Archived I REEEEAAALLLYY Don't Like Carrots!

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First, I'd just like to say hello to everyone. Hello every one! I've been lurking on this site for many months and now I've been compelled to post about my own experience at Target.

Back in March, I took a sales floor TM position with target. I was just trying to keep some income coming in while I finished up my final semester of college and looked for a "big girl" job. After my first month I heard mention of their Executive Internship program. I expressed my interest in the program, and my STL seemed more than happy to help me with the process. Unfortunately, I was informed that I was too close to my graduation to be considered eligible for the program. It was no sweat of my back as I was only interested in the internship. However, over the next few months leading up to my graduation my STL kept asking me about trying to become an ETL. She was really eager to try an get me on board. I was reluctant, but eventually went and sat down with my ETL-HR to find out the ins and outs of the whole promotion process.

Flash forward to present day. I've been through three rounds of Team Lead interviews that my store sent me to at the district headquarters, which I rocked. I'm not saying I think I did well. My STL was told that I was the absolute best candidate they had interviewed, and they recommended that I be sent through interviews for an ETL position. I was informed by my ETL-HR that I would be interviewing again at the district headquarters at the end of August.

For the entire month of August I was being told things like, "we're still trying to find out that interview date, but it's definitely going to happen by the end of the month." My STL was the worst about this telling me she would be hearing the date at her next meeting at the district then coming back with a different story. My ETL-HR just started avoiding me all together. Based on my the many posts I've read about this kind of thing it's shaping up to be one of those carrot dangling situations. Heaven knows I have no business still working for minimum wage with a degree. What I don't seem to understand is why they pursued me so aggressively and invested so much time in developing me only to play me in the end.

I welcome and appreciate any and all commentary, advice, and personal stories concerning matters such as mine. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
 
Well at the store level your a quick and easy notch for your STL to check on developing talent. As for what is going on at your district level who knows. It could be many things starting out with disorganization and poor communication, things Target has become known for. Or it could be something as simple as your DTL not liking you STL. Or it is even possible something has turned them at store level against pushing for you. It is hard to know without knowing the politics of your district but, my guess would be your district is just a disorganized mess like the most in the company. My suggestion is if you can find anything else take it and run.
 
You're definitely, right about the different politics being a factor. I can't exactly speak on the level of organization at the district as I've had practically no contact outside of the first round of interviews I went through. At times, I feel like they may have tried to give me the impression this process was going to be a lot faster than it actually is turning out to be just to bait me and keep me working hard for them. I know where and what the openings are within my district, and they literally JUST had a fresh crop of new hires come through business college. That leads me to believe I won't be moving up anything soon. I'm already looking at moving out instead.
 
Welcome to The Break Room.
Wish I had good advice but I really don't.
The sad part is they really seem to prefer people straight out of school rather than the ones who have worked for the company and I really don't understand why.
 
I can't even begin to understand what politics could actually be at play since I seem to have the support of all the leadership in the store. Even they've been asking when I'm going to get my ETL interview. I just know all the time I've spent waiting has given me time enough to really reconsider my future at the spot. It's just getting hard to stay here while I look for something better.
 
The politics may have nothing to do with you at all. They may simply be hiring outside because they can low ball them pay wise for having no experience. It may be the DTL has a problem with your STL. It may your district like most of them is run by somebody who would not have been qualified to be an ETL if this was the same Target from 10 years ago. The one thing you can be sure of it most likely has nothing to do with you. Target is a mess and you can see it at all levels. I know it is hard believe but, it used to be a well run company full of solid leadership.
 
The politics may have nothing to do with you at all. They may simply be hiring outside because they can low ball them pay wise for having no experience. It may be the DTL has a problem with your STL. It may your district like most of them is run by somebody who would not have been qualified to be an ETL if this was the same Target from 10 years ago. The one thing you can be sure of it most likely has nothing to do with you. Target is a mess and you can see it at all levels. I know it is hard believe but, it used to be a well run company full of solid leadership.

Considering all the possible contributing factors you named really makes this all a shame. It's almost unbelievable that a company could be run this way ( at least at the store level). I just know my days there are numbered. Knowing my qualifications and my attributes, I feel like they should be expecting me to leave soon. I'd have to be a crazy person the keep working minimum wage with a degree. At this point, there's nothing that can be said or done to make me want to say. Even if I got an interview in the next couple of weeks, I would t even bother going. I. Just too disgusted with the way things have been handled.
 
The politics may have nothing to do with you at all. They may simply be hiring outside because they can low ball them pay wise for having no experience. It may be the DTL has a problem with your STL. It may your district like most of them is run by somebody who would not have been qualified to be an ETL if this was the same Target from 10 years ago. The one thing you can be sure of it most likely has nothing to do with you. Target is a mess and you can see it at all levels. I know it is hard believe but, it used to be a well run company full of solid leadership.

Considering all the possible contributing factors you named really makes this all a shame. It's almost unbelievable that a company could be run this way ( at least at the store level). I just know my days there are numbered. Knowing my qualifications and my attributes, I feel like they should be expecting me to leave soon. I'd have to be a crazy person the keep working minimum wage with a degree. At this point, there's nothing that can be said or done to make me want to say. Even if I got an interview in the next couple of weeks, I would t even bother going. I. Just too disgusted with the way things have been handled.
There is a lot of tm's with degrees who are in the same boat. They're actively looking for jobs in their fields. Limited hope to become an etl, at least my store.
Here is a link for our non spot job thread:
http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/2547-The-Job-Search-Resource-Thread
 
Think you're the only one at Target with a degree? Think again..spent 9 years as a TM with a 4 year degree in Biology. Why? I worked 6-230 M-F which was perfect parent hours. Left when I felt my kids were old enough to come home by themselves, years after they felt they were...
 
Last night my ETL-HR asked me if I had heard any word about an interview date. It took everything in me not to laugh in her face. It's her job to find out the interview time and tell me for crying out loud!
 
Think you're the only one at Target with a degree? Think again..spent 9 years as a TM with a 4 year degree in Biology. Why? I worked 6-230 M-F which was perfect parent hours. Left when I felt my kids were old enough to come home by themselves, years after they felt they were...

I know I'm not the only person w/a degree working at Target. I understand that some people make the choice to be a team member based on whatever the circumstances of their lives might warrant.
 
Last night my ETL-HR asked me if I had heard any word about an interview date. It took everything in me not to laugh in her face. It's her job to find out the interview time and tell me for crying out loud!

But by now you should know that right hand rarely ever talks to left hand at Spot.
 
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You're right. I just thought it was so ridiculous that she asked me if I got some information that I know wouldn't be given directly. They blow so much smoke up people's tails that I'm really inclined believe she only approached me as a way to feel me out and see what my attitude is right now.
 
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