Archived After Target (looking for insight)

[Hustleandflow]

For those TMs that were promoted to guest (either voluntarily or not), can you shed some light into how you changed after Target? Was there any profound differences in your mental, emotional or physical person?

Target definitely keeps you moving, which I love. That is the extent of it. It's retail, and if you aren't looking to move up and be a TL or an ETL, I think the job is best suited for teens, college students, the retired, supplemental income folks, or people who just really love retail. I was ok with retail in my teens and twenties, when pretty much everyone was my age and it was fun. I'm a bit old (younger than 35 but older than 25) to be a tm, imo. But that's only because I do not like working retail. My passion lies elsewhere, and I am pursuing that through school. Target worked well for me because of the hours.
If working somewhere is draining you mentally, and something is telling you to leave, then try something new. Sometimes we stay unhappy in a place because it is not where we are supposed to be. Don't get stuck and stay miserable, spread your wings! You seem like a smart person, PogDog. As long as you leave on a good note, you can always go back if you really need to. Retail will always have positions.

 

[PogDog]

Target definitely keeps you moving, which I love. That is the extent of it. It's retail, and if you aren't looking to move up and be a TL or an ETL, I think the job is best suited for teens, college students, the retired, supplemental income folks, or people who just really love retail. I was ok with retail in my teens and twenties, when pretty much everyone was my age and it was fun. I'm a bit old (younger than 35 but older than 25) to be a tm, imo. But that's only because I do not like working retail. My passion lies elsewhere, and I am pursuing that through school. Target worked well for me because of the hours.
If working somewhere is draining you mentally, and something is telling you to leave, then try something new. Sometimes we stay unhappy in a place because it is not where we are supposed to be. Don't get stuck and stay miserable, spread your wings! You seem like a smart person, PogDog. As long as you leave on a good note, you can always go back if you really need to. Retail will always have positions.

Thanks! I agree with this assessment totally. I'm also trying! Appreciate the kind words too.

 

[IWishIKnew]

You know things are bad when there's just a straight up Post Traumatic Target Disorder coping thread. I'm still with Target, but I imagine leaving must feel like how it feels getting out of jail after a 20 year sentence and not knowing how to start your life again.

I have used the word "institutionalized*" with respect to my day job. I enjoy my day job most of the time, and have only rarely seriously considered leaving. When I do, I think about having to learn a new place, new culture, new everything. It's hard enough being the person who knows nothing at Target, after being the person who knows All the Things at my day job. I don't know how I'd fare starting over someplace else after 15 years.

Personally, I don't think PogDog's concern is specific only to Target. One would have those same feelings and fears no matter what company they worked for.

and

It's the shit we get told to do, the business practices, and shit from guests that's agonizing.

Yes, all of this, and it is true. Corporations are corporations. They all have their pluses & minuses, their BS and shining moments. I've been at the same place a long time and it really is the people that make it matter most. Corporate/job duty BS is par for the course, but if you've got good people around you it all evens out over time.

If you work with/for assholes, though? Fuggedaboutit. There are always going to be people you don't get along with, but if the assholes have taken over, GTFO. I would imagine at Target there's a lot of variation at stores & leadership that impacts team members' sanity.

Quick, and often poor, judgement calls are made to drive business.

This is pretty universal in public companies, not just retail. The entire focus is on the next quarterly earnings statement and there'll be hell to pay if you miss the "analysts" projections by $.25 on $5 billion in projected revenue and your stock price tanks and your company is suddenly worthless. *eyeroll*