Rejected over and over

[graydot]

I have around 8 years under my belt with Target. I was made a Team Leader less than 2 years in as GSTL and then SETL. I had to leave in January for mental health reasons (I have Bipolar 1, BPD, and ADHD, the reasons were legitimate). I couldn’t use FMLA because I had exhausted all of that already having gone on a LoA spring-summer last year. I also moved 2 hours away in February.

I’m getting so frustrated and feeling hopeless. All I know is Target, and despite the shit show it can be I really did enjoy my time there. I can’t picture myself working elsewhere. In my new city I’ve submitted 14 applications for GM TM or Service Advocate over the past 7 months across 4 different stores and each one is rejected. I’m not understanding. I get the “We don’t have a role available that matches your preferences. However, we believe you may be a good fit for Target in the future” email. Idk what preferences they’re talking about, I listed completely open availability. I did put 35-40 hours for my desired hours but I could work with them on that. All that really matters to me is going back to the company.

I did get one invitation for a video interview, but after a month (tried so many times to follow up, even using the Txxxx.hr@target.com email after I couldn’t get ahold of anyone on the phone over a plethora of tries) I got the rejection email.

My previous store was understanding of my situation and I left on good terms.

I’m friends with an ETL-HR that has left the company after 16 years and she told me that they wouldn’t be able to tell I was on a reliability CCA (my first ever CCA) and they wouldn’t be calling my old store for a PG35 role, which doesn’t matter because they would only say good things about me.

Rejection is really difficult for me to cope with and I can’t stomach continuing to watch this happen to me. I have a lot of anxiety thinking of calling to inquire about consistently being rejected, and I wonder if that’s even appropriate or worth it. Not that anyone would even pick up the phone anyway.

 

[Captain Orca]

Your prior store is fucking with you. You've been boned. You sound like a team player and eager. Go elsewhere. Good luck.

 

[graydot]

Your prior store is fucking with you. You've been boned. You sound like a team player and eager. Go elsewhere. Good luck.

I was a go-getter for sure. When I transferred to my last store I immediately was recognized for my proactive approaches to address the issues with my workcenter. My SD and ETL-HR entrusted in me to support the other team leaders with performance managing their teams. I was in the running for an ETL promotion before I went on LoA, and before that I lost out on an ETL Internship role but was told that I was a close second-pick, I got so close. My leaders liked me. I am friends with and still talk to my old ETL. She speaks very highly of me when I come up in conversation. I can’t imagine that they would bad-mouth me. I had poor reliability, but only at the end of my time there. The rest of my time I had great attendance. But that’s only because I was having panic attacks when I tried to go to work, and when I was able to get to work I had to spend a lot of time offstage to cry and try to avoid having more panic attacks.

I sacrificed when I came back to the company in 2021 after a 2-year hiatus. I was working as a TM alongside a full-time M-F clerical job I had so I could work my way back up to TL. I quite literally never had a single day off of work for over a year. A remodel ETL from another store recognized my abilities and recommended me for a TL position at her store, since there hadn’t been any openings at my home store. My SD endorsed the move. Do you think it’s worth it at all to try and get ahold of the SD or ETL-HR to tell my story and plead my case? I gave 110%, it’s not my fault I have medical conditions that acutely prevented me from working. I never wanted to quit, I resent so much that I was faced with having to make that decision to resign.

 

[graydot]

Your prior store is fucking with you. You've been boned. You sound like a team player and eager. Go elsewhere. Good luck.

Just talked to my old store’s current ETL-HR (was ETL-SS when I was there, she loved me) and she says no one reached out to her.

 

[Caliwest]

Just talked to my old store’s current ETL-HR (was ETL-SS when I was there, she loved me) and she says no one reached out to her.

They won't/can't tell you. I m pretty sure my last TL bashed me because when I left the SD and ETL adored me. Hr seemed cool but I did have to go to them when this TL compromised my work intentionally to make me look bad to the SD. They had to apologize to me but I could tell they were seething because I caught them. The ETL here is a petty gossip. Cares more about finding out WHO reported safety issue s then on HOW to improve the store. Any gossip worth 2 cents runs to them to throw competition under the bus and you can tell in an instant when their demeanor changes towards you. If I transfer out likely they will hatchet me as they just are vindictive. I ll move on when I ready and fully done with the active devaluing since coming here.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Apply elsewhere, is my suggestion. Costco or wegmans is a good option.

 

[countingsheep]

Absolutely apply to a different job. Idk what the dral is but spit is making a point to not take you back and thats a loss on them. I understand having reluctance to move to anothet company bit believe me moat who do find a mich healthier environment to be in.

I for one entered the pet industry. Same rrtail bull but WAY better pay and acrual work life balance. As always the management makes the store bit with the experience spit gices you you could step rifht into a role and make a diffefence in a new place.

Target is a literal dead end and there is little point limiting yourself for comfoet and false assurity. This is a sign something else potentially better is waiting. If it helpa ALL retail is the same. So if your staying in tje industry tjere isnt much change to adpt to in a new company you know all the parts.

 

[Captain Orca]

Sheep fix your editing tool, post is a mess.

 

[happygoth]

Sheep fix your editing tool, post is a mess.

Well I guess I was wrong about you giving people grace, Mr. Superflourous Capice.

 

[JiJi]

Sounds like you're over-qualified, and they're preferring to hire newbies who will stand to get paid less.
This has happened to a few people I know sadly.

 

[graydot]

Apply elsewhere, is my suggestion. Costco or wegmans is a good option.

I’m not rehireable for Costco. Absolutely hated working there. When I was gone from Target for 2 years I was unhappy with every job I had. That’s why I can most likely get hired at any retail store I want, but I know it just won’t be the same. I have a tendency towards hyperfixations and obsessions, and I don’t think this is one that I can effectively manage without listening to my heart and making every last effort to return to the company.

 

[graydot]

They won't/can't tell you. I m pretty sure my last TL bashed me because when I left the SD and ETL adored me. Hr seemed cool but I did have to go to them when this TL compromised my work intentionally to make me look bad to the SD. They had to apologize to me but I could tell they were seething because I caught them. The ETL here is a petty gossip. Cares more about finding out WHO reported safety issue s then on HOW to improve the store. Any gossip worth 2 cents runs to them to throw competition under the bus and you can tell in an instant when their demeanor changes towards you. If I transfer out likely they will hatchet me as they just are vindictive. I ll move on when I ready and fully done with the active devaluing since coming here.

I’m really sorry for your experience, that sounds frustrating and unfair. That being said, yes she would tell me. I trust she’s not deceiving me as a store is very unlikely to reach out to a candidate’s prior work location for a PG35 application.

 

[graydot]

Absolutely apply to a different job. Idk what the dral is but spit is making a point to not take you back and thats a loss on them. I understand having reluctance to move to anothet company bit believe me moat who do find a mich healthier environment to be in.

I for one entered the pet industry. Same rrtail bull but WAY better pay and acrual work life balance. As always the management makes the store bit with the experience spit gices you you could step rifht into a role and make a diffefence in a new place.

Target is a literal dead end and there is little point limiting yourself for comfoet and false assurity. This is a sign something else potentially better is waiting. If it helpa ALL retail is the same. So if your staying in tje industry tjere isnt much change to adpt to in a new company you know all the parts.

All retail is not the same, at least for me. During a 2-year “hiatus” from Target I worked for Kohl’s, Sprouts, Costco, and in wireless sales. While my store manager at Kohl’s was trying to help me make a career out of Kohl’s and I did become one of Sprouts’ “managers” within months, it did not feel the same and I was unhappy. I know they’re an evil corporation, but I’ve never had so much fun or looked forward to going to work so much as when I worked there.

Target is not my long-term career choice. I am returning to school in January with the goal of finishing my bachelors and entering a PA program. It will be extremely challenging considering the complexity of my diagnoses, and my low tolerance for stress. Target has (for the most part) been good to me for a long time and they of course will be nice to have as a backup career choice should things not work out. Next month will be 10 years since I was originally hired, it’s flown by and I wish I’d never had to feel that leaving was my only option. It was only ever supposed to be temporary.

 

[FlowTeamChick]

Not only is it true that "all retail is not the same," it's just as true that not all Targets are the same. There are 4 in my area and mine is the only one with stable leadership and a pretty stable TM roster. The other three stores have problems of varying degrees. At one of them, the whole back room team quit and TMs from my store went there to help them get things under control until they could hire new TMs.
So while your experience at your first Target was overall positive, there's no guarantee that another Target will be as good. There are plenty of stories on this web site of awful TLs, awful HR ETLs, awful SDs.
No job is going to feel the same as one we really liked. (I've been in the work force for 40+ years and remember some jobs quite fondly. But even those had things that made me gripe. Heck, even when I was self-employed for a few years, I had gripes about clients! No job is perfect in every way.) And something to keep in mind is that we can remember past jobs with more nostalgia than they deserve.
It would seem that working for Target in your new area is just not going to work out for you. Sometimes, when we don't get what we think we really want, it turns out that we've dodged a bullet.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Sometimes, when we don't get what we think we really want, it turns out that we've dodged a bullet.

^This 100%. If I had known what working for my Target would be like before I took the job, I would have took off running in the opposite direction and just kept on going until I found a non-cult company where sanity prevailed.
To the OP, sorry you are having difficulty getting re-hired at Target since you enjoyed working there so much, but its absolutely true that not all Targets are the same and you may never find another one that’s as good to work at as your former store. Also, management tends to protect their jobs by protecting Target, so unfortunately everything that they tell you may not be exactly the gospel truth. Sounds like they are giving you the run-around, big time. Hope you can use your management experience at Spot to get a good job somewhere where you and your dedication are appreciated. Good luck!😁