Disney[land] Goes Intern Shopping

[hobie16]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... -headlines

[NotANewbie]

all i can say is that if these CP kids are able to "work their way up" before me, i'll be pissed...

but, judging from florida's program... i've got nothing to worry about... right?

[Zazu]

I really don't get the appeal of this program. What is the point of doing an internship of positions that are entry level to begin with?

I think there are several big advantages, other than keeping oneself off the street all summer:

First you get a line on your very sparse resume from a Fortune 100 company. This means more than you might expect to your *next* employer. For one thing, it means you can show up on time every day and avoid major screwups. You'd be surprised how many kids can't. (WDW sends about 20% of all College Programmers home because of such behavior challenges.)

The second is that you get credit for the program. Lots of students need a break from the classroom after 14+ years, and this gives them one without delaying graduation. The Mouse may not always walk the walk, but nobody's better at talking the talk -- the coursework is outstanding in that it's extremely practical, where most university business classes are primarily theory.

Finally, will the Company squeeze you for every last bit of work and cheat you at every chance offered? Sure -- welcome the the big leagues. So will every other company this size. Might as well learn how the system works now.

It's not right for everyone, not even for a quarter of those who try it. But if Disney is the right job for you, it's a good way in, and can be a guaranteed job after graduation. Something a whole lot of seniors are worried about this year.

[hobie16]

I think there are several big advantages, other than keeping oneself off the street all summer:

First you get a line on your very sparse resume from a Fortune 100 company. This means more than you might expect to your *next* employer. For one thing, it means you can show up on time every day and avoid major screwups. You'd be surprised how many kids can't. (WDW sends about 20% of all College Programmers home because of such behavior challenges.)

Anything that shows a level of responsibility will always be a plus on a resume. I look at my fat slob nephew who’s never held a job for more than one day and who keeps hitting up his parents up for a trust fund so he can sit on his ass for the rest of his life. He’s off to college this fall where he’ll probably major in downhill skiing with a minor in beer consumption. A program like this would be a real life eye opener for him if he’d stay for more than a week.

The second is that you get credit for the program. Lots of students need a break from the classroom after 14+ years, and this gives them one without delaying graduation. The Mouse may not always walk the walk, but nobody's better at talking the talk -- the coursework is outstanding in that it's extremely practical, where most university business classes are primarily theory.

Real world work experience is always helpful to take what you’ve learned and apply it to real situations. They’ll also make mistakes (hopefully without killing someone) and learn from them.

Finally, will the Company squeeze you for every last bit of work and cheat you at every chance offered? Sure -- welcome the the big leagues. So will every other company this size. Might as well learn how the system works now.

Why not get a big dose of reality while wearing colorful costumes?

It's not right for everyone, not even for a quarter of those who try it. But if Disney is the right job for you, it's a good way in, and can be a guaranteed job after graduation. Something a whole lot of seniors are worried about this year.

Or, they can come to Hawaii and be a waiter or get a boat job. But that’s all they’ll ever get unless they move into construction. The unemployment rate here is about two percent.

[PirateJohn]

Disneyland can look really good on a resume for anybody going into work that involves customer service. And, quite frankly, the only jobs I can think of that don't have customer service aspects are sports official and corrections officer.

I was even able to bring up Disneyland during my interviews with the Orange County Sheriff's office, and the interviewer told me that one of the forensic scientists working there now has worked at Disneyland.