When I first told my dad that I was applying to the Disney College Program, his initial reaction was less than pleasant. He asked me in his stern, dad voice, "What is that supposed to do to help you get a real job?"

He wasn't the only one I spoke to who was concerned that the Disney College Program had absolutely nothing to do with getting a job in my field of choice: writing. But, I wanted to do it and something deep inside of me told me that Disney was where I needed to be. I guess that feeling is inside of everyone who applies. That instinct I felt, unfortunately, was not enough to convince my classmates, friends, professors, advisers or dad that this program would be beneficial to me as a writer.

I'm fairly certain I'm not the only applicant who has faced this problem. All of you probably know why you want to do the Disney College Program and how it would be beneficial to your ultimate career goals, but I feel like it's still putting a lot more faith into your situation than most people are willing to accept. It's not a sure thing, it's not related to what I want to do, what does pushing buttons all day have to do with writing? And as many times as I have explained that it's a chance to associate with brand and target audience for people (like myself) who long to work for Disney in the future, people still turn their noses up at me, acting as if they are somehow better than that minimum wage job cleaning up vomit or serving food or working controls for a roller-coaster. That mindset that a person is above jobs like that is a whole different can of worms, but I wanted to talk about why working for Disney in the College Program is beneficial.

You can put the Disney College Program on your resume as work experience. Not everyone had a job in high school for a wide variety of different reasons and even if you did, keeping a steady work history is incredibly important when applying for jobs. It doesn't matter what job you're applying for, you will need to prove that you have been working, not that you have worked. The Disney College Program is three to six months of the same job, which isn't a lot, but you can extend your program (a.k.a., push back your departure date) for up to a year and potentially move into a part-time or full-time position at Disney. That would give you a pretty stable looking work history.

That's not to say that working for Disney is the only way to get this stable work history. I know a lot of people at my school who do the same work study every year or have been working at the same job since they first arrived on campus. However, working for Disney in the College Program offers way more opportunities for extended learning. While you're doing your College Program, you can attend special classes that fall into pretty much every professional category. They have seminars on how to write resumes and cover letters, they have classes in marketing, business, conservation, entertainment and even Disney Heritage (which is great if you are, in fact, trying to get a job at Disney when you graduate from college). Most of the classes are accredited and some colleges will even accept them for credit (mine does not, but apparently some schools will offer you credit for doing the program, so make sure you talk to your advisers about these possibilities), but even if you're not taking classes for credit, then you're welcome to take advantage of the wealth of professional knowledge of various industries that Disney provides to you.

If all that isn't enough, then think about what an excellent networking opportunity it is. You're going to meet people from all over the world, not just the guests, but your fellow cast members. You're going to meet people who are planning on going into various different careers. Disney doesn't keep it secret that they like to see that you've already done the Disney College Program on your resume and I have heard countless other people say the same thing: their interviewers and employers wanted to know everything about what it was like to work for Disney. And if you're planning on working for the company in the future, it's a chance to really connect with their brand. You'll know more than all the other applicants trying to get the same internships and jobs as you, which is incredibly valuable and will make you stand out as an applicant.

So far, having the Disney College Program on my resume has made me feel more confident in my abilities, but also has helped me make a couple of connections I wouldn't have been able to get otherwise. Now, when I talk to my dad, my friends and my professors about how I want to work for Disney, they really seem to get it. They smile for me. And for those select few people who still seem to think it doesn't have an impact on my professional life all I have to say is that they're really missing out.