Redeem now - Getting a job at Disney is, for many, a coveted entry point into Hollywood.
- But the company is selective, and landing a role at one of its three divisions is tough.
- 6 Disney insiders reveal how they got hired and the most important questions recruiters ask.
On her popular TikTok account @Magikall, 23-year-old Makall Lauren gives viewers a look at what it's like to work at the happiest place on earth.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.The photographer at Walt Disney World in Orlando got her entrée into the Mouse House about two and a half years ago through Disney's College Program, a year-round paid internship that, for successful participants, can serve as a springboard to full-time roles across the company.
"I always loved the aspect of making other people happy. So when I found out there was a job for that, I was determined to get it," Lauren, who previously worked as a face painter at an amusement park and makeup artist at Sephora, said. Since scoring her full-time job following the College Program, she's amassed more than one million TikTok followers by explaining how she broke in and using humor to shed light on what working for the company is like.
Lauren's job falls within Disney's parks division (which also encompasses merchandise and cruises), sitting alongside entertainment and ESPN, its two other main branches. Disney employs more than 200,000 people worldwide, but joining its global workforce in this volatile climate might seem tougher than ever.
The company tightened its belt this year, reducing headcount by 8,000 roles as CEO Bob Iger set out to cut costs by $7.5 billion. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry contracted in 2023 by tens of thousands of jobs, leaving many young people feeling blocked from breaking into Hollywood or advancing their careers.
But for many entry-level and early-career workers who want a job in entertainment, whether that's on the screen or in live experiences, Disney's global reach, iconic IP, and storytelling legacy make it a coveted place to work.
Dan Green, director of the master of entertainment industry management program at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said a job at Disney can set Hollywood workers up for bright futures. "It's a positive thing on your résumé," he told Business Insider, "because of their hiring policy and the fact that it's such a well-known brand." Green interned at Disney in the 1990s, handling tasks like script coverage (summarizing screenplays for creative executives), and a number of his students have landed jobs there.
So how can Disney hopefuls break in? To demystify the interview process and some of the techniques Disney uses to assess prospective hires, BI spoke to six current and former Disney employees, as well as other experts familiar with entertainment-industry recruiting. Most company sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with reporters. Spokespersons for Disney did not respond to a request for comment about recruiting practices or how many people apply and are hired each year.
The sources agreed that the hiring experience varies widely depending on the division and role in question. For instance, the process of landing a staff job in the parks would be quite distinct from a position at a Disney-owned network or studio.
These people — primarily junior- and early-career staffers in roles ranging from tech and engineering to television and creative development — added that Disney looks for candidates whose skills match the role's needs and who are problem-solvers. The company also wants to bring on employees who have a connection to its history, products, and DNA, they said.
Here's how the recruiting process aims to draw that out, and what candidates should prepare for.
Step one: Meet a recruiter
After applying online for an open role, connecting with an official recruiter for the company is generally the first step in Disney's hiring process.
Lauren said there are many different kinds of recruiters — some focus on entertainment, she said, while others specialize in filling part- or full-time roles. Still others focus on the Disney College Program. Some can help you figure out where in the company you're most likely to be successful, she added.
Recruiters have significant sway over how the interview process unfolds, including who advances and who gets nixed. According to one Disney employee hired during the pandemic, managers may tell recruiters the particulars they're seeking in candidates. "A lot of times, the hiring manager will say, 'Hey, this is exactly what I want,'" this employee said.
When it comes to how many rounds applicants will go through and the tone and tenor of the interviews, "it really depends on the position and really, in many ways, it depends on the hiring manager," Green said.
A second current employee, who works in a technology-related function, recalled having two interviews — the first with the person who is now their boss, and the second with both a senior technology staffer and a member of the employee's current team. The first interview was to determine whether this person was a cultural fit for the company, while the second was more technical, testing the candidate's mastery of skills required for the job.
Candidates who don't receive an offer shouldn't be discouraged, Lauren said. Instead, she advised them to seek recruiters' guidance about other opportunities. Recently, she applied for a cosmetology job in the parks, but the prospective transfer didn't work out. Still, she's not giving up.
The company gave her feedback on where she could develop — she hasn't had much experience cutting hair, for example — and she can try again in a few months or explore options in costuming.
"Rejection is redirection," she said. "It really is kind of more like, 'Not now, but maybe later.'"
Interview questions tap into candidates' skills and Disney knowledge
Depending on the role, candidates could face numerous interview rounds, ranging from two or three up to five or six. The process includes personal and behavioral questions that assess your qualitative aptitude for the job and how well you understand Disney's culture, sources said.
"They would ask me, 'What are your hobbies?' or 'What were some of your classes while you were in school?' And then they'd be like: 'Hey, do you have experience with Adobe Photoshop?'" said the first employee. The recruiters' goal, this person continued, is "to make sure this person can not only say they know how to use a language or know how to use a specific tool — but can you give me an example of how they'd use that tool?"
This employee went through the Disney College Program and said applicants for that program should expect to take personality assessments with automatically-scored multiple choice questions that can disqualify candidates.
Questions could address topics like how applicants would interact with guests or whether they're problem solvers in their everyday lives, according to this person. For instance, a candidate might be asked to select from one of several ways they could address a complicated situation with parks goers, the person added.
Multiple sources highlighted one question in particular as critical: Why do you want to work for Disney? This question can give rise to others, like: What's your favorite Disney park? What's your favorite ride? Sources concerned with entertainment-related roles said recruiters might ask candidates to name a few shows they've recently watched. A compelling answer connecting candidates to the ethos of the Mouse House can give them an edge, the people agreed.
In one of Lauren's early conversations with recruiters, this question came up almost immediately, she said. Recruiters, she added, want to establish that candidates are "passionate about the company first and foremost."
In her answer, Lauren invoked themes from her childhood, she said — namely, loving storytelling and wanting to "create happiness for other people." The second employee (who works in a tech-related function) recalled connecting their upbringing as a first-generation immigrant to the role Disney stories and characters played in helping them better integrate into US culture.
For candidates looking to work in Disney's entertainment division, a question Green and other experts mentioned is: What are you watching on television and streaming right now? The first employee said they mentioned ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" as a favorite.
"It's absolutely appropriate to have something in your back pocket on Hulu and Disney — it's just as important to know what you're watching on other streamers or network television," Green said. And, he advised, don't just lean on obvious choices: "'Succession' is low-hanging fruit."
Practical assessments test competencies and problem-solving skills
Practical assessments that determine how comfortable candidates would be in tackling the qualitative elements of their would-be jobs are a hallmark of Disney interviews, sources said.
Green said some of his students had been asked to complete PowerPoint presentations, script coverage assignments, or data analysis using figures provided by the company in order to demonstrate their chops.
When Lauren was in the running for her current job, she said, recruiters asked her to explain how she'd correct or enhance a series of photos — from improving brightness to fixing the contrast or saturation — and to demonstrate "an artistic eye to see where the creative aspect would come into play." Recruiters used open-ended questions to avoid guiding her to particular answers, she said.
The second, tech-focused employee remembers encountering a coding problem during an interview. "It's one of those coding questions that seem very small but can easily have gotchas" that candidates might not catch on first glance, said this person. "They gave me a prompt that I had to fill in, either in Java or in pseudocode, and then they asked me: 'Okay, imagine that this was not the prompt or that the scope of the prompt was a little broader. How would you improve what you've written?'"
A third current employee, a creative assistant in Disney's entertainment division, recalled being tested on their competency in assessing creative work, namely doing script coverage. "They simply ask for a script to be read — they gave ample time — and then write coverage on it," this person said.
The goal, this assistant explained, was for their future bosses to get a sense of whether they can summarize ideas clearly and concisely, "which is critical for a development role."
Curiosity counts — about the role, the company, the industry
Experts encouraged candidates to be curious and raise their own questions with recruiters.
Ben White — a recruiting expert who's studied the company's interviewing processes and assembled videos about getting hired there on his YouTube channel, Ben Talks Talent — suggested: "What needs to happen in the first six months for you to consider this to be a successful hire?" He also proposed asking about training and onboarding, to show that a candidate's outlook on the job is in the "right place."
"It shows you're looking for, 'What do I need to do to win for you to and to be a great employee?'" he explained.
The first employee recommended that candidates ask questions that enable recruiters to flex their own Disney spirit. "One that I always ask personally, because I think it breaks the ice in a way and humanizes the interview, is: 'What's your favorite Disney memory?' Or, 'What's your favorite Disney character?'" this person said. "I think it helps to bring it back to, 'I understand the Disney culture and the people.'"
While it might seem bold to ask that of a recruiter, this employee said it can garner a glowing response: "Most of the time they were like, 'Oh my gosh, no one ever asked me that.'"
Green said it's important for candidates to show an awareness of current events in the media industry. "We've been advising students, 'You should have an opinion about the strikes and what's happening,'" he said, referring to the recently-concluded actors' and writers' strikes that roiled Hollywood this year.
"You are the future executives in the industry," Green added. "You have to keep a pulse on what's happening."
Are you a Disney insider? Contact this reporter to share your experience at the company. Reed Alexander can be reached via email at ralexander@insider.com, or SMS/the encrypted app Signal at (561) 247-5758.
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