you asked for thoughts.) Fresh and clean is good, but bathed in perfume or other scents is not. Well groomed - nails clean and trimmed, no chipped polish, for example. (A little clear looks nice and, along with attention to nails, sends the message you care about your appearance.) Minimal make up. Fresh breath - floss, brush and use some mouthwash that morning. (Lol but true, there are a lot of people out there with bad breath and visible plaque on their teeth! Your interviewer might be the type of person very in tune to this sort of thing!) Firm hand shake. Eye contact. It's natural to be a little nervous, but don't get overly chatty OR quiet. Think middle of the road. Consider picking up a magazine in the waiting room instead of using your phone. (They don't want people using their phones constantly.) Be on time, or about fifteen minutes early. Be aware of your body language. Try to have the attitude in someone that Disney would want to have working for them. Things like that. But all that said, it could be very true what a pp said, that it's hard to get in as a sophomore. If true, then consider your previous two interviews good practice. Kill it in your next one! Good luck! PS these are things I talk about with my own kids who are your age, as well as some of the young people I work with who are looking for jobs if they ask my advice.

These are good tips but the CP interviews are nearly always just telephone interviews not in person.

 

[Sleepy425]

Remember this is Disney you are looking to get in with - they want someone who engages with people and is personable. So being too "on point" and almost too...uptight?...with your answers isn't what they're looking for.
Granted when I did it in 2004 things were very different - in person interviews, not as much competition to get in...but I had fun with the interviewer and talked about my experience with visiting Disney. I will admit that is easier to do in person than the phone interviews I believe they do now.

 

[leebee]

My daughter was accepted into the program all 3 times she applied, although each time something came up and she wasn't able to attend. I think part of being accepted is showing a strong interest in many of the positions. I guess you have to decide: Do you want to work at Disney for the experience of being there, or do you want to get experience in a specific job while working at Disney? I think DD checked off almost everything as high interest, except for things she isn't qualified for (life guard) or if she had genuinely low interests (housekeeping). She even checked moderate interest in quick service food prep, I believe. Twice she was accepted for attractions and once for resort guest services (can't remember what they called it). Anyhow... Disney is looking for applicants who are upbeat and positive. They ask a lot of questions on the applications and want to hire people who are strongly positive, not "I think I'd do this" or "maybe." At least, that was DD's experience with her applications. You might want to post this on the College Board, as there are quite a few posters here who did the CP and post regularly over there.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

These are good tips but the CP interviews are nearly always just telephone interviews not in person.

Ah! You are correct, I hadn't noticed that.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Have you contacted them for any formal reasons for rejection? Then you could at least use that to strengthen your resume/skills for the next time.

I would call them. Many managers/HR is very open to feedback. Keep in mind that sometimes you may get the reason that someone was slightly better than you in the categories they were looking for... which stinks, but it is a very competitive program.

There's so many applicants for this program, they won't do this. Asking for clarification on rejection just leads to an automated response. There's so many moving parts and so many different people looking at the application, that it would be overwhelming if they kept and gave individual feedback for every applicant.

The DCP is an extremely competitive internship. It's not that you did anything wrong, per se, just that there were so many others who also did just as well as you did, and it comes down to what their need is at the time, and who can fill that need. What were your top roles? They're really interested in filling roles like QSFB, Merchandise, Custodial, etc. For the phone interview it's important to not sound scripted, smile, be energetic, remember your interviewer's name, etc. It's all about how you market yourself.

But look at it this way, even though you didn't get in, you made it a lot farther in the process than a lot of applicants do, which means that they look at your application each time and there's definitely something there. And it's also important to note that there is an aspect of randomization, too.