A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Well, since I last posted, a lot has happened on the internship front. And pretty much none of it is good stuff. Lots of changes have happened because I had to adapt to things going wrong. So let's start at the beginning.

When I last posted, I had taken the rest of the day off because I almost passed out. The next day, I was called into my manager, Caleb's, office. I thought I was in trouble or something for getting an early release (E.R.) because my coordinator didn't tell me why Caleb wanted to see me. So I get in the office, all nervous, feeling like I was sent to the principal's office. But Caleb greeted me with a big "Hi!" and a smile, so I knew it was nothing bad. Basically he just called me in to see how the Prof. Internship soiree was and if I got to talk to the people I wanted to talk to. We discussed the soiree, what internships I was looking at, what the application and interview process would be like, and he offered to look at my resume and "Disney-fy" it. I was really appreciative of him because he was really in my corner with this whole thing. He told me lots of tips and said that he's going to do everything he can to help me get an internship. Basically, he was in the same position as me a year ago. He graduated, did his CP, then applied for Management Internship and got on in Park Ops, where he is still a manager now. He said I came in the first day and said I wanted an internship, and he was going to help me get one because of that. So I'm super pumped that he's rooting for me. And, that will hopefully mean a good recommendation when it comes time for them to assess me.

So the next day I dropped off my resume, and he returned it to me via email with some suggestions. It really helped, and I think my resume is better for it. So, then I started deciding which three internships I was going to apply for. Caleb gave me a lot to think about considering the Management Internships. But I think my heart was still in Event Planning. So my top three were going to be:
1. Convention Services Associate (perfect for me, considering my Conference Services job)
2. Event Assistant Magic Kingdom Intern (just plain fun)
3. Travel Industry Marketing Event Planning Intern (plan trade shows in the travel industry, sounds sweet)

So I was going to start applying this past weekend because I worked mornings and would have the whole afternoon to write my cover letters and fix my resume. I worked at International Gateway on Sunday morning, and before the park opened, I was just standing around, staring off into the World Showcase, when I saw a bunch of people in France. The women were all wearing the same dress, and the men were all fancy in tuxes. They were up by the fountain, and then I see about thirty people sitting in folding chairs facing them. Then, I see a bride being escorted up the aisle by her (I'm assuming) father up to the fountain. I couldn't take my eyes away from it. It was the cutest little wedding I've ever seen. So, after I watched the whole affair, my mind went back to the Fairy Tale Weddings Internship that I had taken off my list because of various reasons, the biggest one being EVERY girl on the program applies for it, and therefore, to me, it has lost it's appeal. But, it's the reason I came down to do this program, and I shouldn't let all the other people applying stop me from something I really want. You've gotta fight for what you want in life, and I'm not going to give up that easily. I might be one of the 6 they pick out of 350. So, after work, I went home and applied immediately for the Weddings Internship. Then, I moved on to Convention Services, but when I got to the web page, that internship had disappeared from the list. It wasn't offered anymore. I tried contacting as many people as I could about what happened to it, but I couldn't wait any longer to apply to two other internships. So I applied for the Event Assistant MK Internship. But, when I applied for it, the web site never asked me to upload my cover letter. It just said, "Thank you for applying." I know this isn't right. So I was pretty sure that internship was out for me. You're not going to get a position in a competitive field with no cover letter, even if it says "optional" next to it. Again, I called a list full of people, and no one was calling me back.

So Tuesday, I met with Amanda's sorority sister Emily, who is one of the current Wedding interns. We talked for about and hour and a half about the internship, what a regular day is like, and her past experience in events (which was barely any). The job sounds crazy and hectic, but so amazing. We also talked about her next steps after this internship, and I found out that if I get an internship, it's my last program. You can only do two consecutive programs, whether it's CP and an internship or two internships. So, she told me that Weddings, from day one, tells you that they are NOT (I repeat, NOT) hiring you on after. She told me that the management internships, however, have a much bigger chance of hiring you on after. So that got me thinking again, along with what I talked about with Caleb. So after my lunch with Emily, and the prospect of hanging out with her again soon, I went home and applied for a Management Internship in Rooms and Related, which to me, is a lot like what I did at Conference Services. We planned conferences' stays with UW-Housing. Rooms and Related would be housekeeping, front desk and other services at the resorts. I didn't know if I would enjoy being a manager at first. I like working in teams, and I don't know if I've ever had to be the boss of someone, or would emotionally be able to handle the confrontation and balls it takes to be a manager. But then I thought about Conference Services again, and realized I kind of had to manage all the other areas. I did walk-throughs with maintenance to check that everything was clean and working, and had to get them to make it right if it wasn't, I oversaw check-ins with the front desk staff, and I dealt with angry sponsors and guests when things were messed up. So, I started thinking that maybe I could be a manager, and might like it after all. So, my top three changed a bit. I applied for:
1. Fairy Tale Weddings
2. Event Assistant Magic Kingdom
3. Management-Rooms and Related

Quite different than I began with. I only found out yesterday that Conventions was taken off, and the next available internship would be in June with Catering Services. So I don't know what happened there. But it SUCKS. I really wanted that job. And as for my Event Assistant MK application, I finally got a hold of a guy with recruiting to tell him my cover letter predicament. He told me I could upload it to my profile and title it specifically for the MK internship. But, of course, things couldn't go smoothly. It was the day of the deadline, it had to be in by 5pm. I worked at 2:30. So I had to do it right away that morning, but OF COURSE, my internet wasn't working that day. So I had to haul ass to Panera and upload it there. I'm still a little skeptical that they'll get my cover letter, but the guy said that he would forward it on. I hope he's right. Otherwise I'll only have a shot at two internships.

Now it's finally October, and now I play the waiting game. Hopefully I'll be hearing about some interviews soon. Otherwise, I'll start making my plans to come home in January, haha. But life sure hasn't been easy these past couple of weeks. I'm wondering if life ever is. Probably not. I've been crabby the last couple of days, which is probably a mixture of stress and homesickness. It's officially 9 days until my mom and sister come to visit. I CAN'T WAIT! I just need to see someone from my regular normal life to make me feel better.

Well, Happy October. I know I'm happy it's October. September and I didn't mix well.