Archived To stay or not to stay

[seniorTL32]

So i have been approached by my STL to apply for the Vml postion. Thing is i am already a hardlinea senior team leader she says that if i get the position it would be great exposer and she has better chance at fighting for me to be an ETL without a degree. My issue is that i keep tossing and turning with the idea...i have been with target for five years and have been promoted four times. Should i take this leap?!?! Need advice and help here from target people everywhere pleasssse.

 

[trgt5plus]

Do you think you can do the position? Do you have an eye for style. Also don't take the bs that you would have to fight to be an etl with no degree , 3 of the last 3 people I know promoted did not have a degree. The big question is are you suited for the position? This position will put you in the spotlight , weekly conference calls, and photo's submitted via red wire, of course that means you better have some amazing merchandising skills. Also are you willing to give up LOD shifts, that keeps you in the spotlight too. What are your qualifications?

 

[RetailWorld]

Same pay, no LOD duties. Probably a better schedule

BUT, Target lately has been notorious for creating positions then eliminating them a year or 2 later. So keep that in mind.

 

[Voicetarget]

So i have been approached by my STL to apply for the Vml postion. Thing is i am already a hardlinea senior team leader she says that if i get the position it would be great exposer and she has better chance at fighting for me to be an ETL without a degree. My issue is that i keep tossing and turning with the idea...i have been with target for five years and have been promoted four times. Should i take this leap?!?! Need advice and help here from target people everywhere pleasssse.

Pros:
-No LOD shifts
-Pg17, around same pay as senior TL
-Seen as willing to take a challenge, adaptable
-If sales are boosted, your efforts will be spotlighted

Cons:
-weekly redwire photos to submit/ weekly conference calls
-small (1-2) or no direct team
-its a new position that is still in its beta. Your responsibilities will prob change very constantly, to your inconvenience
-less interaction with ETLs,


Weigh out what you think will be the best track for you to be an ETL. sometimes you have to take chances, but sometimes its saying No that keeps you on your right path..

 

[RetailWorld]

Also keep in mind that your challenges will be the same ones you are currently dealing with with no extra resolution.

Example, you're now in charge in trend runs. You never get enough product for your trend runs, and as a result, they always look like crap and you end up flexing in CLR. Being the VMTL, you're not going to get any extra authority to get product in or get the product necessary to keep them looking brand. At best, you'll have some extra time to flex in "appropriate" product from salesplanners rather than "easily merched/demerched" product. Personally I'm a fan of giving market-facing trend runs to bulk water/beverage vendors.

 

[GSAhole]

Everybody has given really good advice and weighed pros and cons really well.

However, the most important thing is that if you still don't feel in your heart that it's right, then don't take it. Always trust your gut, don't rely on somebody else's suggestion. Take what everyone else has said into account, yes, but make sure your choice, whatever it may be, actually FEELS right.

 

[GSAhole]

Same pay, no LOD duties.

So this is what is tripping me up. So although as VML you won't have LOD duties as a Sr. would, your STL is claiming that this will give you a better chance at fighting for becoming ETL...but if you downgrade your responsibilities, how is that helping? Yeah, you'll keep the same paygrade, but your Sr. responsibilities are not there. And while that may be comfortable, if you are in fact wanting to become an ETL I don't see how this helps you.

May there be different motives involved?

 

[PlanoBitch]

So this is what is tripping me up. So although as VML you won't have LOD duties as a Sr. would, your STL is claiming that this will give you a better chance at fighting for becoming ETL...but if you downgrade your responsibilities, how is that helping? Yeah, you'll keep the same paygrade, but your Sr. responsibilities are not there. And while that may be comfortable, if you are in fact wanting to become an ETL I don't see how this helps you.

May there be different motives involved?

This is the reason I decided not to take the VML position. I am a SrPPTL and I felt like even though the paygrade is the same I would be taking a demotion. Not to mention be careful about losing pay for not having a key anymore.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

This is the reason I decided not to take the VML position. I am a SrPPTL and I felt like even though the paygrade is the same I would be taking a demotion. Not to mention be careful about losing pay for not having a key anymore.

Looking at other VML postings, I agree with you.

 

[seniorTL32]

So i am totally new to this site and i cannot quite figure out how to respond to some lol. But i felt as if different motives are involved as well. I dont know if it is the sense of "power"with my keys that is tripping me up the most. I love to ptm and re-merchandise it is my favorite thing to do..as well as making up my own sales planners....maybe i should.go through the interviews and if they still decided to go with me i could ask for more money and if they say no then decline the position. I want to move up so badly but my district is so stuck on having a degree...we have went through about five brand new to target etl's that did not make it. Frustrating.

 

[Coqui]

I don't understand why Target is so stuck with the notion that to be considered for an ETL position you need to have a college degree. I'm not interested in being an ETL or a Sr TL but for those who do, it's not fair to me that qualified TLs and Sr TLs cannot move up because of that. It's ridiculous. Many companies promote to equivalent positions without degrees.

 

[redeye58]

It used to be considered the mark of a mature & disciplined person, someone who had committed to years of work to earn a degree.
When you find out what many of these candidates' degrees are in & they brag about their exploits during college however, it tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
Spot's reasoning on outside hiring is to bring in 'new blood & a fresh perspective' which is legit in any business.
Where it goes awry is wanting newbies who aren't part of the current culture because they are less likely to challenge & push back more readily & are more likely to be ardent koolaid drinkers.

 

[GSAhole]

To me, this is what it looks like:

VML is the same paygrade as a senior position. So it would benefit Target more if they moved a Senior over from their normal workcenter to VML and then hired somebody as a regular TL, at regular TL pay, to take over your workcenter. That way they dont have you and Johnny VML at PG 17...they just have you as VML at PG 17 and then hire a regular TL to take over your old workcenter at a lower paygrade. The con for them is that they would lose an LOD, but the salaried ETL's can likely take on some extra LOD shifts to cover your absence or however they want to work that out.

 

[cmat21]

I don't understand why Target is so stuck with the notion that to be considered for an ETL position you need to have a college degree. I'm not interested in being an ETL or a Sr TL but for those who do, it's not fair to me that qualified TLs and Sr TLs cannot move up because of that. It's ridiculous. Many companies promote to equivalent positions without degrees.

It's simple

1. Can offer them less pay
2. They can force the kool-aid down easier
3. More likely to have the asshole factor