Recently, we had Kim Diaz, Manager of Recruitment & Talent Outreach, and Tricia Andres, recruiter, from Pixar come visit, and they gave an excellent presentation on their amazing internship programs. In addition to telling the students all about their amazing opportunities, they also offered some great tips and tricks on applying for internships that can also be used across the board.

Diaz and Andres spoke of the culture of Pixar, which is that they believe that the people are what makes it so fun to work there. They offer incredible amenities on site, such as a gorgeous campus, a speaker series, continued learning at Pixar University, a pool, and even a cereal bar.

Their internships range from art, production, software, and so much more. Every aspect of their films are covered, and for the most part, you get to work on a film currently in production while you are there, providing invaluable, real-world experience.

One of the great things about their internship program is that every intern gets a mentor, who can help them learn how to fix a problem or even just help them find the bathroom.

They were very specific about some tips on applying to their programs, but again, these tips can be used for other internships as well.

RESUME – Tailor it accordingly to what you are applying for. Every position is different, so there is no one size fits all. Try to keep to down to a page, and include your awards, accomplishments, and even volunteer work. Listing the classes you have taken that are relevant to the internship always helps, too.

COVER LETTER – Use this to tell the story of who you are. Be sure to make it different and interesting to help stand out from the rest of the pack. Do your research and now what you are applying for; talk about your passion for the role and why you’d be good at it.

DEMO REEL – Show your best work, the ones with the most honest feedback. What you think is the best may not be the best, so be sure to ask others. Make it 1 to 2 minutes with a breakdown. It’s also important that the link you send is actually working!

KNOW THE WORK – They mentioned that you should go through some of the “Art of” Pixar books to see what they are looking for.

For more information on Pixar’s internships, visit them online at: Pixar.com/Careers