Let's Get Down To Business! To Defeat: The WBI!

(The second half of this post includes advice on taking the WBI)

After finishing the application, the next step is to take the Web-Based Interview (WBI). I did some research and you are supposed to be contacted on average within 5min-1 hour with an e-mail inviting you to take the WBI. I submitted my application on September 18th. A whole day went by and I still had no invite.

I decided it was best to just be patient, I figured Disney was really impacted with applications so the WBI invites must be delayed. I decided to join the two Disney College Program Facebook groups (god knows why there needs to be two...) to read more advice about the application process. 

Another day went by with no invite and I eventually decided to post a question asking if it should take this long. I learned I wasn't the only one with this problem! However, there were other people that recently applied and got their WBI invite right away. Eventually, everyone who was in the same boat as me ended up calling Disney to ask for the email. (This is now Sept. 21st) The lady I talked to wasn't super happy! I was really nice and she kind of cut me off and sounded like she just wanted to get me off the phone. This made me so nervous they were going to like, track me down or something! She told me they would e-mail me within an hour!

This was great news!! Until 1 hour went by...then 2 hours...3 hours...4...5...and FINALLY on my way to work I get an e-mail! I open it and it is a REMINDER to take my WBI within 5 days, and to see the previous e-mail to do so. Which I clearly did not have. Not only that, but this was a Friday, so when I tried calling again, I got the voice memo that the office is closed until Monday.

I was so frustrated!!! Not to mention so many people on the facebook groups were already posting that they had been accepted, and I hadn't even gotten through the WBI yet! I had been messaging another person with the same problem, Caitlin, and she received the same reminder e-mail without the initial invite.

BUUUUTTTT THEEENNNN at work when I was stocking the freezing cold...freezer...

I decided to check my phone and I see a message from Caitlin saying to check my e-mail because she finally got her invite!! And whatdyaknow so did I!! I felt SO MUCH BETTER! 

Except I knew I wouldn't be able to take it until the next morning because my sorority had our philanthropy event that night from 11pm-3am, DHOP! (Delta House of Pancakes) Sidenote: we ended up raising $8000 for St. Jude wooo!!!

ANYWAY I am finally able to take the WBI on Saturday morning Sept. 22nd. It had been a very long week; War of Roses, DHOP, a Date Dash, and Alumni Pool Party had all been scheduled for the week/weekend, not to mention 20+ hours of work and then homework. So I was really looking forward to finding out if I could move on in the application process!

IT'S WBI TIME!!!

The WBI is essentially a somewhat long test/survey on the computer to see if you would be a "good candidate" to work for Disney. If you pass, you get a phone interview. If you don't, you have to wait until next fall to apply again. To say I was nervous/anxious was an understatement! I didn't want it to be over just like that!

They say to set 40min to take the WBI (it took me about 30min) and to sit in a quiet area where you can focus. I chose the dining room in my sorority, which is a quiet place in general. Especially on a Saturday morning! But noooooo a whole group of girls came in talking! even my little walked in for a second and was like "HEY BIG HOW'S ARE Y-....oh are you doing that thing?!" hehehe I love you all but I was hardcore stressing out trying to block out the noise!

Most of the questions are timed. They look for consistency and it is really important to be honest. The majority of the questions are formatted as such:

I enjoy helping other people.

Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree

They weren't all that easy though! Some were situational where I wanted to select more than one answer! Such as:
If a boy hurt is thumb would you
a) comfort him
b) tell a joke to take his mind off of it
c) fix it
d) tell your supervisor

I think I chose comfort him, but but I would've probably done all those things too! I suppose the important thing is to go with your gut and pick the best answer that suits you!

A big tip is to BE CONSISTENT. It isn't good to say you strongly agree to being on time, and then respond neutral to I am often late. The consistent response would be strongly disagree. They ask the same questions in different ways multiple times. I think I slipped on maybe one or two, but I was definitely paying attention to questions and making sure I was consistent in my answers.

Another tip I learned is to try to answer Strongly Agree/Strongly Disagree (as opposed to agree/disagree) as often as you can while still being honest. For instance with the statement: I enjoy making customers happy. If you agree, you might as well say you strongly agree! I think you get more points towards an acceptance score this way. I definitely answered neutral or just disagree/agree for a few I wasn't sure on though. I even ran out of time on a question or two!

More WBI advice can be found here: Unofficial Disney College Program Guide
There are also plenty of blogs/fb groups/websites that are out there with advice!

I was pulling my hair throughout the whole thing, and it wasn't even that bad in retrospect! My face was drawing nearer and nearer to the computer screen. I must've answered 200+ questions. I answered a question, hit next, answered a question, hit next, answered a question, hit next, and suddenly...!!