Retail Sales Intern (Home Entertainment) Review

I feel so fortunate to have worked with Disney. I loved every single second of the experience and felt so supported by my amazing team. I leave Disney with new skills and experience as well as huge personal growth. The responsibility given was huge and I benefitted greatly from this.

My team did not hold back praise where it was due. I felt like an incredibly valued member of the team and was trusted to deal with sensitive information and important projects. My input was always valued and was often sought out.

My line manager was incredibly supportive. We established my objectives early on and she supported me in achieving each of these. Her knowledge and guidance really helped me develop and grow. We had weekly review sessions to see where I was at with each of my goals but I was also able to approach her outside of these meetings whenever I needed her. The other members of my team were equally supportive. At the end of the year I had a review and we also discussed plans to achieve my longer term goals outside of Disney.

On top of my daily tasks and because I was so well supported I also engaged in a lot of extra projects that made me very busy. Working specifically with home entertainment the yearly calendar is always busy with releases so we were always planning for the next thing. I also did a lot of ad hoc analysis which took some time to complete but also filled my day along with the daily demands of managing an account etc.

You really do not feel like an intern! I managed my own account and also asked to manage the online segment of my managers account which was fantastic! I handled all of the sensitive information to release to trade and our release schedule. Some of my analysis projects were completed to provide structured arguments towards strategy change and it felt amazing to see it in the country review!

This year was vital in firstly developing new and existing skills but also helped me figure out exactly what I want to do going forwards! Having experienced account management, I now know this is the element of my job I really loved and I would not have been able to experience this had I not completed a placement as this is a higher level role. Having interviewed for summer placements I know that my skills bank and experience appeal far more than prior to completing my placement. I also identified areas I wanted to personally improve upon such as analysis and I can now safely say I have become so much more confident and knowledgable in this area!

My floor had a great atmosphere especially in my area. You didn't have to work in silence the whole day and are free to move around and chat. Obviously being Disney the themeing around the office was amazing with toys, statues and regular visits from your favourite characters! All of the meeting rooms are themed and there are usually lots of exciting things going on.

The best thing about my placement was that I was able to make the role my own and tailor it to my personal objectives and goals. The role sat within sales and marketing so I had a great breadth of things I could cover. Instead of being super structured with lots of training courses etc Disney have a great learning system in which you can choose if you wish to undertake extra training in certain things. I also benefitted from being able to have some experience in completely different areas towards the end of my placement to help me figure out which path I wanted to take after university which was really vital. I structured my own path for the year with the support of my manager and team and I got so much more out of this rather than being stuck to a rigid plan month by month.

As mentioned previously there is not a huge push on interns attending training courses. You can choose If you'd like to enrol in anything through D learn but the main development comes through on the job learning.

As Disney don't have a graduate scheme this is more a case of keeping in touch with your contacts and keeping an eye on the vacancies page. I have loved working for Disney and would really like to go back after university!

The interns on my floor were close knit and we did socialise together. I also socialised with my team a lot and organised socials after work. I liked to vary what we did together as London has so much to offer!

From living in the north the difference in cost of living is quite vast. Obviously alcoholic beverages are more expensive and use of the pay as you go Oyster card. As long as you budget for this though you will be okay.

There are a fair few pubs and bars in Hammersmith which are good for after work drinks. If it's hardcore party life you're after you can find what your looking for more centrally e.g soho

Disney does have a choir, triathlon team and there was an attempt to set up a netball team this year also. It just depends what you're into! Other than that there isn't a huge amount.