Tag Archives: by Becca Smith

So this is it!

Today is the day I move out of my London flat. Everything is packed and the freezer is just defrosting! All I need is dad to pull up, complain about how much stuff I have (Disney does make the best soft toys ever) and then battle to get it all in the car only to turn around at the end and say ‘well it fitted in quite well considering’!

I cannot believe that I only have a week left at Disney on placement. It may sound cliché but the year has totally flown by. So much has happened that the months and weeks have slipped by. Yes there have been times that have been exceptionally tiring and I wished for a longer weekend but I honestly do not know where the time has gone.

Looking forward I now have a long summer ahead, taking 36 scouts to Japan and then a holiday in Greece. Then the dreaded thought of returning back to university. I’m faced with writing two dissertations, coursework and exams, something I haven’t really focused on now for over a year. However, I do feel that taking a placement year has shown me a couple of things:

1. Getting into a routine of working makes you productive

2. Putting in 100% effort gets you places

3. Working makes you focus on what you want to get out of degree

I’m now looking forward to finishing university and finding a job that I love as much as what this placemement has been!

10 things to know about London

Since coming back from Christmas work has been quite quiet. Mainly because I have spent the past month or so laid up in bed sick but also because we’re just catching up from the madness of Christmas.

So I have put Aladdin on the TV and will give you a bit of an insight into what it is like to move to the capital city.. The big smog… LDN!

1. Zebra crossings just aren’t a thing. The cars, buses, cyclists or bin lorries don’t care for them and you actually risk your life on them every day. The scene where Regina George in Mean Girls is mowed down by the school bus is something I face every day!

2. The tubes aren’t that bad. They are convenient, when they are running, and are quite pleasant when you get a seat. Just make sure you anti bac your whole body after getting off.

3. Tourists spots become a bit of a no-go and the famous Oxford Street becomes a place you will do anything to avoid.

4. Going to the bar, pub, anywhere that serves alcohol is extremely normal after work and is actually just part of the day, like lunch time!

5. Housing is very expensive. I pay twice as much as what I did in halls and four times as much as what I did in 2nd year.

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How to make a wish come true!

Landing your perfect placement can be an absolute dream. You can end up working with the perfect team, in a beautiful city and doing an exceptional job! That is exactly what happened to me, but this isn’t about my wish. I thought I would tell you how I made a little girl’s wish come to true to meet Snow White.

It was a cold Sunday morning and a very early start with a drive to the Disney Store. Once there, we waited for the family to arrive with their own special princess. This little girl was extremely ill but had been treated to a princess birthday party the day before and then today meeting Snow White!

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2015 is your year!

Never mind all the new year new you rubbish, there’s nothing you need to change about yourself, but 2015 is the year that Aston gives you an amazing opportunity. This opportunity is to land a placement of your dreams. Exams and coursework deadlines are probably pressing hard, but the perfect revision break can be to apply for a placement online or to get that cover letter written.

If you haven’t made any applications yet or really given it a thought, well know is the time. It’s certainly not too late but many of the bigger companies will be closing their applications soon, so make sure you get in there.

Give it some thought about what you want to do and what you want to learn. Make sure your CV and cover letter are tailored to each application and you’re well on your way. Doing a bit of research about the company and any recent projects they have done won’t do any harm either.

In 6-9 months time you’ll be starting your placement. For some this may seem ages away, others may find the time scale daunting. The best thing to do is crack on and get applying.

Good luck with all your exams and coursework deadlines. They are something you definitely won’t miss on placement! Go on…do an application now!

Happy New Year!

Make 2015 start with a bang

What I was doing this time last year…

So it’s nearly time to head home for Christmas and unbelievably I am nearly half way through my placement. It has been such a fantastic experience with such valuable knowledge learnt. However, last year I was not sitting so comfortably and was worried about getting an internship. Therefore any thoughts, concerns and worries I had I thought I would share with you, just so if you’re thinking the same it will all work out okay! All it takes is some hard work, preparation and perseverance.

1) Checking websites! Pretty much every day was spent checking through the Aston futures website or other great alternatives such as ratemyplacement.co.uk. If you set aside a couple of hours a week and check through for placements you won’t miss any new ones and will get first dibs.

2) Creating my CV! I had my CV written and then checked over my by placement co-ordinator. Jane (LSS) really helped to shape the document and make sure only essential information was in there. Show it to your friends and parents too. The more people that see it the better it will be and will remove any slight errors.

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I’ve fallen in love…

Actually…I’ve fallen deeply in love.

Before the rumours start it’s with a charity, so there’s no need for me to change my Facebook relationship status!

Going on placement can offer all sorts of opportunities and really show you how businesses work, however my placement has shown me so much more. Since joining Disney I have to come learn about many different charities but one in particular has taken my heart. The charity KIDS (http://www.kids.org.uk/) is a fantastic organisation. This charity works with children and young people who are disabled offering them help to provide opportunities and support. However, this charity not only looks after those who need it but it remembers that having a disabled member in the family has a knock on effect. KIDS also provides support and advice for the family members, those who really need it.

It’s hard to imagine if you’ve never encountered having a disabled family member, just how much of an impact it can create. It can be really easy to shut yourself away and struggle, but charities like KIDS encourages families to talk about their problems and see how they can be resolved so the family can be a loving unit.

I was extremely lucky to attend an event at the Houses of Parliament where KIDS held a reception. The President of the charity summarised my point of view perfectly…

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A Magical Day On Placement

Hi I’m Becca. I currently study Politics and English Language. I am currently on placement with the Walt Disney Company working in the Corporate Citizenship department. This covers volunteering, charity partnerships and much much more. Read on to find out how I spent one of my days…

My day started at 7am so that I could travel to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). The Walt Disney Company Limited EMEA (Disney)has had a long standing relationship with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH) and in 2008 pledged to donate £10 million towards the hospital’s redevelopment. Today was going to be very special. Part of my placement heavily focuses on compassion and children, and today was going to be about taking the Disney magic to GOSH, a leading Children’s hospital that helps children with complicated medical needs. Such sick children deserve a treat, so we took along Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Rapunzel, Spiderman and Goofy! The aim was to ensure that every child who wanted have a visit, got one. And not just a visit, there were lots of hugs, kisses and high fives for everyone! (There were also some tears from nurses as they saw their patient’s faces light up as Minnie Mouse appeared!) The whole day was incredible. To see some of the sickest children in the country have their day transformed by a visit from a Disney character was… well magical. One parent commented how Spiderman helped their little boy to gain confidence to try to walk after having double surgery that week which is just incredible.

Here’s an amazing picture that summarised the day for me. It’s only once I was back in the car at 6pm after a very long day, did I appreciate just how sick some of those children were and what a difference Disney can really make.