Finance Intern (Media) Review

I had a fantastic year at Disney. It not only a great experience but a throughly enjoyable one, which meant that I was excited to come into work every morning. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a placement.

I felt like a valued member of the team, and was given huge responsibility throughout the year. It's a myth that at big companies you get less responsibility, it's actually on you to go out there and ask for more if you want it.

I worked in a small team consisting of a Director, Manager, 2 Analysts and myself as the intern. This meant that i engaged with my seniors on a daily basis and often worked with them on the tasks at hand. The support received was great, as they taught me what I needed to learn but also allowed me to develop myself.

At first when I had little knowledge of the role and was less confident I was less busy which was natural. Towards the end of the year I was very busy as I would often ask for more responsibility to get as much out of the year as possible. A very good balance in my experience.

I had the opportunity to work with senior managers and key stakeholders across the business, often leading meetings and answering queries and concerns when appropriate. The level of responsibility was a lot greater than I had expected, but i was grateful for it.

As I look forward to life beyond University, I can't picture a circumstance where this placement hasn't helped me. I'm much more confident in my own abilities, and I feel like I will be able to draw on my experiences when going to interviews for graduate positions.

The office environment was vibrant, energetic and fun. This comes down to the hiring policy of the teams I got to work with. A lot of people have the grades etc, so it was about personality at the interview stage, which makes the working environment fun as everyone has bubbly personalities etc.

My team had been operating in the same structure for a good few years now, so it felt like a natural transition when I first started and the old intern left, as well as when i was leaving and the new guy was coming in. They realise the stage of learning you are at and will accommodate for how long it may take for you to pick up the new responsibilities given to you.

I was given various opportunities such as workshops to improve my employability etc. However, as they recruit interns on a yearly cycle, and there is no graduate scheme set in place, there will be other companies that will invest in you more.

There is no graduate scheme, so a job isn't a given. However, given how much exposure you have to other teams in the building, many have said that if I was looking for a position in the future I should get in touch. Therefore I am now looking forward to becoming a qualified accountant, and may look back to Disney in the future.

Having nearly 200 interns all at the age of 20-22, meant that the social scene was similar to that of University. We would often go out for drinks etc, which meant it was a great place to meet new people, as well as a great place to network with the permanent staff working at Disney.

Possibly the only downside of working at Walt Disney was that the office is based in Hammersmith, London. Although the area is really nice and easy to commute to, working in London comes with a much higher cost of living from rent prices down to the cost of a pint. On the other side as you earn a reasonable salary, the costs are more affordable due to the fact you have a decent income.

Hammersmith has a many pubs and a few bars which makes for a very enjoyable nightlife. Also, as the office is based right next to the local tube station, it makes a journey somewhere else in London very accessible. This meant we often went into Soho etc. on a short tube ride.

On the company hub there are hundreds of different activities to get involved in, from sports clubs down to volunteering. There will also be opportunities to get involved in random one off events such as Star Wars celebration day. Whether you're a fan or not these are great experiences that are highly recommended.