Archived ETL Loss Prevention / Asset Protection Qualifications, Seeking Advice

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Greetings,
I posted a detailed introduction in the intro sections and this is my first real post.

I'm a former police officer in the Pittsburgh area and currently work in Afghanistan, in the Police Training Mission. I would really like to return home, but can't do so without a job. I'm looking for a position in loss prevention / asset protection management.

I am interested in the qualifications for Loss Prevention / Asset Protection Management positions with Target. My home is located in the Pittsburgh area and I've applied several times for nearby LP Management positions, but I've never received a call for an interview. I am wondering if any professional certifications would help such as CFI, LPQ/LPC, or CFE. I have a Bachelor's Degree and extensive law enforcement investigative experience. I am certified to teach investigations. I have 2 years of retail management experience from operating my own business. I have over 10 years of supervisory experience.

I'm eager to learn about Target. I am open to any advice and suggestions. Any advice or contacts specific to the Pittsburgh area would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.
 
Hey, with your qualifications, you might find ETL-AP too "boring". I'd definitely suggest you apply for a Corporate AP position.
 
I understand completely why you would think that and the issue is that I would like a more stable home and family life. I'm fixed in the Pittsburgh area with houses and kids in school. I dont want to move to pursue jobs. ETL-AP pay is quite good (relying on Glassdoor.Com for numbers on pay) compared to what I was making as a Detective Sergeant. I might be interested in promotional potential down the road, but for now I am really interested in being home with my family and this is a great way to get there from here, so to speak.

My resume and applications for ETL-AP's in the Pittsburgh area not getting any responses thus far and I thought perhaps it was because I dont have the exact certifications they want. There are ETL-AP openings in my area, on a semi-regular basis. I am looking at spending some significant $ on Loss Prevention certifications, even though I hold state certification to teach criminal investigations.
 
I understand completely why you would think that and the issue is that I would like a more stable home and family life. I'm fixed in the Pittsburgh area with houses and kids in school. I dont want to move to pursue jobs. ETL-AP pay is quite good (relying on Glassdoor.Com for numbers on pay) compared to what I was making as a Detective Sergeant. I might be interested in promotional potential down the road, but for now I am really interested in being home with my family and this is a great way to get there from here, so to speak.
My resume and applications for ETL-AP's in the Pittsburgh area not getting any responses thus far and I thought perhaps it was because I dont have the exact certifications they want. There are ETL-AP openings in my area, on a semi-regular basis. I am looking at spending some significant $ on Loss Prevention certifications, even though I hold state certification to teach criminal investigations.
i am certain there are several opps open to you, outside of spot. glassdoor.com may have incorrect or out of date pay info. local & state govts have needs for your experience.
be safe out there for now.

here's a link that can help you with the job process in pittsburgh:
http://www.careerlinkpittsburgh.com/
here is another link:
http://www.americajob.com/federaljo...lvania/Supervisory-Criminal-Investigator.aspx
good luck!
 
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You don't need any certifications to apply... there are kids who graduate from college and have their first position in AP so it doesn't really have anything to do with that.... My guess is that Target is wanting to see you do ANY position for your first 18 months (that way you get in as a leader) because they would rather have someone who will fill any ETL role over someone who will only fill AP (which isn't quite as necessary in most stores as the other positions)... Once you are in you can tell them you want to end up in AP with a goal of getting to APBP (Assets Protection Business Partner) someday... That is the person who is in charge of AP for your district...
 
I would be open to working as an ETL outside of LP, since the salaries appear to be somewhat similar. I only have Glassdoor.com to go by since I dont know anyone that works or has worked for Target. I thought LP would ge a good avenue for me since my career experience is in a similar area. I was kind of hoping someone from the Pittsburgh area would chime in, but since I have no other experience with Target, everyone's input is very helpful.
 
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Yeah at Target most ETLs are on the same level with the same pay (may vary by a few thousand dollars a year) so whether you are AP or GE doesn't really matter... I would say apply for ETL and be open to anything, let your DTL know from the beginning that your goal would be to eventually get to AP since that is your background but you want to learn the rest of the store as well and see what happens!
 
Again, Thanks for the advice. I have not been applying for other ETL positions. I guess I'll need to start doing that.
 
With your Investigative experience, I would suggest you apply for an Investigator position at the nearest Investigations Center. I think this position would better use your background. Not sure if there is an IC out in Pittsburgh, there's for sure one that supports stores in those areas but not sure if it's in Pittsburgh or not.

To see open Investigator (or even Senior Investigator) positions, you would search for HQ jobs...investigations is a division of corporate, but you'd work closely with the stores, and Investigator is equivalent to the etl-ap position.
 
Greetings,
I posted a detailed introduction in the intro sections and this is my first real post.

I'm a former police officer in the Pittsburgh area and currently work in Afghanistan, in the Police Training Mission. I would really like to return home, but can't do so without a job. I'm looking for a position in loss prevention / asset protection management.

I am interested in the qualifications for Loss Prevention / Asset Protection Management positions with Target. My home is located in the Pittsburgh area and I've applied several times for nearby LP Management positions, but I've never received a call for an interview. I am wondering if any professional certifications would help such as CFI, LPQ/LPC, or CFE. I have a Bachelor's Degree and extensive law enforcement investigative experience. I am certified to teach investigations. I have 2 years of retail management experience from operating my own business. I have over 10 years of supervisory experience.

I'm eager to learn about Target. I am open to any advice and suggestions. Any advice or contacts specific to the Pittsburgh area would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

Unfortunately, it sounds like you are an enlisted person in the armed forces.... which means you probably don't have a degree.

Ironically, even though you have tons of experience, without a 4 year degree you have zero chance of being in any ETL or above position at Target. (if you do have a 4 year degree, then of course you stand an excellent chance)

My advice would be to apply to other retailers without the degree requirement. (which is pretty much every other one besides target)
 
Unfortunately, it sounds like you are an enlisted person in the armed forces.... which means you probably don't have a degree.

Ironically, even though you have tons of experience, without a 4 year degree you have zero chance of being in any ETL or above position at Target. (if you do have a 4 year degree, then of course you stand an excellent chance)

My advice would be to apply to other retailers without the degree requirement. (which is pretty much every other one besides target)

The OP stated he has a Bachelor's Degree.
 
I do have a Bachelor's Degree from West Virginia University. A lot of my problem, I think, is my lack of contact with recruiters and management within Target. Being stuck in Afghanistan makes it difficult to meet them face to face and limits my ability for interviews and such.

The only information I have about salaries, for example, is glassdoor.com. It does list some salaries for ETL-AP.
 
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I do have a Bachelor's Degree from West Virginia University. A lot of my problem, I think, is my lack of contact with recruiters and management within Target. Being stuck in Afghanistan makes it difficult to meet them face to face and limits my ability for interviews and such.

The only information I have about salaries, for example, is glassdoor.com. It does list some salaries for ETL-AP.

Honestly part of the problem is possibly being way overqualified for a job at a Target store.

ETLs make around 45-50K.... however, the benefits suck now. When I left Target, the health insurance changed to a health savings account, they got rid of the pension for any new hires, lots of other stuff was cut over the past 3-4 years.

With your experience and education you could easily land a much more advanced job. Typical ETLs are people who come straight out of college with zero work experience. (no, I'm not kidding....)
 
That salary is pretty much what is being reported on Glassdoor.Com for ETL. I'm completely fine with it at that level.
 
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PG2012, I too am a former police officer with a bachelors degree. I started working for Target after I moved to a different city for personal reasons, and need something a little different then doing LE work (that I miss with a passion). I'm a Senior Target Protection Specialist, I've been with the company for approximately a year. TPS is Targets version of an un-armed uniformed security guard. I applied for ETL about a month ago, I hope to become an ETL before the end of the year.

I figured from a former LEO to another, I figure I would give you an overview of the pros and cons of AP from an Officers prospective. Target AP is actually very impressive. AP does have the support investigative/intelligences infrastructure with the capabilities forensics crime lab that Target owns two of, that would put many law enforcement agencies to shame. Target is very pro law enforcement, and since working at Target, I have work with local law enforcement on several cases, that was non-Target related or had very little impact to Target. Target does all their own in house training and do not require any of the standard national Loss Prevention certifications. The only time Target will outside certified you is when it is required by state or local law to either perform such duties or to carry handcuffs.

Even though I believe that the hourly AP positions are the best in the store, the ETL-AP has probably one of the highest turn over rates in management. The ETL-AP has two primary functions one is to manage the in store AP team, the other is to look for and investigate internal dishonestly by team members; which in it's self creates several problems. Another problem for the ETL-AP is that they now are required to pull Leader on Duty or otherwise known as LOD shifts. Which to my understanding is a new concept in the last two or three years. This means that you are the manager on duty and that any problem in the store, is your problem. AP related or no. While that sounds great in theory, it causes a lot more work for the ETL-AP's by the very nature of it. Everything in AP is very time consuming and mostly done out of sight to protect the brand. So once you finished with your 8 to 10 hour LOD shift, you now have about two to three hours of AP related daily house chores to do. This is different from other ETL's because AP by the very nature of it being a unique position, their are many functions that only the ETL-AP can perform, that even the Store Team Leader is not allowed to do.

The other problem I have found with Target as far as your qualifications and education is concerned, is that they seem to give little weight to any of it, other then you have a degree. This again is an echo that I've seen mention on here, an other forums of how Target use to be. A good example of that is our are new district investigator. While she is a very nice lady and actually does a decent job for someone with no extensive formal training in the investigations field. She was hired as Guest Service Attendant, promoted to ETL-Soft lines and is now our investigator. She was pick over several people who had similar qualification as yourself, including my current ETL-AP who is also a former cop; for what ever reason is unknown to me.

Best of luck to you, I hope you found this helpful, if you have anymore questions let me know.
 
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