Disney World hires thousands of new workers every year, and while you might think that many wear costumes and work in front of guests, the park also needs culinary workers and employees who can work behind the scenes. Though you may not need a degree in culinary arts to work at this Florida amusement park, you can use some basic tips to find and land a culinary job at Disney.
Sign Up for the College Program
The College Program, also known as CP, is a program that Disney offers to college students. Those who work in the program get the chance to live in Orlando and make money working at the park. According to the official Disney Internships & Programs website, Disney hires students to work in more than 300 of its restaurants as part of the Disney Culinary Program. Qualified applicants must understand the brand and mission of the park and have strong culinary skills.
Attend a Job Fair
If you already graduated from college and want to get a job at Disney World, keep an eye out for job fairs. Disney often hosts fairs at the end of summer, which is when students working at its parks go back to school, but it also hosts fairs in the spring to get its parks ready for the busy season. You may also find fairs taking place around the holidays or prior to special events that take place at the fair. Make sure that you dress professionally, arrive on time and bring copies of your resume. These job fairs let you meet with hiring managers from different restaurants and departments in the park.
Look the Part
Disney has strict rules in place regarding how employees must look and act while at work. Those hoping to perform as costumed characters must fit the costumes or look exactly like those characters before meeting with guests. Even those who work behind the scenes must match the Disney look. Disney does not typically hire workers who have visible tattoos, scruffy facial hair or lots of piercings. If the hiring manager doesn’t think that you look the part, you may lose out on your shot at getting a culinary job.
Know the Mission
During the interview phase, the hiring manager will likely ask you what you know about the Disney brand and the mission of the park. Knowing more about that mission can help you appear more knowledgeable during the interview and get a job offer. Disney puts customer service above all else. The manager may ask you what you would do if a customer was unhappy with the food prepared or what you would do to accommodate a guest with a serious food allergy. Practice answering some of the questions you might hear during that interview.
Move to Orlando
Moving to Orlando is one of the best tips for those hoping to get a culinary job at Disney World. Disney does not offer moving assistance or financial help for those moving to Orlando for a new job, which is why the company may not even call you for an interview after learning that you live in another state. As some jobs pay only slightly higher than minimum wage, managers may think that you won’t want to move for the job. Moving down there ahead of time shows that you are serious about working at Disney World.
Disney World is just one of several amusement parks owned and operated by Disney in the Orlando area. If you want to get a culinary job at Disney World or another park, you need to understand the mission of the park.
