Archived Becoming an ETL

[iCashier]

Just a quick question. I am interested in becoming an ETL (obviously not anytime soon). I am currently a university student, graduating next fall or spring. I'm also currently a cashier for Target right now. I know that one of the requirements is to have a 4 year college degree and I will have one but it is in a concentration that is not related to business or human resources. I also don't have any managerial experience (that can change...). What are my chances? How should I go about doing this for the long term?

 

[Coqui]

Honestly I don't even think they care what type of degree you have. Speak to your ETL and STL and let them know that you are interested. That is the first step.

 

[HRZone]

Target doesnt really care what your four year degree is in as long as you have one. Some districts are taking work experience in liu of a degree.

Your chances are good, talk to your ETL HR or an ETL at your store and let them know your plan. They can kind of prepare you for the road ahead. We have some college TMs they are clearly grooming for leadership.

 

[Coqui]

Our district no longer requires a degree and I think it's supposed to be company wide but we all know how that works.

 

[smashandthrash]

My district had no desire to internally promote TM's with a degree to ETL's . Believe me, I asked. So definitely check in with your leadership right away.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Before you sign your life away...

 

[wagasm]

There are worse places to work than what is described.

 

[Spitfire]

Yeah, the four-year degree requirement was lifted this past July. It's now a four-year degree "or equivalent experience" (retail management experience). However, if your HRBP didn't agree with the change there's no reason they can't just interview selectively.

But! Even if you have a degree, climbing the ladder internally can be quite arduous. Generally they'll promote you to TL, then you'll wait 18 months and then interview for SrTL, then another 18 months before interviewing for ETL. It can be done quicker (I did it in two years) but it can also take even longer.

When you get your degree, quit and apply for ETL In Training (EIT). It's so much easier and quicker. EIT doesn't require any managerial experience (although it's looked favorably upon) and it doesn't require any specific degree.

 

[thetargetman]

Have a conversation with HR about it and what you need to do and also speak with your STL and ETL about it.

 

[WalmartDrone]

My district on paper does not require a degree but according to my ETL-HR the DTL still requires it.

 

[cobycord]

Not fact but because you're only a cashier they might have reservations about you just saying "hey I have a degree and wanna be an ETL" I'd first get with your GSTL about how they feel your work ethic is and what you could work on. If they say they thing you're a great worker then explain to them what you're interested in and ask them how they'd be able to help you....beware, some TLs HATE seeing TMs jump over then when it comes to promotions....not always the case but it was in mine....if you trust your GSTL and feel like you can talk to them about it don't worry about it though. If you have their blessing then you should talk to your ETL-GE, the main job of the leadership team other than running a store is to seek talent, develop it, and make TMs promotable so they can be peers alongside them. Let them know what your interested in and then they should start to think of plans to develop you and when it gets closer, start to prep you for interviews. Because you're an internal hire they would expect mostly situational answers having to do with Target so that's why they usually want you to climb up the ladder so you can gain that experience instead of just jump to the top and put you right through to the interviews and have the DTL say you're not ready.

 

[SrTLall]

Making the TM to ETL jump, bypassing the TL step ,is very rare. It's probably easier to put in your 2 weeks then apply for an internship at Target.

 

[sher]

beware, some TLs HATE seeing TMs jump over then when it comes to promotions....not always the case but it was in mine....

That's so silly. You work with some hateful ass people. Majority of the new etls never worked at target at all before being hired (excluding the internship) so what makes it worse to see someone you know become an etl? People just choose to be angry over things that don't matter.

Disclaimer: that's no shade to any of the etls who were hired fresh out of school with no tgt experience. I've had good etls from that bunch.

 

[cobycord]

That's so silly. You work with some hateful ass people. Majority of the new etls never worked at target at all before being hired (excluding the internship) so what makes it worse to see someone you know become an etl? People just choose to be angry over things that don't matter.

Disclaimer: that's no shade to any of the etls who were hired fresh out of school with no tgt experience. I've had good etls from that bunch.

Unfortunately it took me a while to see it but YES I do work with some miserable people who stopped doing it because they loved it a long time ago and just collect a check now (the TLs at my store average 12 years each of working for Target, at the same store, barely even doing support help because "that's not my store so why should I care") and gossip about people who actually like working there.

 

[Coqui]

Unfortunately it took me a while to see it but YES I do work with some miserable people who stopped doing it because they loved it a long time ago and just collect a check now (the TLs at my store average 12 years each of working for Target, at the same store, barely even doing support help because "that's not my store so why should I care") and gossip about people who actually like working there.

Who knows why they are like that. Maybe they've been passed up multiple times to progress. Seeing others with no experience coming in and out can really make you bitter throughout the years. Not saying it's right but there's always something that causes people to become that way and we all know that many freshly hired ETLs with zero retail experience would be beyond lost if it wasn't for those veteran TLs.

 

[cobycord]

Who knows why they are like that. Maybe they've been passed up multiple times to progress. Seeing others with no experience coming in and out can really make you bitter throughout the years. Not saying it's right but there's always something that causes people to become that way and we all know that many freshly hired ETLs with zero retail experience would be beyond lost if it wasn't for those veteran TLs.

I would agree with you BUT that's not my store, none of the ETLs at my store are fresh out and none before them were. Somehow my store is the "if you want to stay here as an ETL forever you can" because when I got there all 3 of the ETLS had been there for at least a minimum of 7yrs. None of the TLs at my store have degrees and none WANT degrees so they've made up there minds that that's all they wanna do.

 

[mrknownothing]

Since you're currently an undergraduate, see if you can get into the internship.

 

[Coqui]

There a lot of lame ETLs at my store that walk around and do absolutely nothing but think they do a great job. These are also the ETLs that like to place blame on their teams when things go wrong.

 

[sher]

Unfortunately it took me a while to see it but YES I do work with some miserable people who stopped doing it because they loved it a long time ago and just collect a check now (the TLs at my store average 12 years each of working for Target, at the same store, barely even doing support help because "that's not my store so why should I care") and gossip about people who actually like working there.

Oh, I don't work at target out of love for the job lol. I enjoy the actual work when I have the hours to do shit the right way (zoning sl is sorta therapeutic to me), but I love (many of) the people I work with enough that I'd cheer (most of) them on if they were trying to become an etl or tl. And I know my TLs would be supportive of most TMs as well. When the vml position came up, I applied, and my tl did too. It was all love, though. And sometimes we can't stand each other. She even told me on New Year's Eve that she hoped I'd find a better job.. and a boyfriend. I mean, these people have seen me cry (dem uterus pains) and they were like... so motherly, I just can't imagine them ever feeling negatively if I tried to move up again. I'm now assuming that kinda closeness and support is just the culture of my store, though.

I guess asants applies here like it does for any other situation

 

[notfit05]

Our district no longer requires a degree and I think it's supposed to be company wide but we all know how that works.

if you don't mind me asking what district or state are you in ?

 

[Coqui]

if you don't mind me asking what district or state are you in ?

Won't tell you the district but I'm in the west coast.

 

[Flabbergasted]

There is literally nothing wrong with jumping from cashier to ETL when you consider that this company is more than willing to hire a 22-year-old fresh out of college schmuck with little to no prior management or even retail experience. Even our cashiers know more than those people.

My old store hired an ETL-LOG with a bachelor's in "Greek Studies." Her only prior *job* experience was serving frozen yogurt when she was 16. And she bragged about it.

 

[cobycord]

There is literally nothing wrong with jumping from cashier to ETL when you consider that this company is more than willing to hire a 22-year-old fresh out of college schmuck with little to no prior management or even retail experience. Even our cashiers know more than those people.

My old store hired an ETL-LOG with a bachelor's in "Greek Studies." Her only prior *job* experience was serving frozen yogurt when she was 16. And she bragged about it.

True, there shouldn't be any reason when you look at it that way. But when you look at it as hey you already work for me, what have you done to show that you deserve to be promoted from an entry level hourly position to a salaried leadership role then that's where they're at right now. If the OP has great examples of "leading at a different level" as my STL likes to call it. Then most definitely tell them you're ready and give them examples of why you're ready and knock it out the park. If you're hungry for something you'll never stop until you get what you want to eat.

 

[HRZone]

True, there shouldn't be any reason when you look at it that way. But when you look at it as hey you already work for me, what have you done to show that you deserve to be promoted from an entry level hourly position to a salaried leadership role then that's where they're at right now. If the OP has great examples of "leading at a different level" as my STL likes to call it. Then most definitely tell them you're ready and give them examples of why you're ready and knock it out the park. If you're hungry for something you'll never stop until you get what you want to eat.

Well think about it like this. No one goes from TM to ETL in the same store but that does not mean opportunities for growth elsewhere do not exist.

 

[cobycord]

Well think about it like this. No one goes from TM to ETL in the same store but that does not mean opportunities for growth elsewhere do not exist.

That's how it should be because it'd eliminate a lot of issues that I see at my store, but there was a CA that got promoted to ETL and a HLTL that got promoted and they're ETLs at their same store in my district.