Finance intern Review

There is a lot of variation in the role with many ad hoc requests which keeps the job enjoyable. However there are some reports that need updating frequently and some forecasts that need completing monthly which can be boring. Being able to attend meetings with different members of the wider team/company also adds variation and allows you to see what the reports you’re creating are used for.

Since Disney does not have grad schemes, interns are valued and given lots of responsibility. My opinion on the way we should complete certain tasks was also valued and considered allowing me to have an impact. There is an informal atmosphere at Disney so you get to know the people you work with well and become close quickly. The network with the other interns is also great.

My manager has a lot of patience and explains tasks very well which was particularly useful at the start of the internship. We were given a handover period with the previous intern at the start along with a handbook which explained most of the tasks well. I didn’t have monthly/frequent catch ups like a lot of the other interns which would’ve been helpful.

At the start I was very busy and had to stay late most days. This may have been because I was less efficient at the beginning. However my manager was very supportive and often told me to go home. I don’t often stay late anymore but I’m also never bored. I have seen other interns without enough work.

From the beginning I was given lots of responsibility. Towards the end I was told to go to a couple of meetings and training sessions alone if my managers were busy. The work I produced would be sent and used by very senior people within the company which made me feel valued.

I used a lot of software and platforms that are recognised by many corporations. I was also on excel all the time so my IT skills improved a lot. Prior to Disney I didn’t have any knowledge of these. The actual job did not relate to my degree as I am doing Economics.

The general atmosphere was good with many interns in the office which meant you could socialise easily. There doesn’t seem to be a hierarchy atmosphere that you hear about at other firms. You were also able to concentrate and get your work done when you need to too. Birthdays are always celebrated and everyone seems relatively positive. Everyone is easy to talk to.

Very well organised with a good amount of time with the previous intern for a handover. You also get a handover booklet which contains detailed notes on tasks you will be expected to complete during your internship. You can also extend your contract into the summer if you’d like to.

Disney partner with an external company which gave us the opportunity to have a mock interview complete with a CV review and practise psychometric tests. This will be very useful when applying for grad scheme. I have also heard about other interns doing personality tests to see how they work best.

The downside of Disney is that there are no grad schemes so they can’t offer you a job when you finish the internship however they do keep a list of interns so they will contact you if there is a similar job going in a relevant department. Many of my colleagues are ex-interns so many people do return after graduating.

There is a Facebook group with all the interns in and also a Facebook messenger chat so it was easy to arrange events. This was popular at the start especially to arrange meet ups for drinks after work. As an intern you are responsible for arranging team building events for your team however we didn’t do this much.

It is London so it is expensive especially if you live or go to uni in the North. It is also more expensive if you go to bars by the Thames. There are many bars and restaurants that accept your Disney ID for a discount or student ID. Many bars also have happy hour after work.

Disney is in west London in Hammersmith so there are not any clubs. However there are quite a few bars and pubs within walking distance. It is also easy to travel to central London as the office is next to a tube station if you are looking for better nightlife.

There was a netball team, fun runs at the parks, an LGBT team and a Women at Disney group too. However I did not get involved in these. The sports teams were not advertised very well if at all so it seemed difficult to get involved in the teams if you were interested.