Archived New GSA, Orientation Today!

[mscott]

Hello All!
I was recently hired as a GSA and later today is my orientation. I just found this site or I would have posted earlier but I have a few questions.

I was hired straight as a GSA. I applied as Sales Floor and I told my interviewer I have no prior retail or cash register experience. She told me I would be a great candidate for a GSA and then asked me the GSA interview questions. I guess I did well because I was then hired the same day. I'm a little nervous about starting at this position because I read that usually this is a position people get promoted to after being a cashier or a sales floor tm and need experience for it.

1. Does anyone have any tips for me regarding being new to Target AND starting out as a GSA?
2. They told me I'm training at a different store than the one I will be working at. Will that make it confusing for me once I come back to my actual store after training.
3. I told them in my phone interview that I have a short vacation booked next week but I forgot to tell them in the actual interview. I plan on reminding them at orientation today. Do you think they will be angry?

 

[commiecorvus]

Welcome to The Break Room.

Training at a different store is actually a good thing, it gives you a better idea of how things should run as opposed to how they are run at your store, which if they are hiring people off the street with no retail or cashing experience for GSA is any indication must be scary.
Good luck on getting that vacation time.
I'll let other folks handle the tips.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

Oh lordy.

Welcome, and congrats on your new position! We've hired a few people direct to GSA who had retail experience, none of them lasted more than a couple weeks. You are going to have a seriously uphill battle if you want to be an effective leader. Not trying to scare you, just being honest.

First off, you have to be unfailingly dependable about showing up for shifts. At my store at least there aren't enough GSAs to cover if you get sick and can't come in. Always remember that you are held to Team Leader standards without TL pay. Clocking in at 8:06 instead of 8:05 will be marked on your record as just as bad as you coming in an hour and a half late, no joke.

Learn the registers as quickly as possible. If you are lucky enough to have a shift with a GSTL also on duty, beg them to let you work a register for awhile. A big part of being a GSA is troubleshooting situations at the registers- you NEED to know how they work.

Ask the stupid questions- in your situation there is no avoiding it. You are going to appear super green because you are. Better to figure things out quick than try and save face.

Challenge yourself- don't get comfortable not knowing things. You should be the most knowledgeable person in the front end with maybe the exception of your ETL-GE. You can't rely on your guest services team to know everything.

Good luck!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Welcome! Now, get 200 red cards, a day.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

We do have several threads on GSA stuff. Hit search button on the right.

 

[mscott]

Thanks! I've been looking through the GSA threads! They're both reassuring and nerve-wracking seeing that I don't have any retail experience. Hopefully I'm able to rise to the occasion.

 

[Barcode]

OP you're probably going to encounter people who will look down on you because you got hired into a semi-leadership position with no prior Target experience... Try and pretend these people don't exist (and feel free to give them shitty lane assignments).

It'll take you a bit to ramp up and be effective, but there's no reason that an outsider can't come in and be an effective GSA - it's all about having the right attitude and demeanor.

 

[Flabbergasted]

Oh boy, lots of new GSAs lately! Welcome aboard. Just don't let the fuckers get you down and I'm sure you will do great.

 

[GSAhole]

I cringe when I read about externally hired GSA's - I don't know how it's possible that they even last - but then I remember, one of my GSTL's, who came on about a year ago, was an external hire, with no prior retail experience - and she is absolutely amazing and I look up to her. Of course everyone doubted her at first, but she proved us all very, very wrong. It seems like an impossible feat, but it isn't. You just have to be super strong and have the right mindset.

Good luck!

 

[Flabbergasted]

I cringe when I read about externally hired GSA's - I don't know how it's possible that they even last - but then I remember, one of my GSTL's, who came on about a year ago, was an external hire, with no prior retail experience - and she is absolutely amazing and I look up to her. Of course everyone doubted her at first, but she proved us all very, very wrong. It seems like an impossible feat, but it isn't. You just have to be super strong and have the right mindset.

Good luck!

Lately most of our hires for front-end leadership, both GSAs and GSTLs, have been external. I am the only one within the past 2 years or so promoted internally. It is definitely not the best position to be hired for externally, IMO. Our other GSA was hired externally last fall (right before Q4 no less) with no prior retail management experience. Surprisingly, she handled it well and is still with us today. The other GSTL they hired, however, has been a crapshow as an external. Some people can handle it better than others, I guess.

 

[GSAhole]

Lately most of our hires for front-end leadership, both GSAs and GSTLs, have been external. I am the only one within the past 2 years or so promoted internally. It is definitely not the best position to be hired for externally, IMO. Our other GSA was hired externally last fall (right before Q4 no less) with no prior retail management experience. Surprisingly, she handled it well and is still with us today. The other GSTL they hired, however, has been a crapshow as an external. Some people can handle it better than others, I guess.

I think they're catching on that most people who already work at Target know better than to take the position. I was internal, but I'd only been with Target about 9 months when they asked me to take the position. Recently, we were looking for another GSA, and they asked all the people in the store who were experienced and capable enough, and they all basically said hell no. So instead, we got a transfer GSA from California and she's a nightmare. I won't get started on her, though, because I'll never stop.

 

[Flabbergasted]

I think they're catching on that most people who already work at Target know better than to take the position. I was internal, but I'd only been with Target about 9 months when they asked me to take the position. Recently, we were looking for another GSA, and they asked all the people in the store who were experienced and capable enough, and they all basically said hell no. So instead, we got a transfer GSA from California and she's a nightmare. I won't get started on her, though, because I'll never stop.

I'd transfer to your store if I could!

 

[GSAhole]

I'd transfer to your store if I could!

I wish you could!!! That'd be badass. When I'm having a bad day I always think about you...I know you've been through hell at your store. If you can make it through a day at your store, I can make it through a day at mine. As shitty as my store can be, it doesn't compare to yours.