Creative Services Intern - Studios Marketing Review

I couldn't have asked for a better placement at Disney. I looked forward to going to work every day and working in such a diverse and fun environment. I couldn't have asked for a better placement year than this and would love to go back and work there once I have graduated my degree.

My colleagues at Disney made it really clear that I was not only a valued member of the team, but was also integral to the success of our teams work. From the minute I started they made me feel comfortable, respected and also important within my role. They treated me as an equal, with high levels of respect and sought my advice on things just as they would with colleagues who had been there for years with so much experience. I can't fault my team in any way, and I am so grateful to have worked with such an amazing group of people for a year.

I had 1:1's with both of my managers weekly, where we would discuss work related tasks/projects as well as updates on how I felt the placement was going and if I was getting on ok. My managers were very active in wanting me to progress and try new things within my role, and I genuinely feel they wanted me to get the best possible experience on my placement.

As with a lot of jobs, the business varies depending on the time of year etc. But as I quite like being busy, I was happy with my workload throughout the year. I'd say I was pretty busy on a daily basis, but not too much so that it would stress me out too much. When we weren't in the middle of a film campaign I was less busy which could get a little boring, but I'd ask for additional projects to work on which my managers would give me.

My managers would likely describe my role as supporting the team and acting as the water keeping everything afloat. My responsibility did increase as the year went on, obviously as I was gaining more experience and knowledge. By the second half of the placement, I was owning tasks myself that contributed to larger scale events and had higher levels of importance and responsibility, which was my favourite part of the placement.

Attention to detail is key within my role, as well as being organised and concise when feeding back information. I suspect this will help me when completing notes/essays during final year as I will be prepared to write clear and concise information. It has also helped my communication and team working abilities in a professional environment, which I'm sure will help me greatly in my future career.

The general atmosphere in my office was pretty loud and energetic and super fun! There was constantly something happening, and working in film with publicity and marketing is a very hectic environment at times! I thrive in a busy atmosphere as I get my energy from people, but as my office was along the side, I could easily pop my headphones in and knuckle down when I needed to really focus in silence.

It was set up and organised pretty well, with this improving as my time here went on. I began my placement not knowing much about my role as there wasn't a specific job description - but I did apply through an unconventional route and my role has changed slightly from what it has been previously. I don't mind this so much as I enjoy learning through experience and pick things up pretty quickly, however at the beginning I was a little unclear on what I would be doing, but then again everyone is probably in the same boat!

I wouldn't say there was much of this offered at Disney, aside from the mandatory company courses that were available on our internal portal. There were lots of business groups I was able to be a part of while I was here, however, so that did mean there were things I could get involved in if I wanted to and my workload allowed it.

Despite Disney not having graduate schemes, they are open to having interns return for small stints to help the team out in busier periods, or even have them returning in full time roles once they have graduated. As long as you keep in contact with your managers then you have a good chance of a future career with Disney. They also have a LinkedIn page specifically for Disney Interns and alumni where they can network and hear about job opportunities.

As there are over 200 interns there is definitely a great social scene among placement students and colleagues. We organised our own Intern Ball that happened in January which was a super fun night out. With other colleagues, specifically in my team in Studios, there were always work drinks happening/being organised for film releases, birthdays, leaving drinks, welcome drinks etc. There is always an opportunity to go out!

As Disney is based in Hammersmith, living and socialising can be a little expensive. But thats to be expected when living and working in London, and at least you have some income behind you to afford to do those things! If in doubt, you can still make the most of UniDays discount, Disney discount in Hammersmith, and theres always a Spoons thats never too far away for cheaper socialising.

As its in Hammersmith its really easy to go into and all around central London for a good night out. There are loads of pubs and bars around Hammersmith that are pretty decent (including a Spoons). For more club/event nights out, I'd head more centrally - but everywhere is easy to get to on the tube.

Lots! I've had the opportunity to volunteer for Disney Pride for the Pride Parade and gone to both The Lion King and Aladdin the musical - but thats only really the start of what you can get involved in. This is all done through internal sites for Disney where these things are advertised and circulated around the company.