Fall 2008 PIs

[lamagique]

You better be darn well sure of this and call multiple times to talk to different people and see if you get different answers.

I was in the same boat you are about to be in and did the advantage program and was told under no certain terms would I be able to do the program as you are told you can.

Down here it all depends on who you talk to.

If the PI you wish to do...NO LONGER is requires the CP to be eligible, then yes...you can apply for the PI and get accepted and do it and be done in your 1 year.....

HOWEVER...if the PI you are requesting...requires you to have completed a CP to be eligible, you can bet your last dollar that you will not be eligible. You screw yourself over if you come down here on the advantage program as opposed to the normal program.

I was in your shoes not long ago at all...over 15 people that came to Disney around the same date I did had been told they would be able to apply and do the PIs while they were down here....out of 15 people on the advantage program that I came here with...out of 15 people that were told they could do the PIs regardless of the ending date of their CPs....out of the 15 CPs that came down here to progress their careers and resumes by doing the PI program....

Zero were eligible to apply. Take that for what its worth.

I tried to ask before, but no one directly answered my question. Maybe I should be more specific? I am addressing this to you, CrimsonTide.

I applied for the Fall Advantage PI. I am a CP alum. I have completed a CP before. If I applied to a PI for after my CP, do you think I would be able/eligible to do it? (I am asking you because I am trying to completely comprehend what you are saying.)

 

[crimsontide27]

As long as you arent here for over 1 year then yes , you will be able to do it.

Im not completely sure what a Fall Advantage PI is. I know some are summer, and the rest are Jan - Jun and Jun - Jan.

The hurdle we ran into was that a CP was required to be eligible for the PIs we wanted to do. We were told we should do the advantage progam as it would suit as better with knowledge we could gain from it and transitioning from a CP to a PI would be no problem. When it came down to it, it became a huge issue and none of us were even eligible to apply.

Let me give a couple of examples so I am not mis-interpreted .

1) I came down here on an advantage program and the PI I wanted was in the same field as the CP program. My program was Dec - Aug. When the applications went out for the PI, I applied. Now, because my CP didnt end until August, I wasnt eligible to apply for the Jun - Jan PI. Had I done the regular program and came from Dec - May , then I could have made it into the PI with no problem. I was told by Professional recruiting at the Casting center that If I wanted to do the PI when I came down here in the first place, I should have chosen the short program, and not the advantage.

This is the problem that many CP people ran into during their advantage programs. instead of being able to stay here and get into their PI and then go back and graduate, they were forced to go home with no PI and told to complete another semester of school and re apply later.

2) My roommate was also an advantage program person and applied for the PI. He got released from his CP and moved straight into the PI due to the fact he had completed a CP a year and a half earlier. Had he not completed a college program at an earlier time, he would have been going home empty handed as well.

#2 probably answers your question for you.

One thing that I learned while I was here was that you cant take everything you are told at face value. Between casting services, professional recruiting, my management team, and my cast services manager at my location....I never got the same answer twice. Each and everytime I inquired about the PI , I was given a different answer.

If I had it to do all over again, I would have selected the regular program and would never do an advantage again. If your goal is to move into a PI or stay with the company in any fashion, the regular program is for you. If you are here to just go out and have a good time and get away from school and home for awhile, the advantage program is for you. Nothing is keeping you from extending a regular program into an advantage anyway, but you cant go from being in an advantage program and then decided because you want to do a PI...that you will end your program early.

 

[lamagique]

Thanks for your answer. I now understand what you were saying.

Since you did the Spring Advantage and your program was slated to end in August, I understand why they wouldn't cut your program short to give you a PI. Therefore, you were not eligible. So in this case, I understand why they did not let you apply (although they should not have advised you to extend).

However, in doing Fall Advantage, the situation is a little different. I start my program earlier, but I will have the same end date as other Fall (regular program) participants. My end date would be before the PI started. Therefore, I don't think it would matter if I did the FA CP or the Fall CP. Unless there was a problem with my program going over the one year mark. (Do you think they will care if it is like 2 days over a year when I end?)


*In my earlier post, I said Fall Advantage PI, but I meant CP.

 

[mickeyfan85]

Crimsontide, like lamagique said, Fall Advantage CP is from May until January. The Professional internship would be January to May (or around May). So there would not be any overlap, even though you keep bringing this up in your posts.

And unless the girl on the phone was lying through her teeth saying "that's how [she] did it," I think it's safe to say you can do a PI following a FALL advantage program. Plus, what reason would she have to lie about it and then make up a story about how she did the program just like that? It would have been just as simple for her to say "oh no, you can't do a CP then a PI consecutively".

I think the reason why you couldn't do it was the sole fact that you weren't done with the spring CP in time to start a PI. I don't think it had anything to do with a "one year" time limit. Maybe the one year time limit is for a colllege program back-to-back, but not for a CP then PI. Plus, there's previous posts on the disboards that contradict this and talk about how people graduated, did the CP, then did a PI right afterwards.

So thanks for the slight heart attack you caused, but I really don't think the information you provided is correct on this matter.

 

[mickeyfan85]

I also emailed them yesterday asking them if doing the fall advantage college program then the professional internship would put me over some "one year" limit.

Here's the response:

"Thank you for your recent communication. Yes you can do a professional internship following the Fall Advantage Program. You can complete two consecutive programs whether it is two college programs or a college program and then a professional internship.

Disney College Recruiting"

I think that's pretty definitive.

 

[crimsontide27]

Things change so fast that few people are able to keep up with it.

Just 2 years ago, the back to back programs were not an issue, no they are.

Just last semester there were a ton of PIs that required a CP to be completed, but that requirement was lifted during the middle of the PIs then.

I wish everyone the best of luck, but if and when you doing an advantage moving straight into a PI puts you over the 1 year limit and you get denied, dont say you werent warned.

There is a huge difference between what you think you know, and what actually happens when you get here.

Just in the information people have said they have gotten from Disney in the past few pages of this thread is already contradictory. One lady emailed and asked if they could go from Fall Advantage to Spring PI and was told that would be no problem, then someone found information on the website where it said they will not keep you over 1 year. So already there is miscommunication between what the rules governing internships are, and what people tell you over the phone and internet.

If I were some of you, I would call Mark Hammer...who is in charge of Professional Recruiting. Make sure you explain to him that doing your CP and PI back to back would put you over the 1 year mark and if you would still be able to stay. This is where alot of us ended up sitting down ( in his office ) and being explained to that there was no way they would keep people over 1 year and it would be best if they all went home and reapplied for the next semester.

 

[mickeyfan85]

Well I just talked to Mark Hammer by calling the Professional recruitment line and he said that it would be fine to do the FALL advantage program, then go right into a Professional internship.

The only other type of verification I could think of getting is to have him sign it in blood and send it to me. But I think that might be a little extreme.

So let's re-cap:

1. The email response before I applied said it could be done.
2. The presentation recruiter said it could be done.
3. My interviewer said it could be done.
4. When I called this week to the college program office, the lady verified it could be done and said that's how she did it.
5. The email I sent this week got a reply saying it could be done.
And to top it off...
6. Mark Hammer said it could be done!

Unless they are running a vast conspiracy to lie to me, I have to say I'm 99.9% sure it CAN BE DONE.

Things change so fast that few people are able to keep up with it.

Just 2 years ago, the back to back programs were not an issue, no they are.

Just last semester there were a ton of PIs that required a CP to be completed, but that requirement was lifted during the middle of the PIs then.

I wish everyone the best of luck, but if and when you doing an advantage moving straight into a PI puts you over the 1 year limit and you get denied, dont say you werent warned.

There is a huge difference between what you think you know, and what actually happens when you get here.

Just in the information people have said they have gotten from Disney in the past few pages of this thread is already contradictory. One lady emailed and asked if they could go from Fall Advantage to Spring PI and was told that would be no problem, then someone found information on the website where it said they will not keep you over 1 year. So already there is miscommunication between what the rules governing internships are, and what people tell you over the phone and internet.

If I were some of you, I would call Mark Hammer...who is in charge of Professional Recruiting. Make sure you explain to him that doing your CP and PI back to back would put you over the 1 year mark and if you would still be able to stay. This is where alot of us ended up sitting down ( in his office ) and being explained to that there was no way they would keep people over 1 year and it would be best if they all went home and reapplied for the next semester.

 

[lamagique]

Well I just talked to Mark Hammer by calling the Professional recruitment line and he said that it would be fine to do the FALL advantage program, then go right into a Professional internship.

The only other type of verification I could think of getting is to have him sign it in blood and send it to me. But I think that might be a little extreme.

So let's re-cap:

1. The email response before I applied said it could be done.
2. The presentation recruiter said it could be done.
3. My interviewer said it could be done.
4. When I called this week to the college program office, the lady verified it could be done and said that's how she did it.
5. The email I sent this week got a reply saying it could be done.
And to top it off...
6. Mark Hammer said it could be done!

Unless they are running a vast conspiracy to lie to me, I have to say I'm 99.9% sure it CAN BE DONE.

I think you are right. I mean, I hope it does not come down to how it happened for CrimsonTide, but I do think there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between Fall Advantage and Spring Advantage, as explained before. From what I could gather from CrimsonTide's numerous posts, that seemed to be the biggest problem of all--Spring Advantage and having an ending date after the PI started.

 

[Lansley1]

I think you are right. I mean, I hope it does not come down to how it happened for CrimsonTide, but I do think there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between Fall Advantage and Spring Advantage, as explained before. From what I could gather from CrimsonTide's numerous posts, that seemed to be the biggest problem of all--Spring Advantage and having an ending date after the PI started.

Yeah it can be done. When I did my CP I had interviews lined up for a PI, but I ended up having to get home. Talk with your managers once your there. I you get on their good side, they will make the phones calls and get you the interviews.

 

[lamagique]

Just an update: one of my friends talked to a recruiter, and he said that the recruitment positions/most other positions should be setting up interviews next week!!! So get ready!!!

 

[crimsontide27]

Yea, it may be just an issue with the Spring Advantage program. I sure hope that was the issue. There are a ton of people here that wish they had known that would be an issue prior to coming down here. For everyones sake, I hope its just an issue with the Spring Advantage and some of you dont end up in the same situation.

 

[crimsontide27]

Has anyone heard anything at all for the Rooms and Related PI by chance?

 

[jbellgator]

I finally got scheduled for my Ops Management interview! Next Wednesday at 2 pm. Just another round of hurry up and wait, haha.

 

[DisneyScrappingMom]

Has anyone heard anything at all for the Rooms and Related PI by chance?

I have, they were the first I heard from, I have my interview with them on April 7th at team disney.

 

[Matty721]

Has anyone heard anything at all for the Rooms and Related PI by chance?

I heard from them a couple of weeks ago, I have an interview on April 7th.

 

[crimsontide27]

Guess it doesnt look good for me then. Even the General Manager of my resort called Professional Recruiting to throw in his recommendation and I havent heard a thing back.

 

[DisneyScrappingMom]

I wouldn't worry to much, I heard that ops management was calling people like a week ago, then I heard from them. When did you apply and have your first interview?

 

[crimsontide27]

Applied in late Jan and had my first interview in late Feb.

Got an email 3 weeks ago saying I was selected to move on to stage 2 of the process....heard nothing since then.

 

[Fantasmic1]

Guess it doesnt look good for me then. Even the General Manager of my resort called Professional Recruiting to throw in his recommendation and I havent heard a thing back.

Yea me too...still havent heard anything since my first interview...hopefully the call will come for us this week...Good Luck!!!

 

[catkel3299]

I applied for Rooms & Related, Event Services Special Events, and Ticketing Specialist on March 7 (I had a REALLY hard time writing my cover letter.) I had my first interview on March 13, which I thought went very well. The only thing I have heard from Disney is an email saying that I was no longer being considered for the Event Services Special Events internship. I'm starting to worry a little about my chances.