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3. Do your research

Citizens of Main Street

Image: Disney

Sure, idle fantasies about working for Disney sound great in theory. In execution, the last thing you want is to grow to hate the place you love. For some theme park tourists, Disney is a vacation escape, not a permanent destination. Make certain that you’re willing to give up your current life and move to a heavily congested area like Anaheim, California, or Orlando, Florida.

The way to decide when you’re conflicted is to investigate Disney’s employment record. The good news is that they have the third best reputation of any major American corporation. Also, their Indeed.com grade is excellent. Still, their GlassDoor score of 3.7 for the Parks and Resorts division is just okay. That’s slightly lower than the company’s overall score of 3.8. The issue you should accept in advance if you want to work at the parks is that they pay lower than average. The CareerBliss stats are fairly alarming.  

The report notes the following. "Walt Disney Parks and Resorts employees earn $36,000 annually on average, or $17 per hour, which is 52% lower than the national salary average of $61,000 per year.” If the potential payment concerns you, feel free to address this during the interview. Sweet indicates that Disney employers expect this. “The recruiter will usually ask about salary expectations. We want to make sure we are aligned so we don't get too far down the interview process without being clear on the range for the position.”

In fact, you’d be making a huge mistake if you don’t ask these sorts of questions. Sweet adds, “If an interviewee doesn't have any questions, it signals they aren't prepared or genuinely interested.” So, create another list of questions you have about working for Disney. During your interview, don’t merely ask the questions but also explain why you’re curious about each one. It’ll present another opportunity for you to distinguish yourself.

4. Act boldly

Kylo Ren

Image: Disney

I’m not saying that the following example will work for everyone, but it does reinforce the maxim that fortune favors the bold. Lori Malcolm is a thought leader in the business world as well as Senior VP of Human Resources for Checkers Drive-In Restaurants. Before her current career, however, she desperately wanted to work at Disney. She felt confident getting a job there would be great for her future, and the results bore out this belief. The actual action taken to earn an interview was a bit shadier.

Malcolm revealed to Business Insider that when she tried to earn an interview, Disney refused to get in contact with her. They threw her resume on the pile with all the other applicants, virtually assuring that she’d never hear from them. When people want something bad enough, they do crazy things. Malcolm’s thing is what law enforcement officials call unlawful entrance. She hunted down the building where Disney’s hiring staff resides. Then, she waited until someone with an ID badge opened the door. She snuck in and headed straight to the recruitment department.

Confidently, she walked up to one of the people and said the following. “Hi Anita, I'm Lori Malcolm. I've been trying to reach you, and I just wanted to put a face to a name for you.” Whoever Anita was, she had every right to call the cops at that moment. Instead, she decided to place the face with the resume, eventually bringing in Malcolm for an interview and offering her a job. There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity. What Malcolm did was probably both.

Still, there’s something to learn from her actions. Standing out from the crowd is a surefire way to move your application to the front of the list. No, you shouldn’t plot anything unlawful to do it. That would be horrible. Still, there are steps you can take. Consider the virality of the Internet. Use it to your advantage.

You should research inventive ways that people have used to gain the attention of angel investors, reality show casting agents, and corporate employers. Pick your favorite ideas and figure out how to make them unique to your application. At a minimum, you’ll entertain a Disney employee during an otherwise forgettable day at work.

Sweet’s words on potential interview questions explain the value of this tactic. “I also like to ask them why they want to work at Disney. It seems like a simple question, but you can learn a lot about a person's interests and motivation.” In creating something with social virality, you can demonstrate your motivation before you even perform your first interview.

 
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