Building Your Career at Disney: Lessons From Former Interns Around the World | S3E6
ON THIS EPISODE OF LIFE AT DISNEY
What does it really take to turn an internship into a lasting career? On this episode of the Life at Disney podcast, three employees from Disney’s international offices share how student and recent graduate programs helped launch their careers and how taking initiative, building relationships and saying yes to opportunities shaped their professional journeys.
MEET OUR GUESTS
Isabella, Supervisor, Integrated Marketing, The Walt Disney Company Latin America
Working out of São Paulo, Isabella began her career as an intern with Human Resources but has since taken everything she learned there and is now applying it to her role in Marketing. Each day involves studying brand guidelines, implementing promotional partnerships, reviewing creative assets and of course, plenty of collaboration with internal and external partners.
“Working here is truly inspiring because even when we’re facing a challenge, it’s still enjoyable and fun. As a Disney fan, it’s amazing to be able to work with so many incredible and powerful stories as part of my everyday life. A role at Disney is unlike any other in the market because we’re talking about dreams.”
Gleb, Deal Management Executive, The Walt Disney Company Europe, Middle East and Africa
Based in London, Gleb started his Disney journey as a Sales & Deal Management Intern, where he gained hands‑on experience with content sales strategy and even led flagship negotiations as part of the team’s intern tradition. Now a Deal Management Executive with the same team, he supports the sale of Disney films and series through client collaboration, deal structuring and careful management of rights and contracts across diverse markets.
“I feel like for most people Disney is this nebulous phenomenon. They don’t think that people work there, just that it exists. So, for me, the thing that sets a role at Disney apart is the ‘wow’ of knowing how the sausage is made, in a way. When you tell people you work at Disney, it elicits a certain reaction.”
Brooke, Publicity Coordinator, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific
Brooke kickstarted her Disney journey as an intern on the Events team where she supported high‑profile premieres and screenings including Ant‑Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Since her internship, she’s transitioned to a Publicity Coordinator role partnering across Lucasfilm, Disney, and 20th Century Studios to manage media relations, coordinate talent and events and help execute major film campaigns in a fast‑paced environment.
“What continues to draw me to Disney is the mix of creativity and innovation. Disney is always finding new ways to tell stories and bring them to life, while still holding on to that sense of magic. I really admire that balance. For me, pursuing a career with Disney is about being part of something bigger; helping create experiences that make people smile, feel inspired, and connect with others.”
FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL: WHERE EARLY CAREERS BEGIN
Internships at Disney empower early career employees to contribute to their teams in impactful ways while growing their professional skillsets. During her internship, Brooke was challenged to learn to think bigger and manage multiple priorities at once from media strategy and talent relations to event execution. Being trusted with real responsibility resulted in stronger judgment, sharper attention to detail and a deeper understanding of the broader publicity landscape.
“What sets a role with Disney apart is the culture of shared optimism, genuineness, and true collaboration,” said Brooke. “There’s a collective belief in the work and its impact, which creates an environment where teams are motivated not just by deadlines, but by a genuine excitement for the stories we’re helping bring to audiences.”
In addition to fostering her career mobility within the company, Isabella has been able to continue her personal growth through company-supported initiatives such as learning English and Spanish through language programs, pursuing a postgraduate program and participating in internal training for emerging leaders.
“Disney has been, and continues to be, a great school for me,” said Isabella. “I’ve had the opportunity to make two career transitions thanks to Disney. Our company looks beyond the professional; it values the person above all else.”
For Gleb, he knew he wanted to build a career in an industry he was already passionate about and that seeing how a beloved worldwide brand operates from the inside would be a valuable learning environment.
“My experience at Disney has been my only professional experience so the roles I’ve had have helped me grow tremendously,” said Gleb. “I’ve also been lucky to have great mentors throughout my career, and I still do. This means that as a young professional I have multiple people I can look up to and get personal advice from on how to develop in a corporate environment.”
CREATING A CAREER THAT GROWS WITH YOU
Brooke, Gleb and Isabella continue to build their careers at The Walt Disney Company, but learnings from their internships have stayed with them and can serve as valuable advice for anyone pursuing their next career move this year.
Brooke: “Working in an environment as dynamic and collaborative as Disney, it can be easy to assume that more experienced voices should always lead the conversation. But throughout the program, I learned that fresh ideas, diverse viewpoints, and thoughtful questions genuinely make a difference. That lesson has stayed with me in the years that have followed. I’ve learned to trust my instincts more and understand that my contributions have merit.”
Gleb: “You spend a lot of time with the people at work, so building healthy relationships with trust as the foundation makes it so much easier to feel comfortable in a professional environment. Having good relationships at work also makes work much more fun. I believe I was able to find my language with everyone on the team, which made work feel like a breeze and something I was (and still do) look forward to as a result.”
Isabella: “It’s hard to work somewhere when you don’t feel inspired by your leaders. At Disney, we have so many examples of incredible leaders and professionals who have dedicated their entire careers to the company, that makes you want to one day achieve what they’ve achieved and follow in their footsteps.”
Like what you heard? Subscribe to the Life at Disney podcast to hear from the storytellers, dreamers and doers who are building their careers and making an impact across The Walt Disney Company.
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