9th August 2010-12-13
***WARNING any information given in this blog MUST NOT be used in an individual’s own application, these are the original responses given by gabriellasofia, and those who plagiarise WILL BE PUNISHED by Yummy Jobs***
I wanted to take some time to talk you guys through the process of registering with Yummy Jobs. It is all pretty simple and fuss-free but there are a few titbits of wisdom which I have learnt from some older blogs which I wanted to hand over! So let’s get started . . .
You’ve decided that you want to spend your summer doing the experience of a life-time in Walt Disney World Florida, but you just don’t know where to start with your application . . . never fear! gabriellasofia is here! First off, I want you to mosey on down to www.yummyjobs.com and firstly scroll down the page. Along with a ton of other tabs on the left hand side, one should read ‘Disney’s Summer Work Experience’. Click on it, and read the page about how lovely the program is. This step is very important, as it will psych you up and give you little bits of info which might be useful to your application. Now I want you to go back to the home tab, now you are all Disneyed-up and click on the tab on the right hand side of the screen, saying ‘New to Yummy Jobs Click Here to Create Your Profile’. Now we’re rolling.
1) Personal Details – as you can imagine, the majority of this section is pretty self-explanatory. But a few areas where people slip up can affect the success of your application! For example, in the prompt entitled ‘*Full name on passport’ be sure to type your name exactly as it appears in your passport. Also, for the box named ‘*Nickname or preferred name’ please understand that this only really applies to name abbreviations or substitutes. So if I wanted myself to be known on my Disney badge as ‘Gabbi’ or ‘Sofia’ rather than ‘Gabriella’, it would be fine for me to put these alternatives in this box. However, if I had always been known to my nearest and dearest as ‘Sugar Tits’ this would not be acceptable. The same goes for most names with the letters ‘z’ or ‘x’ in them (such as ‘Bex’, or ‘Hazza’) although there are of course exceptions to that rule.
2) Account Details – again, really very simple. Attempt to use a professional-sounding email address such as your university one, or one with just your name in it, rather than something along the lines of ‘badboyhizzi@gobshite.com’ or ‘applebottombabe@bumfun.net’. If you don’t have a professional address, create one; it will only take five minutes and will be so worth it when you are telling kiddies to ‘Have a magical day’.
3) Education and Skills – having confirmed with Hannah London at Yummy Jobs, they want to know which education level you are working towards, so if you are at university studying a degree which you have not yet finished, then put ‘Degree’ anyway. If you are still at A-Level, then just set it as ‘Other’ then change it once you’ve started at Uni. For ‘Current Status’ beware of America-Mode. What I mean by this, is that with all the research you should recently have done on the USA, Florida and of course, Walt Disney World, you may see the original response setting for this heading set as ‘College’ and think, well yes, I’m applying for an International College Program. However, you are still on English ground, and when you click the drop down box, there is actually an option for ‘University’. Upload your CV (I will do another blog on what sort of CV to upload at a later date!)
4) Work and Experience – this is where the Yummy Jobs team can really get to know you, and you can show off a bit! The first heading ‘Key Positions Held’ means just that. Your KEY roles, not just any old role you’ve ever had. I listed mine with numbers because I thought it was more clear and concise;
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1) June 2010 – Present day - Call Centre Customer Services Assistant at Fedex UK Central Hub.
2) June 2010 - Sales Assistant at Next during the Summer Sale period.
3) May 2010 – Present day (term-time) - Student Mentor and Guild Receptionist at the University of Birmingham.
4) October 2009 – Present day (term-time) - Waitress at various locations including the NIA in Birmingham with MJ Catering Recruitment.
5) June 2008 - September 2009 - Milkshake Artist, Occasional Supervisor and Junior Business Advisor at my parents’ business The Hippy Hippy Shake Company LTD.
6) November 2008 to January 2009 - temporary Christmas Sales Assistant at the Disney Store in Hanley.
7) September 2007 - June 2008 - Waitress at Trentham Gardens Garden Centre’s Six Arches Restaurant in the field of Food and Hospitality.
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As you can see, I put the dates that these key positions were held, followed by the actual role that I played, then the company that I worked for, ending with the ‘sector’ or which this made me experienced in. If I wanted to put all and every position I’d ever held, I would have mentioned Year 10 work experience, my radio show last year and my teacher training placement. However, this is where it is very important to be selective; you can mention those other things in your CV if you really want to!
For ‘Spoken Languages’ I didn’t really know what to put, because I did want to mention that I know a fair amount of Spanish and French, but I didn’t want them to think I was fluent. The way I got around this was by simply stating . . .
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I speak English, French and Spanish at ‘A’ grade A-Level standard.
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Happy days!
The heading entitled ‘Motivation for Taking Part’ is the biggie. If you can’t list at least ten responses to this question then you wouldn’t be applying. This is just a case of embracing your motivation, and harnessing it into a couple of sentences. A difficult job, but really rewarding if you get it right! I would advise making a written list of responses and then cutting this down for the actual form. This way, you have a well-thought out answer and some preparation for the interview stage if you get lucky enough! My response was as follows;
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Having holidayed in Walt Disney World Florida seven times in the past seven years, I have benefited from the fantastic service and hospitality which the Disney Cast Members provide at all times; in restaurants, in stores and everywhere else in the World. Since completing Traditions Training for my temporary Christmas position at the Disney Store in 2008 - 2009, I thoroughly believe that my high standards match those of the International Summer Work Experience Program (especially in relation to the Disney Look and the 'Audience Experience') and I would love to work with other individuals with similar values. Furthermore, my interest and enjoyment in all things Disney makes this opportunity one from which I can learn invaluable lessons, in terms of team-work, customer service and making dreams come true! I thoroughly believe that my commitment, dedication and loyalty to Walt Disney World will make a positive contribution to each Guest's experience and intensify their trust in the idea that Walt Disney World is the place where happiness lives.
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So it sounds quite cheesy, but they want to see someone who is really enthusiastic, into the ‘Disney-thang’ and is going to be able to stand doing a job with a genuine smile on their face and passion for the company. So get your cheese on!
Under the ‘Area of Expertise’ heading I figured that they meant, what areas do you have experience in which would fit into the roles offered by Disney. For a quick recap, the roles offered by Disney for the Summer Work Experience Program include Character Attending, Character Performing, Merchandise, Quick-Service Food and Beverage, Full-Service Food and Beverage, Lifeguard, Bell Services, Housekeeping, Custodial and Attractions. I wasn’t really sure what to do, because as my CV will state, I have experience in Food and Bev and Merch also. However, I would LOVE to give attractions a go, and wanted Yummy to be aware of this from the offset. So I put . . .
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I have worked in both Merchandising and Food and Beverage, but would like very much to try Ride Operating if positions on a ride which includes heavy involvement from the 'skipper' (eg. The Great Movie Ride, Jungle Cruise or Kilimanjaro Safaris) are available.
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I think that it is best to be upfront about those things, so I basically was just saying, ‘Whilst these are the areas in which I have experience, I would really like Walt Disney World to be the place where I can try something new.’
The ‘Level of Position Held’ question had a lot of people stumped on the WDWIP discussion boards, as there are only three options, ‘Supervisor’, ‘Manager’ and ‘Assistant Manager’. I emailed Hannah at Yummy to ask about this and she said that if we haven’t held any of these positions, to just leave it set as ‘Supervisor’. Luckily, I have supervised at my parents’ milkshake bars a couple of times, so I wasn’t technically lying! The same goes for the ‘How Many Years Have You Worked in the Hospitality Industry’ drop-down box.
5) Previous Disney Employment – do not, I repeat DO NOT lie. Under any circumstances or for any reason. The only reason this question is asked, is for the Yummy Jobs team to check your record with the company and make sure you haven’t been caught doing anything you shouldn’t do. So don’t say you have worked for Disney before when you haven’t as it won’t make them any more likely to choose you, and by the same token, don’t deny working in Disney if you have, even if you did something you weren’t proud of. They will know. Also, this question does not just mean if you have worked at Walt Disney World, it means Disney in general. So maybe you’ve worked in a Disney Store like me, or at Disney Land Paris, or even done an internship with ABC who are owned by Disney, you MUST state it honestly here.
Following your registration you may receive an email from Yummy Jobs to say that your registration is complete, and you are now allowed to apply for any of the programs! Result! From this stage it is pretty easy. You go back to the ‘Disney Summer Work Experience’ tab scroll to the bottom and just click ‘Apply Now!’ You can update your profile at any time and as long as the application date is still open, any changes you make will be considered. But remember. You can only apply for one program at a time with Yummy, so make sure you choose the right one! If you make a mistake I’m sure they will be able to sort it for you, so if you have any problems send one of the team a message through the ‘Contact’ tab at the bottom of the page.
Next time I’ll run you through my CV and some tips which I think might be useful! But keep in mind that I have only just applied, and I don’t even know if the tips I’m giving you are going to work yet! I’ve just learnt them from various blogs, vlogs, podcasts, books, websites and discussion boards, so don’t take my word for it!
Good luck with faith, trust and pixie dust
gabriellasofia
