Archived TL with 4 year degree?

[celmnc]

I was curious how many of you TL's out there have your 4 year degree and are wondering why you're not an ETL? I was hired on earlier in July as a GSTL. But after being here for a month, I noticed that all my ETL's are my same age and went to the SAME college as me.

Does anyone feel overqualified? I feel like I shouldn't have taken the job.

 

[Retail Girl]

I'm just a GSA, but I have my master's (and am working towards getting into that field). Overqualified doesn't begin to cover it...but as an ETL, that pretty much means this would be my life work, and no way in hell is that happening!

 

[celmnc]

That's interesting! Do you not want to be an ETL or STL? I'm 24. My ETL-GE is 25, and my ETL-HR is 26. We all have the same degree (business) and equivalent work experiences.

There are no other TL's in my store that have a degree. So, I feel like I was sucked into this. I went to my ETL-GE about this and she said I had to wait 18 months. I said no, and it needed to be sooner. So, she said maybe after 6 months we could discuss it. But like you, I don't know about a career. Lol.

 

[Triscuit]

I have a 4 year degree and I am just a regular team member. Been trying to find my career, but job market is tough out here. I definitely feel overqualified especially when people who have no school boss me around and make more money than me , but I just remind myself that it is only temporary.

 

[celmnc]

What's your degree in? Just curious! How long have you been with Target?

 

[betzph]

My degree is a worthless b.a but I have one. I'm patl now. I hired last year, and yea I feel overqualified. I don't think I was quite ready leadership wise to be an etl tbh, but the actual mental work aspect of it is a piece of cake for me.

 

[Anonymous12345]

I was curious how many of you TL's out there have your 4 year degree and are wondering why you're not an ETL? I was hired on earlier in July as a GSTL. But after being here for a month, I noticed that all my ETL's are my same age and went to the SAME college as me.

Does anyone feel overqualified? I feel like I shouldn't have taken the job.

Did you originally apply for ETL and get offered a TL position? If so, that means they feel you were not ready for ETL, and even if you applied for TL, if they felt like you interviewed extremely well, they would of recommended you to be considered for ETL, unless they really needed a TL.

But if your patient enough, then being a TL before ETL can be a good thing. It gives you a good opportunity to learn the business and develop front line management skills and you will be better prepared for your next role as ETL.

I have seen so many fresh out of college ETLs quit or get fired because they were not ready to a leader and were extremely overwhelmed.

Now if you feel you are highly under paid and your impatient, then I would see if their are other opportunities out their. If Target lets you skip the 18 months then great but they usually are strict with that rule.

Do you want to be an ETL-GE? Is your goal eventually be an STL or higher? If so then I would do ETL-Logisitics as your next role because that's usually a good pathway to further advancing within Target. I feel if you can conquer Logistics, then you pretty much can conquer anything, another good stepping stone position would be ETL-HR. ETL-GE is always good, but since you are already a GSTL, I would do something different unless you like that area.

I know of a TL that originally applied for ETL but got a TL position, they did a little bit longer then 18 but they got promoted to ETL and they are excelling in their new role and attributed a lot to gaining experience as a TL.

So I would advise you to stay patient but be persistent with your ETL, HR, and STL to invest time in your development, so when it come time for interviews and your next role, you will be ready and prepared.

 

[APredux]

I have my 4 year degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement, and Assets Protection is definitely a passion of mine (if you can't tell from my sig). I'd like to enter the field of law enforcement, but in the mean time, I'm working as an APTL to pay the bills. I have very little desire to become an ETL and 1) have a horrible work/life balance, and 2) end up working in an area of the store I have no love for.

Do I feel kinda overqualified? Well sure, I know I could handle any of the ETL jobs. But I'd rather not

 

[Triscuit]

I have my 4 year degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement, and Assets Protection is definitely a passion of mine (if you can't tell from my sig). I'd like to enter the field of law enforcement, but in the mean time, I'm working as an APTL to pay the bills. I have very little desire to become an ETL and 1) have a horrible work/life balance, and 2) end up working in an area of the store I have no love for.

Do I feel kinda overqualified? Well sure, I know I could handle any of the ETL jobs. But I'd rather not

We have the same degree. Difference is though, you work in AP as a TL and I just work on the floor as a team member. I would never want to be an ETL because i did not finish school to have my career be at target! lol

 

[sher]

I'm a TM with a degree lol. And I'm pretty sure I'm older than a couple of my new ETLs by a year or two. Either way, You might not actually be overqualified. On paper, sure, definitely, if you're comparing you to target's list of requirements, but look through all the threads here about the ETLs fresh out of college with little to no retail experience being shitty leaders.

My store's fresh ETLs don't actually suck, I'm just devil's advocate right now. I'd never wanna be an ETL though. Probably not even a TL. I was talking to a coworker recently and based on how things have been going at our store, we agreed, there's more security as a peon. That's not the only reason I wouldn't wanna move up. There are plenty. One of the super petty ones is that all my TLs look haggard all the time. My mom worked with one of my sr TLs back when she was just a TM like 8 years ago and she said she aged a ton.

 

[SwitchBlade]

What if i told u i got mine MBA degree from Stanford and i'm currently just a team member for the logistic team? Yeah.

 

[antivibe]

At my store we have three team leaders with degrees.
Their majors are in film production, English, and literature.

We also have a lot of team members with degrees.
Several education majors, sociology, psychology, engineering (yeah), and biology.

Seeing them scares me, since I don't want to end up in the same situation.

 

[konk]

What if i told u i got mine MBA degree from Stanford and i'm currently just a team member for the logistic team? Yeah.

Same here. Not Stanford though. Congrats on that. I'm one class away from a second bachelors.

 

[mrknownothing]

We also have a lot of team members with degrees.
Several education majors, sociology, psychology, engineering (yeah), and biology.

Wow. Tough job market in your area or what?

 

[NeoDarikona]

There's a distinct possibility you interviewed not so stellar. It's amazing how much it's about charisma rather than skills when going for ETL, at least out here in the northwest.

 

[NeoDarikona]

We also have a lot of team members with degrees.
Several education majors, sociology, psychology, engineering (yeah), and biology.

Wow. Tough job market in your area or what?

There could be a thousand things going on with even stem degrees in markets. It could be a poor market, like how Portland is filled with physical science majors and there is absolutely no chemistry market here at all. It could also be they never networked and so have no idea where to apply. It could also just be that they sucked at their degree and just barely skated out.

 

[researchr]

Many of the degrees listed really require grad school to go anywhere with them. I have a B.S. in Biology and while there were plenty of good paying lab jobs available they were grant funded and therefore temporary. That's fine when you're young and have no kids but Target offered me 6-2.30 M-F, great mommy hours for several years. Not anymore though, those great specialty team hours are a thing of the past. It's why I finally left.

 

[Mhugh220]

I have my 4 year degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement, and Assets Protection is definitely a passion of mine (if you can't tell from my sig). I'd like to enter the field of law enforcement, but in the mean time, I'm working as an APTL to pay the bills. I have very little desire to become an ETL and 1) have a horrible work/life balance, and 2) end up working in an area of the store I have no love for.

Do I feel kinda overqualified? Well sure, I know I could handle any of the ETL jobs. But I'd rather not

We have the same degree. Difference is though, you work in AP as a TL and I just work on the floor as a team member. I would never want to be an ETL because i did not finish school to have my career be at target! lol

Being an ETL doesn't mean you have to make it a career. I used it as a pit stop while waiting for my security clearance and the right job. I wouldn't have been able to survive on anything less than ETL pay.

 

[Mhugh220]

What if i told u i got mine MBA degree from Stanford and i'm currently just a team member for the logistic team? Yeah.

I would say: "I got mine MBA? Is that correct English?" Unless English is your second language then damn, that sucks. What happened that you are a TM? Corporate Target eats up MBA graduates.

 

[Mhugh220]

Many of the degrees listed really require grad school to go anywhere with them. I have a B.S. in Biology and while there were plenty of good paying lab jobs available they were grant funded and therefore temporary. That's fine when you're young and have no kids but Target offered me 6-2.30 M-F, great mommy hours for several years. Not anymore though, those great specialty team hours are a thing of the past. It's why I finally left.

True! Bachelors degrees no longer have the strength that they once had, especially in business. Engineering, math, or medical jobs can easily find work with a B.S/B.A. I found that most of our TLs with degrees were content where they were or looking to get into their career field. Also, having great mommy hours was a popular choice.

 

[Mhugh220]

At my store we have three team leaders with degrees.
Their majors are in film production, English, and literature.

We also have a lot of team members with degrees.
Several education majors, sociology, psychology, engineering (yeah), and biology.

Seeing them scares me, since I don't want to end up in the same situation.

Don't let what degree they have scare you. A degree is just a ticket to an interview - a filter for resumes - it doesn't get you a job. Look at who they are and why they are there. Some people don't interview well, some people don't want to work in their field of study, some TMs aren't ready to move on, some want to find a job in a very limited area and aren't willing to relocate, or some have no desire to be an ETL/STL. Also, there are some that can't find work. I moved from GA to MD to take an ETL-Logistics position. I used that position to get where I am today, not in retail. Having a degree doesn't make a person ambitious or qualified for a position. You could be a recent nuclear engineering graduate but you freeze up at interviews. Or you might have the best work experience but you're unable to write a resume that depicts your accomplishments.

Several of my TMs and TLs had degrees. Some had graduate degrees and I even had a TM that was a lawyer.

Here's my success story, if you can call it that, and what I did to get there:

B.A. in Mathematics (with Electrical engineering credits (30)) - State school -3.4 GPA
B.A. in Organizational Management - online degree (Ashford University) - 3.92 GPA
Master in Healthcare Administration - online degree (Park University) - 4.0 GPA

Work Experience:
Software Development- 1 year
United States Air Force - 4 years
Target ETL-Logistics - 1 year
Software Engineer / Consultant for federal government - current

Took resume courses to develop the writing skills needed to get interviews. I write a unique resume for each job I am applying for. I prepare for interviews (gather facts on the company, owner, who's interviewing me). I interview well - clear speaking, not noticeably nervous, ask questions, engaged, full suit, etc. I'm willing to relocate and find jobs where ever they are. I network with people in similar career fields (there are meet-up groups for all majors). I participate in lectures/conferences on subjects in my career field. I don't have a specific career interest so I am open to exploring many job opportunities.

I have a wife and kids so being young and single isn't an excuse for me.

Tips for interviewing for ETL with Target: Memorize your possible responses to the STAR questions. Have an experience for every possible question. Questions are posted online. Ask questions about how your interviewer moved up. Be engaged! Relax!

 

[APredux]

Best part of having an MBA? You can add it to your email sig. "John Doe, MBA - School of Hard Knocks"

 

[SwitchBlade]

What if i told u i got mine MBA degree from Stanford and i'm currently just a team member for the logistic team? Yeah.

I would say: "I got mine MBA? Is that correct English?" Unless English is your second language then damn, that sucks. What happened that you are a TM? Corporate Target eats up MBA graduates.

So we have a grammar nazi huh, kay.
Oh and english is my second language thanks.
I bet the flow team members LOVED you

 

[buliSBI]

I have a bachelor degree and worked TV production along side working at Target because TV actually paid just a little less than Target. 12-16 hr days are hard. And my leadership knew it and abused me by trying to keep me down.

I only stayed with Target for the benefits and somewhat income, and be closer to my family. Plus, my old TV station just went all automatic for production. So staff was cut; even my old boss, its just now the newscast directors and master control operators for production.

 

[Mhugh220]

So we have a grammar nazi huh, kay.
Oh and english is my second language thanks.
I bet the flow team members LOVED you

Sorry for my ignorance. I was imagining for a moment that a post-graduate from "Stanford" would be able to make themselves more credible by knowing simple English. Also, English is my second language which is why in my first comment I apologized if English was your second language.

Grammar aside, what's your reason/situation for being a MBA graduate working as a logistics TM? I've seen a lot of TMs with similar qualifications.

Honestly your accomplishments are an asset - MBA and bilingual, maybe? - tons of companies in the right setting would eat that up, especially if your first language is Spanish. Have you tried networking with your Alumni Association?