Learning & Development Intern Review

I have loved my time at Disney, it is a diverse and relaxed company which has a fantastic culture. Due to the size of the company, it means you are continuously learning and meeting new people from all over the world. It is also possible to get involved with project from different lines of business, including support with the employee resource groups such as Pride and also volunteering projects.

Personally, I feel valued by my colleagues due to being included in communications and meetings. In the meetings I am treated the same as the full-time employees, which makes me feel valued as my options are heard. The team and other colleagues from across the business have taken the time to recognise roles/tasks I have performed on and taken the time to thank me, this makes me feel that they value the work I have done.

During my placement I had changes in my management, however my managers ensured that I still had my quarterly commitment meetings, in which I was given detailed guidance on achievements I could set etc. Majority of the time I also receive continuous support from my team/different supervisors, as they always find the time for my questions and to guide me through processes if needed.

I have always been pretty busy so developing prioritisation skills has been key over the past months, as I found it difficult to balance it out at first.

I feel happy with the level of responsibility I was given in my role, as it has really challenged me to use my own initiative. My role has a large project management aspect to it, therefore it has given me the responsibility of organising programmes and events for senior levels.

The organisation and prioritisation skills I have developed and continue to develop, will help with my assignments for my degree. Further to this there are many skills I have be able to work on such as communication, presentation and self-confidence, from being able to do things outside of my comfort zone, which I think will help me in my future job roles.

Overall, the office was positive and everyone is pretty friendly. It is great how there is such a huge intern population as it means the interns are really integrated into the company and their teams. The company also has a relaxed atmosphere in dress code etc.

Personally my role was set up well, with lots to get involved with and a structure to what was expected of me / clear goals helped mapped out, with guidance from both of my managers. However from a company point of view, there is no set structure for interns or guidelines and there is not a company wide onboarding event.

All interns are able to attend the UK training courses which are on offer, these cover a vast range of skills and development areas. I have also been able to complete development profiles which I have reflected on, especially in my one-to-one meetings. In these meetings I also feel the company invests in me, due to my managers taking the time to map this out.

Disney do not offer a graduate scheme and I feel it is difficult to predict if there is an opportunity, however if there was a graduate scheme or chance to return I would definitely apply.

With regards to between placement students, this is a key aspect I feel is missing at the company as there are no networking or ice breaker events and therefore it can be difficult to meet other interns from different departments due to the company being big. There are also not many places to socialise. I feel the social scene amongst other colleagues is much better as many teams are very inclusive and plan activities between themselves.

The cost of living is high, although being anywhere in London is going to be expensive, especially with the rent and travel. However being in Hammersmith means there are pubs which are cheaper than central London. Also as there are so many other interns at the company, you are able to group together before you start to share accomodation therefore decrease the costs.

There are quite a few pubs, but there are no bars or clubs, it is easy to get the tube into central.

Again, there are not really any socialising events organised, apart from the ones that your team may organise themselves. You can get involved with several volunteering activities outside of work, which are continuously communicated and they are very varied.