Creative Services Intern Review

I absolutely adored my internship at The Walt Disney Company. It was an extremely fulfilling experience and I was given real responsibility from the first day. Every member of staff was so friendly and welcoming, the employee culture is great! I was able to manage my own projects and take real responsibility and leadership which was great. I was fortunate enough to work on some huge events which will stay with me for the rest of my life and have definitely enhanced my CV!

I felt extremely valued by my team. My team was extremely close-knit and I found that I was relied on heavily by my colleagues to assist them with tasks so I never felt like a spare part. An internship at Disney is not just a regular internship, you're filling a role that would have to be filled by a full-time employee so you have real responsibility and have the opportunity to bring value. My team made me feel so welcome and valued, I never felt like a temporary employee, and was treated as though I was a permanent member of the team.

My manager was extremely supportive during my internship. I could approach him with any issues, personal or professional, that I had, and he would always take the time to check in on me and that I was settling in well I had a great relationship with my manager and he supported me and trusted in me by giving me big projects to manage, something I would have never been able to do without his support. He helped me to thrive and succeed in my internship.

My business would vary dependent on whether we were working on a campaign or not. During campaign seasons, I would be relatively busy, it sometimes meant working over time, but this was never something I was forced or mandated to do, it was always a personal choice. During times when we were less busy, I would have time to take a full lunch break (1 hour), and would finish on time. The business varied and you would be able to choose whether or not you'd like to work extra hours.

I was fortunate enough to be given a large amount of responsibility during my placement. My managers and supervisors trusted in me and allowed me to take ownership of projects, with their supervision. I always felt entirely supported during my projects and this allowed me to take ownership because I knew there would always be someone there to answer any questions I had. My confidence improved immensely during my placement due to the fact that I was given real responsibility and I was able to see real outcomes of my hard work.

I developed a multitude of skills during my placement, many of which have helped me settle back in to university life (time management and organisation!). Other skills I developed will absolutely help me in my future job search and career. My confidence improved immeasurably and also my creative, analytical, communication and teamwork skills, among others. It would be extremely difficult to complete a year in industry and not develop any additional skills. My placement helped with both my personal and professional development.

The atmosphere in the office was great, and is what you would expect from the company. It was a very bright and happy office. Everybody in the office was extremely friendly, welcoming, and helpful, it felt like one big family. The office culture was hard work mixed with fun, I think it was the perfect balance. I always felt happy in the office, I never felt uncomfortable or out of place. They treat interns like full-time employees and you're welcomed into the company with open arms.

The work placement was very well set up. I was able to take responsibility from an early stage of my placement and my team guided me through the year and allowed me to set my own personal goals. My manager allowed me to set goals and objectives that I wanted to achieve before the year was over, for example a particular project I would like to work on, and he would make it happen. I would have regular catch-ups with my manager to ensure I was happy in my role.

the company invested a lot of time and energy into developing me as an individual, in particular my team. My whole team took time out at the beginning of my placement to train and educate me in the industry, they supported my learning and development, and without their support, I never would have been able to take responsibility of the major projects that I did. I developed immensely as a person, which was due to the support of the company.

I hope to work at the company again one day in the future. Unfortunately, they don't offer graduate schemes at the company, so it would be the case of gaining experience elsewhere then hopefully returning to the company as a more senior employee. The company has a huge amount of roles in the various business positions. It is very common for interns to return to the company, and many of the staff that I worked with were once interns at the company themselves.

There is a huge intern network at the company, they hire around 200 interns annually. there are a lot of social events for interns at the company, especially at the beginning of the internship so that you can mix with other placement students. There is also usually a large intern christmas event which is organised by interns for interns at the company. There is a likelihood that there will be other interns in your specific business division, and that you will work closely with other interns, alongside more senior members of the team.

The company is based in Central London so the costs of living are high. The company offers a generous salary which should cover living costs, but it's definitely an expensive place to live. There were so many opportunities for socialising because the company was based in London so it was very easy to find venues for events, and socialise after work in the various bars, restaurants, pubs, shopping centres etc. The social life in London was a great one.

Being based in central London, there was a huge amount of nightlife. There were a multitude of bars and restaurants in my local area, and there were also a huge number of nightclubs in central London which were very easy to access on the tube. There is absolutely something for everyone in London in terms of nightlife, whatever your preferences are. Pubs and restaurants are probably the best bet in the current environment, but there is an absolute abundance of them!

We very regularly had events outside of work that were always open if you wanted to volunteer to work. There were lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work and I would encourage anyone to take part in as many activities as possible, its something you won't regret! It's also a great way to network with new people, alongside witnessing the hard work of people you know come together in a great event.