Archived Switching companys: is it worth it?

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wagasm

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I'm an assistant store manager with another company and thinking about applying for a ETL position. I'm making this post because I want to test the waters.

So if you're an ETL, do you like it? Did you have other retail experience before becoming an ETL? What's the starting salary and bonuses?

I almost got an ETL position out of college but didn't make it. Now I have about ten years retail management experience and was thinking about trying again.

Is it worth it?
 
Frankly, if I had ten years of retail management experience and wanted to work for Target I wouldn't apply for an ETL position, I might settle for one, but I'd apply for STL or DTL.
 
Good to know. How often do they hire for those positions outside?
 
wagasm said:
I'm an assistant store manager with another company and thinking about applying for a ETL position. I'm making this post because I want to test the waters.

So if you're an ETL, do you like it? Did you have other retail experience before becoming an ETL? What's the starting salary and bonuses?

I almost got an ETL position out of college but didn't make it. Now I have about ten years retail management experience and was thinking about trying again.

Is it worth it?
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I started with Target as a Cashier/Cart attendant 5 years ago. I floated around a few TM roles and never really got promoted, but was given more responsibility(Typical Target saving a dime). I got offered an intern position during the summer of 2014 and succeeded, was offered the ETL. I started in June of 2015 training and have been in role now for about 3 months. Starting salary is usually around 50K, seems to be increasing a little bit now. I'm a campus rep and in my area we're starting 54k now. Raises every April, and promotion opportunities every 18 months if you do well. I can't really tell if I like it or not, some days I enjoy what I am doing and other days I don't. I am in the hiring process for my sheriffs department and if I make it through, I'll be leaving Target. I would make more at Target, but I would enjoy my new job more... If you like Retail, Target is not bad and it also isn't the best.
 
I did read that thread. I wasn't sure if it was up to date. Plus, I didn't know if my experience made a difference. I work over 50 hours a week now. Target pays more.

Thanks for the input and I welcome any more.
 
wagasm said:
I did read that thread. I wasn't sure if it was up to date. Plus, I didn't know if my experience made a difference. I work over 50 hours a week now. Target pays more.

Thanks for the input and I welcome any more.
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We try to give you, a honest answer.
 
Totally different world Target is. If you have a youthful bounce to your step, can handle those cliques you saw in high school and college, and can adapt to a totally different culture....you can survive.

I have a vast background of management experience. I was 31 when I was courted to work for them (which is considered older). The pay is up there with other big box (Dicks, Bed Bath Beyond, Larger grocery chains). However you need to go into negotiations with a set number and stick to that pay rate through all your interviews. They will try to lowball you but if you speak confidently, from experience, you can end up being brought in for much more than other ETLs.
 
As someone who LEFT target to manage at another chain, I can say it was the best decision I ever made.

Your success, and the level of enjoyment, quite frankly will be largely determined by 3 major factors outside of your control.

The store you land in
Who your stl is
How broken the store is when you get there.

Ultimately, it's a crap shoot. As someone with a large amount of retail management experience, as well as target experience, I would say now is not a good time to be jumping to Target. There is a lot of uncertainty in their future, and I would caution you to wait until the waves have settled to see if the ship is still upright.
 
60SecondsRemaining said:
As someone who LEFT target to manage at another chain, I can say it was the best decision I ever made.

Your success, and the level of enjoyment, quite frankly will be largely determined by 3 major factors outside of your control.

The store you land in
Who your stl is
How broken the store is when you get there.

Ultimately, it's a crap shoot. As someone with a large amount of retail management experience, as well as target experience, I would say now is not a good time to be jumping to Target. There is a lot of uncertainty in their future, and I would caution you to wait until the waves have settled to see if the ship is still upright.
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Which uncertainty do you speak of? There is actually a lot of innovative things going on right now that if you can put up with the politics and DO land in a good store, it is not that shabby.
 
etlnewbie said:
Which uncertainty do you speak of? There is actually a lot of innovative things going on right now that if you can put up with the politics and DO land in a good store, it is not that shabby.
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@60SecondsRemaining knows more about spot than you do. Once, you have worked a full year without being on loa, you will understand there are other options than to work at spot.
 
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Hardlinesmaster said:
@60SecondsRemaining knows more about spot than you do. Once, you have worked a full year without being on loa, you will understand there other options than to work at spot.
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Actually I think I am more than qualified to answer it even with my short term time. Why? Sadly because even though I am young I have more experience than the majority of people (something to be proud of and not so proud of).

I am also the rare case again as during training I worked 7 different Target stores. Global view of the teams on a working level.

Edit as well: 15 years as we (weird).. most of my experience comes from outside of spot...which means I have more of an outsider perspective on things. That is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than just experience with Spot.
 
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etlnewbie said:
Which uncertainty do you speak of? There is actually a lot of innovative things going on right now that if you can put up with the politics and DO land in a good store, it is not that shabby.
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While I agree Cornell has done a lot to move Target in the right direction, Target Corp is still not posting a profit. They have a large hole to dig out of, and digging out of holes generally has a cost.

This cost can be paid with store closings (like you've probably recently seen), personnel realignment, etc. This could leave a new ETL displaced, or worse, laid off.

As an Etl a large part of your income is a bonus, not to mention a large part of job satisfaction will not come until you are assigned and have something to own, nor will your bonus.

I'm not saying Target is going to go under, or even a poor place to work. I'm saying that as a career move it may be wise to see how q1 goes before making any moves, as a poor q4 will likely result in swift and possibly drastic changes with AE16.

@Hardlinesmaster thanks for the support but I think he was genuinely asking my opinion!

Edit: I've been in retail management for 15 years, and during my time with spot worked in over 15 stores, served as a district trainer for 6 different roles, and held the record for longest green only brla in the region.

I'm not sure you're any more qualified than me, as the question has more relavance in life experience than it does in Target.
 
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60SecondsRemaining said:
While I agree Cornell has done a lot to move Target in the right direction, Target Corp is still not posting a profit. They have a large hole to dig out of, and digging out of holes generally has a cost.

This cost can be paid with store closings (like you've probably recently seen), personnel realignment, etc. This could leave a new ETL displaced, or worse, laid off.

As an Etl a large part of your income is a bonus, not to mention a large part of job satisfaction will not come until you are assigned and have something to own, nor will your bonus.

I'm not saying Target is going to go under, or even a poor place to work. I'm saying that as a career move it may be wise to see how q1 goes before making any moves, as a poor q4 will likely result in swift and possibly drastic changes with AE16.

@Hardlinesmaster thanks for the support but I think he was genuinely asking my opinion!
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Very reasonable response and DEAD on. But for 95% of retail, can't you say this is true as well. You are correct in that I was indeed asking your opinion.

It is a hole but they are headed in the right direction (curb pickup, wine, groceries to door, investing in tech)....you serve a valid point.

I guess I look at it as this: if you are talented as a manager, even if your store closes, and if there is more than 1 target within a reasonable drive, you can always move to another store and build that one up. I guess I am not afraid of the uncertainty as I feel that is at the majority of companies.

With that I feel Target is worth the jump, as long as you negotiate your pay correctly and don't get suckered into the straight out of college 47-55k pay.
 
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@60SecondsRemaining wins. Store closes are due to location & poor sales. In my district & my friend's district, we had stores closed due to location near dead malls & a bigger spot nearby.
Awesome nothing with spot, ae16 can take any mgt job away, no matter how well your store does.
 
Hardlinesmaster said:
@60SecondsRemaining wins. Store closes are due to location & poor sales. In my district & my friend's district, we had stores closed due to location near dead malls & a bigger spot nearby.
Awesome nothing with spot, ae16 can take any mgt job away, no matter how well your store does.
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To be so bitter. But I understand your perspective as well. Not a competition at all. Character flaw if you view it as so. Just a friendly thread of opinions.

I appreciate your feedback.
 
To get back on topic for the OP, it depends are you running from bad opportunity or running to a better opportunity. I didn't spend a long time @ Spot (1 year, ETL-LOG O/N), but Spot was a good bridge to get out of one job until a better one came a long. Either way, if you like retail - it's a good opportunity with a lot of upside. If you're burned out on retail, it's just a better bad!
 
My issue is that I was promoted but they didn't increase my take home pay. Now I'm salary, so I make less per hour. On top of that, all the extra responsibilities. I was maybe thinking I could go somewhere else to do the same thing and get paid more. I have a lot on my plate where I am. I don't see how the work load could get very much worse. That threat about signing you life away makes being an etl sound God aweful. It's hard to tell if it's that bad or if the author just doesn't like retail.
 
Just run away....

I have not worked for target, but I was an assistant store manager for three big box companies for 10 years. I got so depressed some days because I thought this is all I'm ever going to be. I thought I would never have a holiday off and enjoy time with my family and got grumpy when I had to work 70 hours during the holidays and no extra pay (salaried).

I played the politics game and made friends in high places. I still work for a big box, but I landed a corporate position. There is no way I would ever go back to store level. If you are thinking of switching companies, I would suggest exploring all options, but that's just me.

And I'm not putting down anyone for making the decision on making a career out of retail management, you can make over 6 figures doing this job. However, after 10 years it's not for me anymore.
 
wagasm said:
That threat about signing you life away makes being an etl sound God aweful. It's hard to tell if it's that bad or if the author just doesn't like retail.
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I got the impression that the person who originally wrote it several years ago was a fresh-out-of-college ETL. Your mileage may vary.
 
60SecondsRemaining said:
The store you land in
Who your stl is
How broken the store is when you get there
Click to expand...

My store is an hour and 15 minute commute in straight traffic.
My store is overspent on EVERY budget because of the previous STL/ETLs
My new STL is awesome, but expects some unrealistic hours to make up for previous management failures


Maybe this is why I have had a bad experience so far and want out? Haha
 
Target is not for everyone. It's a different, fast paced, competitive culture and the company is in a transitional period. Above all else leaders need to be resilient and adaptable. That's the only way to thrive at target. You make your career at Target. You have to decide where you want to go and you have to take the initiative to get there. You have to own your training and development. You have to bring your A game everyday. There's been periods where I've felt burnt out, but I find out that's not target, that's more me in my life outside work. I'm a new exec that came up through the ranks from just a sales floor team member. I've had a lot of opportunities to network and have great connections in the company. I really like what I do and Target has rewarded me for that.

This is just my own experience, so take that for what it's worth. Also, pay is going to vary by market, but generally should be around 50k for fresh out of college ETLs with zero prior experience. Target does have some great benefits if you take advantage of them.
 
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