Archived TM to ETL

[cobycord]

I was wondering who's made the transition from TM to ETL and if you have any regrets and if you could or would, what would you do differently or what would you have liked to have known before taking the plunge.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Internal to Intern? Process?

 

[Yetive]

Doesn't look like anyone here has taken that track. At my store, we have had several go from Tm to ETL.

One I worked with was placed at a store about 1 1/4 hours away. She worked there for over a year, but ended up leaving because she was having a tough time with her mgt team. She was the a store mgr for a smaller mall store. Now, she is basically a gstl for a grocery store. She likes being done when she punches out--she's not salary and prefers it. I think she wanted the title and raise, not so much the job.

Another who went through the process was placed as an ETL after the internship. He thrived and was promoted to STL within a few years.

Lastly, we had an intern who still had a year of school to complete after the internship. Back then, there wasn't extended internship and she had to stay on as a tl. She was an STL and then dtl in short order. She was candid in saying that if she hadn't been a tl, she never would have made it. She was not an internal, but I think her experience illustrates how important that year after the internship can be. You will already be offered the job, so use that time to really decide if that's what you want. I'm not sure what your position is now, but as an extended intern, tell them you want to have keys and an area so you can get a good idea of what is coming.

More will be expected of you than non internals, but you will definitely get more out of it as well. I know that you are set to be at your own store. They do swaps with other interns too. Try to do at least one of those. It would be beneficial to see how other stores work.

Good luck, and have fun with it.

 

[tgtguy]

We have a tm to etl at our store. He was promoted then went to another store now hes back. He should had stayed a tm though. Great guy but he is clueless as a etl ( even after almost two years ).

 

[cobycord]

They do swaps with other interns too. Try to do at least one of those. It would be beneficial to see how other stores work.

Good luck, and have fun with it.

I'll definitely have to ask about this intern swap. i'm grateful for everything my store's done and allowing me to get this internship but i really don't feel like i'll get a true experience at my own store. going somewhere fresh i feel like would give me a better grasp on what it takes to be a great ETL (cause i definitely don't wanna be the subject matter for a thread on here when i do became an ETL). My store pretty much right now runs off of TLs who've been there for 10+ years and it's low volume so it's pretty much repetition.

 

[cobycord]

We have a tm to etl at our store. He was promoted then went to another store now hes back. He should had stayed a tm though. Great guy but he is clueless as a etl ( even after almost two years ).

unfortunately that's the case with one of my ETLs, GREAT guy, VERY friendly, but he doesn't have the respect of any of his team feels like and get's sidetracked sometimes so things in his work center don't get completed like they should. Every visit we've gotten from the DTL he leaves work like she just took her belt off and told him to go to the backroom.

 

[tgtguy]

unfortunately that's the case with one of my ETLs, GREAT guy, VERY friendly, but he doesn't have the respect of any of his team feels like and get's sidetracked sometimes so things in his work center don't get completed like they should. Every visit we've gotten from the DTL he leaves work like she just took her belt off and told him to go to the backroom.

I dont see the etl ( one who was promoted from tm) lasting much longer. Honestly, the only reason he has lasted as long as he as is because the current and previous stl have looked out for him. The team leads run his areas....the few times he has tried he has made a mess of things. Then, when he is called on it somehow someway he blames it on someone else .

 

[mrknownothing]

I believe @snoboy8999 is in the process of becoming an ETL, but he doesn't post here that often. He had to move to a different district, though.

 

[cobycord]

I dont see the etl ( one who was promoted from tm) lasting much longer. Honestly, the only reason he has lasted as long as he as is because the current and previous stl have looked out for him. The team leads run his areas....the few times he has tried he has made a mess of things. Then, when he is called on it somehow someway he blames it on someone else .

If you hadn't said that your ETL moved to another store then back I would think we were talking about the same person

 

[masterofalltrades]

We have a tm to etl. As a team lead she was insufferable people we're literally cheering when she got promoted and left. Now she's back, but seems to be wayy less of a bitch. Maybe her other store got her attitude under control.

 

[snoboy8999]

guilty @mrknownothing !

basically, after looking into the best path for promoting as a TM to an ETL, i realized that it was best for me to relocate somewhere else and apply externally. took a definite risk in doing so, but it paid off. this also required taking time off from the company for another opportunity.

 

[cobycord]

guilty @mrknownothing !

basically, after looking into the best path for promoting as a TM to an ETL, i realized that it was best for me to relocate somewhere else and apply externally. took a definite risk in doing so, but it paid off. this also required taking time off from the company for another opportunity.

Do the pros outweigh the cons when comparing being a TM to being an ETL?

 

[snoboy8999]

haven't started as an ETL yet, but I'm pretty sure the pros will outweigh the cons simply due to the nature of my current work being much more time consuming than being an ETL is. plus i'd make more money than what I'm currently making. sounds like a win-win to me.

 

[snoboy8999]

but really i'm just in it for the groupmes and the inevitable fitbit challenges. i love groupme.

 

[BuzzyBee]

It has been spelled out to me that you cannot go from TL to ETL without a bachelor degree. Your alternative option is to become an SRTL but you can never go any further. In my experience I respect and feel that the SRTL's are more knowledgeable and make better leads.

 

[Coqui]

My ETL told me she's trying to get me to promote to ETL but I'm not sure I want that.

 

[Flabbergasted]

My ETL told me she's trying to get me to promote to ETL but I'm not sure I want that.

It is a massive headache. A completely different beast than TL. Yes it has its perks but it leaves little time for life outside the workplace -- I remember my ETL-AP telling me she did an 80-hour work week or two during the holiday season. Of course, since you're salaried, there is no OT and in theory you could work as many hours as Spot wanted you to and you've no say in the matter.

Personally, I could never do it. I say Sr. TL is the best option for someone who wants good pay and steady work hours but without the BS that comes with being an ETL. 40 hours is the max you can do and that means a work-life balance!

 

[Coqui]

It is a massive headache. A completely different beast than TL. Yes it has its perks but it leaves little time for life outside the workplace -- I remember my ETL-AP telling me she did an 80-hour work week or two during the holiday season. Of course, since you're salaried, there is no OT and in theory you could work as many hours as Spot wanted you to and you've no say in the matter.

Personally, I could never do it. I say Sr. TL is the best option for someone who wants good pay and steady work hours but without the BS that comes with being an ETL. 40 hours is the max you can do and that means a work-life balance!

Trust me I'm aware of all of that which is why I'm reluctant. Right now I'm in a good spot, I have control over my schedule, I have basically complete ownership of my work center and if I have to work more than 40 hours a week or more than 8 hours a day, I get OT. She knows I don't care to be an ETL.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I started as a TM and worked my way up through TL and Senior TL and am now an ETL. It will ALWAYS depend on your store when it comes to stress levels. I have a better balance now as an ETL than I did as a Senior TL at a crappy store (constant switching of schedules to figure out trucks, visits, and piecing together of disasters). I usually was the first to get OT approved as well so the 40 hour was a soft cap. At Target you just have to get used to the peaks and valleys for your positions. If you know how to roll with them and make them better then you might as well get paid as much as possible to deal with it

 

[Goingstrong]

I was a TM to TL to ETL.

 

[Tar Ghetto]

My old SF ETL used to be a TL. She said, "screw this. This is way too hard." And decided to shoot for ETL. @cobycord IMO, ETL jobs are way better than TM jobs in every aspect. Compare the expectations and pay of TMs vs ETLs. At my store, it's an easy decision.