My life as a CP applicant.

As promised, it's time to write about my application process and interview for the WDWCP!  This will be a long post, and I hope you enjoy!

I believe the e-presentation and applications were on the WDWCP website the evening of Jan. 20th?  It feels like such a long time ago now.  As soon as I found out these were online, I watched the online presentation and chuckled at the many adventures of Tara.  My favorite part was definitely when the neighbor guys burst into the apartment with pizza.  Very amusing, although it made me hungry.

Next came the WBI, or web-based interview.  From what I understand, this is a rather new step in the application process.  I wasn't very nervous about this section, although I've read that they knock out about 50% of applicants with it!  I loved the instant notification after I finished that they wanted me to move on to the phone interview.  The whole application/WBI process took me about 45 minutes, maybe closer to an hour, because I had to use super-slow IE, which I hate.

By the way, always use Internet Explorer for this section.  The CP site says that a lot of their forms are not compatible with anything but IE.

Here are the roles which I initially checked off:

• Attractions
• Merchandise
• Hospitality
• Concierge
• Full Service Food & Beverage
• Vacation Planner
• Costuming (pretty much last choice, but I wanted diverse options)

My top three were Attractions (:-D), Merchandise, and Hospitality.  I have over a year of retail experience with a company geared towards children and families, so I was pretty certain they would end up selecting Merchandise for me.  I also have a bit of Quick Service Food & Bev. experience, but I really didn't want to select that role.

Anyway, fast-forward to my interview on Wed., January 27th.  It was scheduled for 7:30pm, so all day I was trying to get myself mentally prepped for what I expected the interviewer to ask me.  One of my roommates was at work that evening, so my other roommate and I were sitting around trying to get me psyched up and ready.  She played "Eye of the Tiger" and I basically channeled Dwight in this clip from The Office (substitute "internship" for "raise," obviously!):

I decided to take the interview call in my car, so that I could have privacy and no noisy distractions.  I was in my car and my cell phone rang two or three minutes before 7:30.  Luckily I was just sitting there staring at it anyway!  Here is a run-down of how the conversation went:

We went over my application, and the interviewer asked for my top 3 role choices.

Big question: Why do I want to be part of the WDWCP?

Several questions about my work experience, including responsibilities at both jobs I've held.

What were my favorite aspects of each job?  Things I was unsatisfied with?

She asked for examples of when I provided great service to a guest/customer (Luckily at one of my former jobs, we called all customers "guests" so I am already used to this!)

What was my experience handling cash and conducting transactions?  Could I provide an example of a transaction (do quick math)?

Would I be willing to add QSF&B to my list? (I declined)

Do I have experience living away from home?

Have I ever lived with roommates?

How would I handle a situation in which my roommate was messy?

What does teamwork mean to me?  Do I enjoy being part of a team or prefer to work on my own?

Can I stay calm if there is an emergency situation?
Would I be okay working both indoors and outdoors?

How would I respond to an unsatisfied guest, especially a guest who is angry and confrontational with me?  Can I provide an example of when I have experienced this and how I handled it?

Do I have experience giving speeches or performing in front of an audience?  Am I comfortable with this? (apparently I sounded a lot calmer than I was because she complimented me on my articulation and composure)

Which is my favorite park at the Walt Disney World Resort?

She did not ask me which was my favorite resort, so I assumed that she did not favor me for Hospitality.  The entire interview lasted thirty-six minutes.  My interviewer was very friendly and I enjoyed talking with her.  She definitely made me feel more at ease as the conversation went on.

So after the interview, I got to play the waiting game with everyone!  And as you know, I received my acceptance e-mail on February 10th, offering me the role of Attractions!