DCP Phone Interview Tips for Success!

Now that I've applied and gotten in twice, I feel like I have enough pieces of good advice to make a blog post on it. I'm just going make a big list on what worked and didn't work for me, so note it's all based on MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

1. Pick a good time for you. I recommend the morning/early afternoon before they've had too many interviews and are still fresh, but not so early that you sound groggy and sleepy when you answer the phone. My interview was 2:15pm Eastern Time and 12:15pm Mountain Time (Colorado time) for my second interview and 9am Mountain Time, 7am Eastern Time for my first interview which was probably a little too early.
2. I would practice a little bit. Not rehearse, but practice a few questions and answers. Some people have friends/family call them and do a mock interview but I honestly talked to myself when I was driving to/from school so I could hear my answers out loud. This was super awkward but actually helped a ton. Plus if someone gave me weird looks I could pretend I was singing along to the radio ;) 
3. Write down your interviewers name as soon as he/she introduces themselves and make sure to bring it up in the interview. For example, my recruiter said "hello I'm Jenny, how are you?" or something to that effect and I replied "hi Jenny!! I'm good blah blah blah" and also used it in the very end of the interview. 
4. Think through potential questions and answers but don't write yourself a script. I promise having notes in front of you will just make you sound rehearsed and mess you up. A few bullet points is fine, but I used no notes on my second interview and it went MUCH smoother than my first interview with notes.
5. Relate as much as possible back to your work experience and real life examples. So if your recruiter asks how you would handle and emergency situation, use an example from previous volunteer/work experience and build on that.
6. Be sure to emphasize professional opportunities and experiences. Relate WHY you want to do the program back to how it will help your future career. It would also be a good idea at this point to talk about not just the work experience, but the networking and the Disney classes and how those will help you professionally.
7. Think about your top roles and answer your questions with that in mind. My top roles were convention guide, vacation planning, and attractions, so I made sure I talked a lot about guest service and safety. Even if the question didn't directly relate to that role, I made sure I stressed the parts of my answer that will translate best into that role. I hope that made sense, basically try tailor answers to your top roles rather than general answers.
8. Your recruiter will probably ask what roles you're most qualified for rather than for your top roles. I would make sure your top roles are roles you're most qualified for a think about why. I mentioned the above roles and gave a reason for each as to why I'm qualified. I also threw in how each would help me professionally.
9. Be honest! Stay true to yourself and your personality will have an easier time showing through :) It's ok to let them know you're nervous, they are all so kind and welcoming they'll put you at ease right away. Don't tell them what you think they want to hear because I promise it won't come across as genuine.
10. It's okay to smile and joke a bit with your recruiter but be sure to keep in mind this is a professional opportunity and act accordingly!
11. I would write down your questions for the end of the interview as your main notes. Put a lot of thought into these so it shows your recruiter how much you care. Don't just pick and choose questions off of blogs, pick questions you ACTUALLY want to know about and questions that will help you stand out. I asked a questions my recruiter had never gotten before and she was super impressed!! I would also include at least one question about advice on how to take advantage of the professional opportunities or something like that that will relate back to how the program will help you professionally.
12. If there is somewhere you would really like to work, definitely bring that up as well. You can request attractions/stores/parks, so if you want to increase your chances of getting a certain area be sure to mention that! They can't guarantee anything but will do their best to honor your request. I requested Journey of the Little Mermaid for my attraction, so we'll see what I get! *UPDATE, I didn't get Mermaid, but I WAS placed in Magic Kingdom Fantasyland East which is the same complex that Merm is a part of* I also mentioned that I would prefer working an attraction to working parking/main entrance.
13. Finally I would thank your recruiter for their time, be sure to convey your gratitude. Since most people don't send emails/thank you's (the recruiters probably get way too much mail for that to be a good idea anyway) this is your opportunity to thank them and end on a good note.
14. Also I would try stay away from the Facebook page until you're accepted because it gets really depressing watching other people get accepted while you're still waiting. But you do you. 

That sums it up! Hopefully these notes were helpful to you. This is pretty much what I followed for my second interview and I got attractions, one of my top roles!! For my first program I was much more scatter brained, trying to follow notes and stuff, and I got QSFB. This role was great for my first program, but it was a moderate interest role and I had no food experience prior. They probably just plopped me where they had space haha.

Keep in mind this is just my experience and advice, do whatever works best for you!! If that includes following this list or none of them, whatever works for you is what matters :) GOOD LUCK! Plenty of pixie dust and good wishes coming your way :)