DISNEY VOLUNTEARS SPEND A MAGICAL AFTERNOON WITH TIP STUDENTS

Summer always flies by, but TIP’s momentum seemed especially unstoppable this year! All internships were under way by week 6 and the   second half of the TIP program shifted its focus on career readiness events, including a second Career Day, a Virtual Mock Interview Day, and a cover letter workshop hosted by Disney VoluntEARS. These opportunities to engage with professionals from some of the largest, most recognizable companies are paramount to the TIP experience, and it is our primary goal to empower our students and create new channels for networking and relationship-building. We were fortunate to have a wealth of professional partners excited to meet our students and ready to lend their expertise. And now with some work experience under their belts, our interns are more than ready to move seamlessly from the job search all the way to their first day in the office. 
 
During Career Day, over 50 TIPsters convened to learn about the ever-widening range of possibilities within industries such as entertainment (Nickelodeon), healthcare (Cedars-Sinai), wellness (HeadSpace), education (Edlio and Everydae), and nonprofit organization (Habitat for Humanity)—many of which were new to our students. Exploring what work can look like, especially in this current virtual space, proved to be hugely beneficial. “I really enjoyed being able to network with professionals in a variety of industries. It was really cool to meet them all and understand what they do on a daily basis and how they got there,” said Rahma, a senior. Another student agreed. “It was great to see that there are different careers besides the very objectified one I had in my mind,” said Toni, also a senior.
 
The following week, students got a chance to put their interviewing skills to the test with our first-ever Virtual Mock Interview Day. In addition to welcoming back Nickelodeon and Cedars Sinai, professionals from e-commerce (Amazon Web Services), engineering (Buro Happold), public relations (42West), social impact (Dave Banking, Revolve Impact, The Library Corporation, and Jogg), and entertainment (Sony Animation, Illumination, Vydia, and Participant Media) met one-on-one with over 40 students, providing feedback and advice about how to best represent themselves during an interview. “The mock interview was definitely a worth-while experience,” said Daniella, an 11th grader. “My favorite part of the LA Promise Fund internship was being able to network with professionals from various careers and backgrounds. Even though the program was not in-person, I still feel like my knowledge on professional development has definitely been enriched.”
 
The final week of TIP was capped off with a cover letter and resume workshop hosted by Disney. Students met with VoluntEARS in small groups, where they learned from professionals as well as each other about how to build an effective narrative for their job experience. For many TIPsters, it was the first time they’d had a professional review of their work outside of an academic setting—and here, there are no grades, only positive reinforcement and advice for areas of growth. “During the Disney resume review, I took notes on things that should be changed about my resume and plan on changing really soon. My willingness to learn spiked as well because I became more curious and comfortable and began to ask questions,” said Toni.
 
And many students shared their appreciation for the safe and open space TIP provided them during their professional development. “Everyone was really welcoming and it was an amazing environment,” said Antonio, a junior. Tinbite, a senior, also remarked about his personal growth over the 8 weeks. “My ability to communicate and network has greatly increased thanks to this program. Due to training and constantly pushing myself, I managed to communicate with the guest who worked with Nickelodeon afterwards and generate a strong bond which will definitely prove useful in the future.” As summer’s end quickly approaches, our TIPsters will walk into another school year prepared not only for academic success but career readiness as well.