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"Most roles do not help your resume unless you are a Hospitality and Tourism major" 

at Disney University

Image: Brittany DiCologero

 For me personally, this has been the biggest misconception I've needed to overcome since my programs ended. As a History major, I was constantly told that the program was not going to do much for my resume, and that my roles in merchandise and attractions were more or less useless. Upon coming home from the college program, it took me one and a half months to find a full time job. The job I did find, was in the service industry at a very well respected company, where I made almost double what I was making on the college program and received excellent benefits. Although my resume included non-Disney experience that was more relevant to that specific job, the college program became the focus of my interview. The hiring managers recognized the Disney name, and thought that the program was a very unique feature of my resume compared to other applicants. And because this job was within the service industry, they were of course very impressed that I had been trained in the guest service field by the leader in the industry, Disney.  

 While I can't say spieling in the carnival games in Dinoland USA, or directing crowds at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show really improved my particular field of study, these experiences did add a unique twist to my resume that sets me apart from other run of the mill History majors applying for similar jobs. It is obvious that certain majors like Hospitality and Tourism, and in some cases Theater, are perfect fits for the program, but every major truly will get something valuable out of the program in terms of their resumes. 

"You won't learn anything important from a frontline job" 

Aly in Discovery Island

Image: Aly Schmidt

 This point is usually mentioned to me as a subcategory of the previous point. Every now and then, someone will ask me, "What kind of skill is a History major with five years of experience in her field really going to learn from selling merchandise in Disney?" My answer is always, "You learn the things that can't be taught in a classroom, or in an ordinary job." The college program might not have taught me how to be a better museum educator, or how to preserve valuable documents, but it did teach me a lot about myself, and those are the lessons I can take with me to other careers.  

 Before I did the college program, public speaking of any kind was my worst nightmare. After essentially being forced to run carnival games in Dinoland USA over a microphone to small groups, this fear dwindled. By the end of my stint in Dinoland, is was hard to remember the days when I would feel the embarrassing onset of nausea while giving a presentation in front of the class in high school. My fear of public speaking only diminished further when I was transferred to Lights, Motors, Action! where I was responsible for getting thousands of guests to move all the way to the end of their rows using only my voice and arm motions as a tool. If pre-college program Brittany were thrown into the stadium and told to get all of those people to move, she probably would have run away in fear, but the training I received on the program allowed me to conquer this phobia of mine. And although something like public speaking might seem like a minor issue to some people, it's actually an important asset to have while looking for work, and I could not be more thankful to Disney for helping me to get over it.  

Working at Lights, Motors, Action

Image: Brittany DiCologero

On a more general level, the sheer number of guests that CPs have to interact with during each shift give them an edge on their social skills game compared to other students their age. When you need to come up with solutions to the strangest problems guests can have, while directing a crowd during the post-Wishes rush, you'll never be afraid to step into a leadership or decision making role in any other job you could possibly have.  

The college program may not give you technical skills in the same way a specialized internship in your field might, but it will change you as a person, and that is something that should never be used to put you down by others who have not experienced the program firsthand.

 
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