Archived ETL advice?

[btt2448]

n

 

[mrknownothing]

Welcome to The Break Room!

1. The internship and business college are about managing business. It's one thing to sell TVs and cameras; running a store is a whole different animal.
2. Anyone with a Bachelor's degree or higher can be an ETL. Target prefers business degrees, but any degree will work.
3. This one really could go either way, so I'll let the other members take it.

 

[btt2448]

n

 

[commiecorvus]

Welcome to The Break Room.

From everything I've read being a TM isn't always an advantage.
They seem to prefer folks straight out of college, easier to mold I guess.
However this isn't always true, so good luck.

 

[mrknownothing]

Welcome to The Break Room!

1. The internship and business college are about managing business. It's one thing to sell TVs and cameras; running a store is a whole different animal.
2. Anyone with a Bachelor's degree or higher can be an ETL. Target prefers business degrees, but any degree will work.
3. This one really could go either way, so I'll let the other members take it.

Oh, thanks for the reply! I do appreciate it.

I'm well aware about the differences between selling TVs and cameras and running a store. I may have forgotten to mention this in my post, but my store is low-volume, so if those were the only two things I did all day I'd be incredibly bored. In my downtime I do a lot of work in other areas (ie. salesplanners, etc.)

It's no problem at all. Don't mind me and my oversimplification of workcenters in which I'm not actually trained.

 

[Backroom81]

3. Will my experience as a Target team member better my chances at being hired as an ETL?

Quite the opposite actually. It is far far easier to become an ETL from the outside than it is to be promoted. I read somewhere once that ~80% of ETLs are external hires.

 

[btt2448]

I appreciate the reply and time spent answering my questions, truly. But I just don't see how being a former team member (and a fantastic one at that) would inhibit my chances at being hired at the exec level -- considering that I have leadership experience through extracurriculars, and an impeccable academic record.

 

[Logistics princess]

But I just don't see how being a former team member (and a fantastic one at that) would inhibit my chances at being hired at the exec level -- considering that I have leadership experience through extracurriculars, and an impeccable academic record.

Sad to say, but Spot don't give no fucks.

 

[commiecorvus]

I appreciate the reply and time spent answering my questions, truly. But I just don't see how being a former team member (and a fantastic one at that) would inhibit my chances at being hired at the exec level -- considering that I have leadership experience through extracurriculars, and an impeccable academic record.

As I said all too often your experience as a TM may color your perception of how the store should be run according to Spots standards.
They don't want people who are empathetic to the TMs,
I'm not saying that out of sarcasm or pessimism, it's a fact.
ETLs and STLs have to be able to appear friendly and open but 'be able to make hard decisions' and 'be able to drive sales despite the effect on employees'.

 

[redeye58]

^This.
Once you learn the ugly underside of ETLs, the last thing they want is for one to step down & tell other TMs what leadership REALLY thinks of TMs' contributions & their hard work: they don't care.
As long as their team keeps them green, helps them get their bonuses, don't get uppity by demanding decent wages & health care they'll pretend to care by plying them with empty gestures like vibe cards & shout-outs over the walkie.
An ETL who truly cares about their TMs & shows empathy doesn't last long.
An ETL promoted from TM could be just that type.

 

[sigma7]

Go for the internship. It's much more pay for that summer and will give you a more realistic look a what leadership at target is. You'll also be working in another store, so you'll see how other Target's are. That can be an eye opening experience in and of itself.

 

[btt2448]

Go for the internship. It's much more pay for that summer and will give you a more realistic look a what leadership at target is. You'll also be working in another store, so you'll see how other Target's are. That can be an eye opening experience in and of itself.

Thank you so much for the words and advice, Sigma!

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

 

[The Dude Abides]

Go for the internship. It's much more pay for that summer and will give you a more realistic look a what leadership at target is. You'll also be working in another store, so you'll see how other Target's are. That can be an eye opening experience in and of itself.

Thank you so much for the words and advice, Sigma!

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

Oh naive young one, you remind me of many youngsters who have come bright eyed into this place. Three years from now when all the promises they made you have gone by the wayside and you are still a TM making $8.50 an hour just remember we tried to warn you.

 

[NOP]

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

Target was good to a lot of us...we were given promises of promotions, pipelining, working on our development, etc. We were told we would make good team leaders or ETLs...and then we worked even harder to prove ourselves and prepare for those interviews...

We applied for those open positions (or were not told about them), only to be passed over...and told to work even harder, next time it would be our turn. Instead, they've hired young things off the street that have never worked retail before. Try harder, they tell us, next time it will be our turn.

Carrot-meet-stick philosophy. Squeeze more TL-type work out of a TM without the pay. I know, I was one of them.

 

[commiecorvus]

Thank you so much for the words and advice, Sigma!

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

I'm sure that some of what you see as bitterness is actually experience and cynicism born out of reality.
Here's the thing, I remember coming home from Target after being there for six months and telling my wife it was one of the better places I had worked in a long time.
They seemed to respect me and care about the people.
Three years later they performanced me out because of my disability.
All it took was a change in management.
So yeah, Target can be a great place to work.
It can also be seriously painful and disappointing.

 

[Backroom81]

We applied for those open positions (or were not told about them), only to be passed over...and told to work even harder, next time it would be our turn. Instead, they've hired young things off the street that have never worked retail before. Try harder, they tell us, next time it will be our turn.

We have had a couple of ETLs brought in that not only had no retail experience, they had zero work experience. Unsurprisingly, they were absolutely terrible at every aspect of retail and leadership and it took no time for them to break under pressure.

 

[Backroom81]

OP: If you don't want to take it from us, you can read about it straight from other ETLs:

http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/before-you-sign-your-life-away.171/

 

[jenna]

OP: If you don't want to take it from us, you can read about it straight from other ETLs:

http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/before-you-sign-your-life-away.171/

That was a good read.
:slow clap:

 

[mrknownothing]

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

Spot has not been particularly kind to many of us. Not everyone, but you'd be surprised how many. It sounds like your experience with Target has been a good one - you're one of the lucky ones. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you'll continue to visit and contribute to our discussions.

OP: If you don't want to take it from us, you can read about it straight from other ETLs:

http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/before-you-sign-your-life-away.171/

Never gets old.

 

[Continuum]

Thank you so much for the words and advice, Sigma!

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

I'm sure that some of what you see as bitterness is actually experience and cynicism born out of reality.
Here's the thing, I remember coming home from Target after being there for six months and telling my wife it was one of the better places I had worked in a long time.
They seemed to respect me and care about the people.
Three years later they performanced me out because of my disability.
All it took was a change in management.
So yeah, Target can be a great place to work.
It can also be seriously painful and disappointing.

I must say that I too have only had good experiences, much in part to the good leadership I've had over the years. I have had friends that did great at their job but when new leadership came in and if they don't get along, made the job a lot more difficult.

 

[SpotThe]

^This.
Once you learn the ugly underside of ETLs, the last thing they want is for one to step down & tell other TMs what leadership REALLY thinks of TMs' contributions & their hard work: they don't care.
As long as their team keeps them green, helps them get their bonuses, don't get uppity by demanding decent wages & health care they'll pretend to care by plying them with empty gestures like vibe cards & shout-outs over the walkie.
An ETL who truly cares about their TMs & shows empathy doesn't last long.
An ETL promoted from TM could be just that type.

Our LOG ETL started as a car attendant at our store and I see these traits, but I see them as good and not bad. He understands what TMs have to do and asks us if we are going to be able to get done with everything to move on to another project. Some ETLS force us around in positions we haven't worked, but he asks firsts and lets us know how much he appreciates it. He still managed to make the backroom #1 in the group on all fronts within his first 2 months as an ETL and I think him being a former TM had A LOT to do with it. I wasn't around when he was a TM but everyone responds to him really well and he helps out with everything a lot. He also knows how to connect with people and make them feel like the process is important and have pride so that's another huge advantage of his.

It sucks that Spot rarely ever promotes within to the executive level, but in some cases I could see it messing up the process.

 

[InStalker]

Go for the internship. It's much more pay for that summer and will give you a more realistic look a what leadership at target is. You'll also be working in another store, so you'll see how other Target's are. That can be an eye opening experience in and of itself.

Thank you so much for the words and advice, Sigma!

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

I don't mean to sound offensive but this mindset is what makes most people bad leaders: "As long as the company does right by me, there's no need to worry about those below me". It's not a philosophy that anyone should live by. It's also the reason Target keeps moving closer and closer to Walmart in terms of business practices. Less empathy for the people on the lowest rung means bigger savings for the company and bigger checks for the executives. Low worker morale doesn't matter because they know we aren't in any position to affect positive change.

 

[Super]

Go for the internship. It's much more pay for that summer and will give you a more realistic look a what leadership at target is. You'll also be working in another store, so you'll see how other Target's are. That can be an eye opening experience in and of itself.

Thank you so much for the words and advice, Sigma!

While I appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments and advice, I don't know that I'll continue using this site -- there's SO much anger and bitterness here. I'm very sorry to hear that you guys have had such bad experiences with both Target as a company and your leaders. Target has been nothing but good to me, and I'm eager to continue on with them in the coming years.

I hope that you guys find an employer that does a better job at making you happier than Target, and I wish you the best!

I don't mean to sound offensive but this mindset is what makes most people bad leaders: "As long as the company does right by me, there's no need to worry about those below me". It's not a philosophy that anyone should live by. It's also the reason Target keeps moving closer and closer to Walmart in terms of business practices. Less empathy for the people on the lowest rung means bigger savings for the company and bigger checks for the executives. Low worker morale doesn't matter because they know we aren't in any position to affect positive change.

Well said.