??? Career Start

[mickey'sbud]

My DS is interested in CS. So I called one day while he was at school (HS). I wanted to get more info. The person I talked to wasn't overly filled w/ pixie dust.

I was trying to find out what we could, so that he would be prepared, and we wouldn't have any of those moments of "if only I had known, I would have..."
She didn't offer any info other than...
1. appl will be accepted in either late Jan or early Feb (no exact dates)
2. no face to face interviews
3. will only do telephone interviews if they like your appl
4 no need for recommendations......

Am I missing something here? Does that mean they aren't taking CS or that they will take anyone?
So I ask ... is this all correct... how do you prepare w/ that?

[RebeccaNicole514]

Hi, I have been accepted into the CareerStart program for Spring 2010 and have been through the application process twice, so hopefully my knowledge of the process will help you out a bit. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure recruiting has ended for the Spring 2010 season. But, your son will be able to apply for Fall 2010 in late January or early February. I hate to say it, but calling for info rarely helps, you're situation was not unique. When it's time to apply, just go to disneycareerstart.com and fill out the application. He must be 18 by the time of check-in if he is accepted. A few weeks later he will receive an e-mail to take a web interview. At the end of the web interview, it will say if he passed or not. If so, it will give the number to call to set up the telephone interview. The interviewer will go over his application to make sure the info is correct, ask which roles he would prefer, and ask situation questions to see what he is best suited for. Then, it's waiting time. Waiting time is just pure torture. It can take anywhere from 1 week to even 8 weeks or more to know if he has been accepted. He will know he is accepted by received a big white envelope with Mickey Mouse on it in the mail. Inside will be a yellow-orange folder, that means all your dreams have come true

Go to disneycareerstart.com for more information. Also there are many Facebook groups that are tons of help

[CrazySteph]

Thanks RebeccaNicole514! I'm applying for Fall 2010 But I have a question

Like a Year ago.. when I was considering applying.. I took a look at the application to fill out.. and it had this sheet that had the "Short Response form" and had 2 questions and some room to answer,

but when I go back now and look at the application, that sheet is not there anymore? Do you know anything about this?

[Pecobill]

Originally Posted by CrazySteph

Thanks RebeccaNicole514! I'm applying for Fall 2010 But I have a question

Like a Year ago.. when I was considering applying.. I took a look at the application to fill out.. and it had this sheet that had the "Short Response form" and had 2 questions and some room to answer,

but when I go back now and look at the application, that sheet is not there anymore? Do you know anything about this?

I've also been accepted for the Spring 2010 program.The short response form and the letter of recommendation are no longer required.Also they do not require you to snail mail your applictaion just fax it.

[mickey'sbud]

Originally Posted by Pecobill

I've also been accepted for the Spring 2010 program.The short response form and the letter of recommendation are no longer required.Also they do not require you to snail mail your applictaion just fax it.

Did you have to take a long online questionaire in place of the short response?

[sosmember]

Originally Posted by mickey'sbud

Did you have to take a long online questionaire in place of the short response?

I've been accepted for the Spring 2010 CS as well. I can confirm that you do fill out a 20 minute-ish online questionnaire/test after they receive your application. The process goes basically like this:

-Watch e-presentation
-Download application and roll checklist
-Fill them out and fax them to the provided number
-Wait for email confirming they received your application and inviting you to take the questionnaire/test thing online.
-Take the online test. This is a pass fail type of deal and you will find out immediately which it is. If you pass, you continue on with the process. If you fail, that is the end of the line for your application. It sounds intimidating but really the test is pretty simple. Just be honest, consistent and only answer in extremes.
-If you passed the test you now start waiting for one of 3 things: an acceptance packet (orange folder), rejection letter, or a pending letter. The first two are self explanatory but the pending letter merits further explanation. There are other threads that explain it more clearly but basically a pending letter means they generally liked your application but they are holding out on accepting you for one reason or another so you will be waiting longer.
-If you are accepted, all that is left for you to do is go to the web address provided in your packet and accept the invitation and pay your enrollment fee (it was $100 for spring 2010).

This whole process can take as little as a few days to as long as a few months. Just be patient, professional and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available on these boards. Hope this helps.

[Pecobill]

Just going to point this out but the enrollment fee is the "party fee".They use it to pay for parties that disney hosts.A lot of people have been told or heard that it will cover your first week's rent this is not true at all.So make sure you have plenty of money for when you get down there.

[mickey'sbud]

Originally Posted by sosmember

I've been accepted for the Spring 2010 CS as well. I can confirm that you do fill out a 20 minute-ish online questionnaire/test after they receive your application. The process goes basically like this:

-Watch e-presentation
-Download application and roll checklist
-Fill them out and fax them to the provided number
-Wait for email confirming they received your application and inviting you to take the questionnaire/test thing online.
-Take the online test. This is a pass fail type of deal and you will find out immediately which it is. If you pass, you continue on with the process. If you fail, that is the end of the line for your application. It sounds intimidating but really the test is pretty simple. Just be honest, consistent and only answer in extremes.
-If you passed the test you now start waiting for one of 3 things: an acceptance packet (orange folder), rejection letter, or a pending letter. The first two are self explanatory but the pending letter merits further explanation. There are other threads that explain it more clearly but basically a pending letter means they generally liked your application but they are holding out on accepting you for one reason or another so you will be waiting longer.
-If you are accepted, all that is left for you to do is go to the web address provided in your packet and accept the invitation and pay your enrollment fee (it was $100 for spring 2010).

This whole process can take as little as a few days to as long as a few months. Just be patient, professional and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available on these boards. Hope this helps.

Regarding the test, what did you mean by "only answer in extremes."

Also do you have previous work experience? Is that a make or break concern?

[Pecobill]

Originally Posted by mickey'sbud

Regarding the test, what did you mean by "only answer in extremes."

Also do you have previous work experience? Is that a make or break concern?

When they ask you questions like "Are you dependable?" answer "Very Dependable"

Also I only had one job before I got accepted so it doesn't matter that much

[sosmember]

Originally Posted by mickey'sbud

Regarding the test, what did you mean by "only answer in extremes."

Also do you have previous work experience? Is that a make or break concern?

Let me expand on Peco's example to make it a little clearer. A question on the test would look like this:

How dependable would you say you are?

1. Very Dependable
2. Dependable
3. Undependable
4. Very Undependable

In this case it is obvious you want to choose answer #1. The "hard" part is when they ask somewhat ambiguous questions like:

"You like to take frequent breaks when you are faced with challenges. Agree or disagree?"

1. Strongly Agree
2. Agree
3. Disagree
4. Strongly Disagree

In this case, your answer would change depending on your interpretation of the question. On the one hand, agreeing may indicate that you have trouble coping with stress. On the other hand, disagreeing may indicate that you have trouble recognizing your limits and knowing when you need to take a break. What you need to understand is that the question was intentionally designed to be ambiguous. In these kinds of tests there are two types of questions. The first is like Peco's where they care WHAT your answer is. The second is like mine where they care HOW you answer. Each of the answers to each question has a point value. They work as follows:

Type 1
1. +1
2. 0
3. 0
4. -1

Type 2
1. +1
2. 0
3. 0
4. +1

At the end of the test your score is added up. If your total score is higher than the minimum score Disney has chosen as the pass/fail mark, you pass. Obviously, the higher your score the better. 2 and 3 answers in both types are worth 0 points which means those answers won't lower your score but they wont raise it either. In type 2 questions, 1 and 4 answers are +1 regardless so it is a win win and only goes to raise your score. In type 1 questions, 1 answers give you +1 and 4 answers give you -1. This means that if you don't even read the question and blindly answer it with one of the extreme answers, you have a 50/50 chance of getting the "right" answer in a type 1 question and a 100% chance of getting the "right" answer in a type 2 question. All of that to say that by answering the questions in extremes, you theoretically reduce your chances of picking a "bad" answer to 1 in 4. In reality, the chances of picking a "bad" answer are even lower than that because you can generally determine whether you are answering a type 1 or type 2 question by how obvious or ambiguous the question is and adjust your answering strategy accordingly.

Also, for your second question. I personally have had two jobs and a lot of volunteer experience, but I have seen plenty of people on these boards who got in and have had zero experience of any kind. Even more than the CP, the CS program is specifically geared towards people with little to no experience.

Hope all that makes sense and helps.

[sosmember]

When I got up for work this morning I realized that I forgot to explain the main functions of type 1 and 2 questions. In Type 1 questions they are trying to see if you have the traits they want you to have. That is really the only function of type 1 questions. Type 2 have two functions. The first is to see if you are confident in your answers. That is why they reward you with +1 point for both extreme answers and 0 for middle answers. The second is to see if you are being honest or just telling them what you think they want to hear. Last night I forgot to tell you about one crucial part of how your score is tallied. If you answer a type 2 question early on in the test and then answer the same type 2 question but worded differently later in the test, your second answer must agree with the first. If it doesn't, both answers are given a value of 0.

Example:
Q: "You like to lead others in group projects. Agree or disagree?"
A: "Strongly disagree"
Score: +1

Q: "People look to you for direction. Agree or disagree?"
A: "Strongly agree"
Score: +1

Total Score: 0

You would think that since you scored +1 on each of these questions that your total score for these two questions would be +2. Here is the problem. In the eyes of the test, these two answers are contradictory because you are saying that you both do and do not have a leadership personality. In that case, the test assumes that you answered based on what you thought Disney would want to hear rather than how you actually felt. Contradictory answers are given a point value of 0 so instead of 1+1=2 you get 0+0=0. This is why it is important to be honest and consistent. If the person in this example had decided they honestly didn't have a leadership personality (too many leadership personalities can lead to a "too many chefs in the kitchen" effect so not having one can be a good thing) and consistently answered to that effect, they would have been sitting 2 points ahead of where they are now.

Also note that many of the questions give you only a certain amount of time to answer them. Answers made after time has expired are automatically given a point value of 0.

Sorry for the tldr posts but I haven't notice the actual mechanics of the test being laid out in detail anywhere else on the boards so maybe this will help people fully understand what they are dealing with. Really, you don't need to worry about all this stuff, just keep it in the back of your mind and follow the "be honest, consistent and answer in extremes" rule and you'll do well.

[apainterxx44]

I was also accepted for CareerStart Spring Advantage 2010. I haven't read anyone else's replies so I'm sorry if this is repeating everyone else.

The qualifications to apply for the careerstart program are simple..
-high school degree/state equivalient
-eighteen years old by the time you arrive in florida for the program

The purpose of the program is to help fresh high school graduates find a career. Also how great will Disney look on a college application!

As of Spring 2010 the short answer and letter of recomendation were not required. It may change with Fall 2010. I don't think it would be too smart to apply for Spring 2010 now considering the program starts in 70 days but it doens't hurt to try.

To prepare for applying you just have to remember to be yourself, Disney is a company built on happiness and honesty. But, they don't want you lying then really not liking the program. You have to really apperciate Disney and their values to be able to spend 7 months in Florida.

Hope I helped