UK & Ireland Sales Intern - Media Distribution Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my Placement Year with Disney, and a vast number of factors contributed to this enjoyment. Alongside the varied workload, and the opportunity to network with a range of industry professionals, I was given the opportunity to attend client events and private screenings. All of these experiences have given me a wealth of knowledge that I would not have had access to without completing this Placement Year.

I felt hugely valued by my colleagues, and within my department the interns were trusted with proper work duties as opposed to the tasks that are sometimes stereotypically associated with being an ‘intern’. My colleagues were also hugely appreciative when I completed tasks for them, and there was not any point over the year where I didn’t feel comfortable around the team or wider department.

My manager and team were constantly available for support and guidance. They were all very understanding that it was my first office job, and did not mind that I was asking a lot of questions at the beginning. Even towards the end, I never felt uncomfortable asking for help, as they would rather you learnt and understood the varying processes rather than making mistakes.

My workload was not overly consistent throughout the year. There were a small number of tasks which I had to carry out on a daily basis, but the majority of my duties were very ad hoc. This meant that at some points I was very busy, and other times I found myself having to ask around if anyone else needed help, or using my initiative to think of things that I could do to help prepare for other future tasks. This varied workload was never an issue as it contributed to the interest levels of the internship, and meant I got to carry out a range of different tasks; consequently developing a range of different skill sets.

I felt that I was given a large amount of responsibility when considering that this was my first job in the industry. Part of my job role was to amend sales deals and inform the other relevant departments such as Legal and Finance, as well as communicating with clients on a daily basis.

I feel that I have learnt more on my placement year than I did in my previous two years at uni combined. I have developed such a huge range of skills alongside gaining valuable industry knowledge. The skills I’ve developed such as time management, event planning, office etiquette etc. are extremely transferable, and I believe that not only will they help me to be more qualified for future jobs, but will also help me with managing my fourth year back at uni.

In my department the general atmosphere was not amazing. I got on so well with my team and we socialised outside of work, but the rest of my department I did not find overly sociable. That’s not to say that everyone wasn’t nice, as anyone was always willing to help, but I feel that the atmosphere could have been better.

I feel that the placement was very well set up. Disney takes on a large amount of interns per year so they have a well-developed procedure in place. Before I started I was added to a group on social media with all the other interns so that we could network and find people to live with. As well as an induction with HR on my first day, everyone then also had a ‘Welcome to Disney’ day where they are introduced to all the different elements of the company. The usual procedure is that the new intern will have a week long handover period with the previous intern for training purposes and to help get you comfortable with the new role.

A lot of the training for my job role was carried out ‘on the job’ as I went along. Different team members would spend time with me at certain points over the year to educate me about certain processes. Disney also makes sure you carry out online training courses regarding elements such as health and safety etc.

Future job prospects with Disney are hugely appealing. I have been able to see what a great company they are to work for, and learn in more detail about how many different business areas they actually operate in. Even if I was not to return to the department that I worked in for my internship I would definitely consider returning to another department.

There was a really good social scene amongst the interns in my department, and we often socialised outside of work, as well as always meeting up each day for lunch. This was aided by the fact that I lived in a house with other interns so I was able to form really strong friendships.

London is a very expensive place to live, and therefore I would have to rate this as negative, purely because the vast majority of my intern salary went on living costs. There are cheap ways of going out and socialising, but in general you have to be prepared for very high costs.

Nightlife in London is obviously very varied and eclectic so there is something for everyone if you are willing to travel. In the immediate area surrounding the office, the nightlife is mostly just bars and pubs, but with the 24 hour travel service in London you can get anywhere relatively easily.

When there is a new film release, Disney will usually put on a free employee screening so that everyone has a chance to view new content. I also took part in a volunteering day with my team. I know that Disney does offer a number of other activities to get involved in, such as choirs and sports teams.