Childhood dream leads to top quality work experience
It’s every child’s dream to go to Disneyland, and tourism and hospitality business management student Zara Walter was no exception. Her lifelong passion for all things Disney was a big factor in her choice to study at Sheffield Hallam University.
‘The University’s connections with Disney were what made me want to study here in the first place. It’s an internationally recognised company that I knew would provide me with unparalleled exposure to the tourism and hospitality industries, and the chance to live and work in America was one I couldn’t pass on,’ she said.
Zara is one of several students every year who get the chance to work for the global tourism giant. Recruitment consultants Yummy Jobs handle the placements for Disney and Yummy Jobs’ manager of international recruitment Nick Jacks says he is always impressed by the Sheffield Hallam applicants.
Hallam students a popular choice for placements
‘Students from Sheffield Hallam University have a strong mixture of practical and theoretical experience which prepares them for industry. The students we meet at Sheffield Hallam have a great passion for the opportunities available to them and always come across as very well prepared and informed. They seem to connect with our opportunities and are always strong candidates when it comes to placements and further employment once their study is complete,’ said Nick.
Nick feels that the placement route offers real opportunities not only to the students but also to the businesses who take them on.
‘The placement route allows businesses to identify talent at an early stage and nurture that talent. Placements allow the industry to engage with young business focussed candidates who can bring an enormous amount of value to the company. It is a great way for companies to formulate succession planning and talent pipelines whilst taking valuable new ideas into account. A well managed placement system within a business can allow a company to invest in the right candidates early in their careers and develop them over time.’
Placement experience helps set students on right track for their future careers
Zara is now back in Sheffield completing her degree and is confident the Disney experience has given her a head start with her future career.
‘Disney is an internationally recognised company who are well known for their excellent guest service, and after a year with them, I am well equipped to work to very high standards. Work experience is very valuable in the tourism and hospitality industries, and often hard to come by, so I feel that having worked for such a strong brand can only enhance my employability.
‘Once I graduate I would like to work for a cruise line – preferably in an on-board position – for a year, and then hopefully I will have enough experience to work for Disney Cruise Line.
‘Students from Sheffield Hallam University have a strong mixture of practical and theoretical experience which prepares them for industry.’
Nick Jacks, manager of international recruitment, Yummy Jobs.
‘Being able to work with such a diverse group of people was one of the most insightful experiences of my life – you learn something different from each of them every day. I have become independent and my self-confidence has risen. I also find myself relating experiences that I had at work whilst on my placement to the theories that I am studying in my final year at university.’ Zara Walter, tourism and hospitality business management student.
