YES.

I'VE GOT A FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW!

I saw on the WDWIP forums that a couple of people have received emails telling them that they've got through to the interviews, but when I checked  my email, there was nothing. Zip. Nada. I started panicking a little, thinking 'oh God, they sent out all the yes emails at once, which must mean I didn't get through.' I'm in my university's library at the moment and a wobbly chin was threatening to break into tears - which might have been a little embarrassing!

Luckily, a lovely forum member assured me that everyone gets an email and that I should check my junk folder. Now, I was skeptical. None of my previous correspondence from Yummy has gone into my junk, why would this one? BUT IT HAD.

I wasn't even sure I wanted to open it, but I did a bit of deep breathing, opened it and saw

Many thanks for taking time in the pre-screen interview for the Disney International Programs.  We were impressed by your performance and are pleased to invite you to the next interview stage.

at which point my insides sort of exploded. Unfortunately, being in a library, all I could do was run down an aisle of bookshelves (earning an odd look from the girl sitting next to me), and then call my parents to excitedly babble at them. Phew.

And with that, I'm going home for the day!

Phone interview.

So I had my phone interview today! It was the first day of interviews and I decided to just go for it and get it out of the way. I already had a list of questions I could be asked, and a rough idea of what I'd answer for each one, so there didn't seem any point in prolonging it all.

I booked my interview for 2.15pm, with Nick, and spent this morning writing out headings, with relevant questions underneath, and bullet pointed answers for each one. It calmed me down a bit, because I realised I had a reasonably decent answer for each one!

Nick was a few minutes late calling, but I was expecting that (everyone who's written about their phone interview seems to have that happen to them). I made a joke to him about thinking my phone was broken, but realised that he could have mistaken that for ragging on him a little, which definitely was NOT my intention. Eek. Maybe I'm just overthinking.

Anyway, these are the questions I was asked (in no particular order):
- Do you have any tattoos or piercings? (standard Disney Look question)
- Tell me a bit about yourself, why you want to go to Disney, what motivates you.
- Why should you be picked to go to Disney?
- How would you feel about sharing a flat with people of any of the nationalities in World Showcase?
- How would being around above mentioned people help you in the future?
- Tell me a time when you've dealt with a difficult customer.
- If an American came to you in the UK Pavilion and asked you to tell them about Cardiff, what would you tell them?
- Give me three buzzwords to describe yourself.
- Which Disney character are you most like?

Two of them (the one about nationalities helping me in the future and the buzzwords one) were not ones I was expecting at all, so they threw me for a second, but I think I managed not to sound too alarmed! I was trying not to sound as if I had vague answers prepared anyway, so hopefully it wasn't obvious I had no idea what to say for those!

So yes, it's hard to tell how it went. I didn't mess up any of the answers, and I made Nick laugh a couple of times, and I was definitely confident in my speaking. I just have a feeling I rambled on a bit too long for a couple of the questions. Hmm.

Oh well, I guess I'll find out how I did in a few weeks!

Drumroll please ...

I've got a phone interview!


I got back from 2 weeks in Florida and a week in Colorado only today, and I was feeling pretty down about being back. Then I checked my email, and saw the subject line 'Disney's Cultural Representative Program' and butterflies exploded in my stomach. The first line sounded like a no (and I'm right to think that - Yummy Jobs used the same first line in the rejection emails as well!): 
Many thanks for the time and effort you put into your application for Disney’s Cultural Representative Program. We sincerely appreciate your interest in the Disney International Programs.


But then the second line? Oh that beautiful second line!
We are delighted to inform you that we will be taking your application to the second stage of the process and will be inviting you to a pre-screen phone interview with a Yummy Jobs Team Member!


They're going to send out an email by April 18th for us to arrange a time for the interview. I have dissertations to be writing, but right now, this is what I want to be studying for! Luckily so many people who've applied to the CRP are unbelievably lovely and there's a wealth of information on the forums, on blogs and on YouTube, so I should be able to get a good idea of what's expected of me. Because I want this SO MUCH.

Longer wait = more impatience.

After having heard from numerous people on the WDWIP forums - who had heard via emails from Yummy Jobs - that the applications were closing as soon as January 15th, with phone interviews at the end of January and face to face interviews in March, the Yummy Jobs website now says this:

UK Applicants: Applications are open from January 5th 2011 to February 28th 2011. We are currently accepting applications for positions primarily starting in the latter half of 2011 and early 2012. Applications will be reviewed in March 2011 and all applicants will be responded to by early April 2011.


So now we have to wait until APRIL to find out whether or not we've been successful in the first round of applicants alone. Now, admittedly, this doesn't affect me that much. And I don't have an issue when I go, as long as I get to go. I just liked the idea of the January applications being so much quicker so that I could find out whether or not I'd be going on the CRP by April.

I'm also a little nervous now, because I'm going on holiday (to WDW - oh, the irony) at the end of March and will be away until the second week in April. What if they contact me while I'm over there, offering me a phone interview? I know that they allow you to choose when your phone interview is, but I'm sure there's only a limited amount of days. If I'm away for all of them, I won't be able to do it. Which would make this wait even more torturous that it's going to be.

Someone whose blog I read remarked that applying for the CRP is never as simple as it seems. I think I'm beginning to realise that already ...

Just applied!

Applications for the CRP starting between July and December 2011 opened today, and I just submitted my application. I had a moment of dffgugdfjgfjgb what am I doing why am I doing this slash ohmyGod I hope I get this, but it's okay, I've calmed down now.

I want this so much, but there's a few things in my life right now (a friend's wedding and my boyfriend, most importantly) that if I don't get in this time around, I will know is a sign that I'm meant to stay for these things. If I don't get in this time around, I will keep applying until I do.

And now the waiting begins ... eek.

Hello hello!

With just under two weeks until the January applications open for the Cultural Representative Program, I thought I'd finally get around to starting my CRP blog.

I've been putting off writing my cover letter for ages because ... uh, I put off almost everything I'm nervous about doing. I've been reading the WDWIP forums a little obsessively, as well as reading and watching the blogs/vlogs of previous applicants, which makes me about 20 times more excited. And nervous. Definitely nervous. It seems there's no particular rhyme or reason to the people that make it through to the phone interview - but having experience helps. And honestly? I don't have all that much experience. Sure, I worked at a charity shop for almost a year, and have a job at Marks & Spencer now, but there are some applicants who were turned down with years of experience. Eek. So I know I need a strong cover letter to make up for my weak CV. Which isn't an intimidating task at all ...

This morning I settled down (okay, I woke up, sat up in bed and pulled my laptop onto my lap) and actually wrote my cover letter. I'm probably going to be tweaking it like a mad person for the next two weeks, but at least it's written. I'm going to get my mother to look it over when I go home (for 2 whole days!) for Christmas, because she's good at that sort of thing.