Archived VM TL

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So my wife has been trying to get a VML position in the Minneapolis, MN metro area since the positions were announced last fall. She's interviewed at at least 3 different stores and finally got a break and has a 2nd interview with the store manager (and someone from HR I think) next week at one of the stores.

Any suggestions as to what the 2nd interview might be like and things she might want to do to prep for it? She has a number of years of VM experience in the furniture industry, both from the retail and corporate side of the business. I know in her past interviews she never brought examples of her work but this time we're going to have photos of some of the work she's done to show.

One thing that she's been wondering about is whether or not her age has been a factor in getting passed over? She's 49 but looks 10 years younger (although if you look at her resume you can figure age out easily enough).

Thanks in advance...

Laz
 
LazarusLong said:
So my wife has been trying to get a VML position in the Minneapolis, MN metro area since the positions were announced last fall. She's interviewed at at least 3 different stores and finally got a break and has a 2nd interview with the store manager (and someone from HR I think) next week at one of the stores.

Any suggestions as to what the 2nd interview might be like and things she might want to do to prep for it? She has a number of years of VM experience in the furniture industry, both from the retail and corporate side of the business. I know in her past interviews she never brought examples of her work but this time we're going to have photos of some of the work she's done to show.

One thing that she's been wondering about is whether or not her age has been a factor in getting passed over? She's 49 but looks 10 years younger (although if you look at her resume you can figure age out easily enough).

Thanks in advance...

Laz
Click to expand...

Our VML is in his fifties. Age shouldn't be an issue.
 
Age is not an issue ( I'm no longer in my 40's either 😉...... but experience and confidence goes a L O N G way !!! My second interview was just like what you'd expect..... typical "tell me a time when...." type interview questions. She won't WIN with giving the average answer. Here's my suggestion: Tell your wife to Talk "business". Talk "dollars". Talk "bold". Talk "decisive". From my short, but impactful, experience..... Target is going forward with us being "assertive business partners". Target TLs no longer wait for their ETLs to tell them what to do. WE show them what we're going to do to IMPACT business. We base our daily decisions on sales numbers and capitalize on business opportunities. We CHASE the business. Be confident that you can IMPROVE the business because YOU are a "forward thinker".
Best of luck to the Mrs. !!!!
 
sprinkles on top said:
Age is not an issue ( I'm no longer in my 40's either 😉...... but experience and confidence goes a L O N G way !!! My second interview was just like what you'd expect..... typical "tell me a time when...." type interview questions. She won't WIN with giving the average answer. Here's my suggestion: Tell your wife to Talk "business". Talk "dollars". Talk "bold". Talk "decisive". From my short, but impactful, experience..... Target is going forward with us being "assertive business partners". Target TLs no longer wait for their ETLs to tell them what to do. WE show them what we're going to do to IMPACT business. We base our daily decisions on sales numbers and capitalize on business opportunities. We CHASE the business. Be confident that you can IMPROVE the business because YOU are a "forward thinker".
Best of luck to the Mrs. !!!!
Click to expand...

I wish they paid me a few more dollars to do this in grocery and make a VML type postion for our entire market section 🙂 There is some stuff I would just not even order and get rid of and stuff that sells like garbage on endcaps.
 
sprinkles on top said:
Age is not an issue ( I'm no longer in my 40's either 😉...... but experience and confidence goes a L O N G way !!! My second interview was just like what you'd expect..... typical "tell me a time when...." type interview questions. She won't WIN with giving the average answer. Here's my suggestion: Tell your wife to Talk "business". Talk "dollars". Talk "bold". Talk "decisive". From my short, but impactful, experience..... Target is going forward with us being "assertive business partners". Target TLs no longer wait for their ETLs to tell them what to do. WE show them what we're going to do to IMPACT business. We base our daily decisions on sales numbers and capitalize on business opportunities. We CHASE the business. Be confident that you can IMPROVE the business because YOU are a "forward thinker".
Best of luck to the Mrs. !!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions! She was offered a position last night that she accepted and will be going in on Friday for paperwork...anything specific she needs to know about or that she needs to bring?

Thanks again!
 
Congrats to the Mrs. !!! Her paperwork is just like everyone else's. Nothing special there. Once she's finished w/ the "orientation", she'll have several hours of computer-based training re: VMTL position/ Adjacencies/Style Guides/Brand Team Members etc. Suggest that she prints everything she can just to be familiar w/ the expectation and she'll be able to create a binder of reference material. Once she hits the floor; suggest to her that she should attempt to follow all our guidelines; but to layer in HER business experience and taste-level. If she can stand behind her ideas and decisions; and she can back those decisions up w/ improved sales results..... she'll be GREAT !! The sooner she can read business numbers the better !! Nothing is more convincing than increased business $$$$$$$$ !!!! She should also be very willing to partner w/ a lot of people !! This way..... everyone is aware of the work she does and the changes she's making to impact the presentation of the store. 🙂
 
sprinkles on top said:
Congrats to the Mrs. !!! Her paperwork is just like everyone else's. Nothing special there. Once she's finished w/ the "orientation", she'll have several hours of computer-based training re: VMTL position/ Adjacencies/Style Guides/Brand Team Members etc. Suggest that she prints everything she can just to be familiar w/ the expectation and she'll be able to create a binder of reference material. Once she hits the floor; suggest to her that she should attempt to follow all our guidelines; but to layer in HER business experience and taste-level. If she can stand behind her ideas and decisions; and she can back those decisions up w/ improved sales results..... she'll be GREAT !! The sooner she can read business numbers the better !! Nothing is more convincing than increased business $$$$$$$$ !!!! She should also be very willing to partner w/ a lot of people !! This way..... everyone is aware of the work she does and the changes she's making to impact the presentation of the store. 🙂
Click to expand...

Sprinkles...

So what's your work schedule normally like? I believe she was told she would be working every other weekend (not sure if that's Saturday and Sunday or just one of the 2 days). I'm sure every store can be slightly different but imagine there's some sort of standard? Honestly looking to having some weekends off as she's worked every Saturday except 2 in the past 12+ months - hard to plan some weekend fun! Not sure if it matters but the store she'll be working in is a SuperStore.

BTW, she'd be posting on here but she doesn't spend much time on online forums (more Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. LOL)
 
LazarusLong said:
Sprinkles...

So what's your work schedule normally like? I believe she was told she would be working every other weekend (not sure if that's Saturday and Sunday or just one of the 2 days). I'm sure every store can be slightly different but imagine there's some sort of standard? Honestly looking to having some weekends off as she's worked every Saturday except 2 in the past 12+ months - hard to plan some weekend fun! Not sure if it matters but the store she'll be working in is a SuperStore.

BTW, she'd be posting on here but she doesn't spend much time on online forums (more Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. LOL)
Click to expand...

Our VML does 6-230 Monday through Friday and every other weekend both sat and Sunday
 
Joejoe12 said:
Ours chose to take Thursday off. Schedule looks like this

If they work the weekend
Sun
Mom
Tues
Wed
Thrus off
Fri
Sat off

If they don't work the weekend
Sun off
Monday
Ties
We'd
Thrus off
Fri
Sat
Click to expand...

Guess I'm sorta confused by your schedule lol...all we care about is she can get a full weekend off (every other) so we can actually spend our weekends together! 🙂
 
LazarusLong said:
Sprinkles...

So what's your work schedule normally like? I believe she was told she would be working every other weekend (not sure if that's Saturday and Sunday or just one of the 2 days). I'm sure every store can be slightly different but imagine there's some sort of standard? Honestly looking to having some weekends off as she's worked every Saturday except 2 in the past 12+ months - hard to plan some weekend fun! Not sure if it matters but the store she'll be working in is a SuperStore.

BTW, she'd be posting on here but she doesn't spend much time on online forums (more Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. LOL)
Click to expand...


My schedule is very similar to Joejoe12's store. My store is a Super Target as well. I work early shifts; and have every other weekend off. Early shifts are critical to me and my STL. We believe it's important that I have an ongoing partnership with the Flow Team and the Plano Team; since they handle the merchandise first. I feel very fortunate to have that schedule.... because some of my peers in nearby stores have completely different schedules.... opening shifts, mid shifts, nights. IMO, their schedule is not productive to the workload. A VMTL should be very "hands on"; and work with the proper teams. It's probably something that your wife and her STL will have to balance out. And.... I'll mention it again ---- it's all about business and profit. If she's partnering/training/developing the teams to build the bu$iness; then the STL will probably see a HUGE advantage to a VMTL with a steady schedule.
 
sprinkles on top said:
My schedule is very similar to Joejoe12's store. My store is a Super Target as well. I work early shifts; and have every other weekend off. Early shifts are critical to me and my STL. We believe it's important that I have an ongoing partnership with the Flow Team and the Plano Team; since they handle the merchandise first. I feel very fortunate to have that schedule.... because some of my peers in nearby stores have completely different schedules.... opening shifts, mid shifts, nights. IMO, their schedule is not productive to the workload. A VMTL should be very "hands on"; and work with the proper teams. It's probably something that your wife and her STL will have to balance out. And.... I'll mention it again ---- it's all about business and profit. If she's partnering/training/developing the teams to build the bu$iness; then the STL will probably see a HUGE advantage to a VMTL with a steady schedule.
Click to expand...
Ours does that rotating time thing. Complete crap. But then again my furniture endcaps are only ever set to pog, no creativity at all. First thing she did was take off the fake flowers I added to the kitchen table "because they don't call for them"
 
signingminion said:
Ours does that rotating time thing. Complete crap. But then again my furniture endcaps are only ever set to pog, no creativity at all. First thing she did was take off the fake flowers I added to the kitchen table "because they don't call for them"
Click to expand...

Oh my wife will be trying to do as much creative stuff as she can! Her prior experience was with retail furniture stores placing the home accents where nothing was really POG so she had a ton of flexibility...if anything this will be a change for her (being more stuck to a POG)...
 
LazarusLong said:
Oh my wife will be trying to do as much creative stuff as she can! Her prior experience was with retail furniture stores placing the home accents where nothing was really POG so she had a ton of flexibility...if anything this will be a change for her (being more stuck to a POG)...
Click to expand...

My experience also comes from a different (pog-less) retail background..... so, you're correct when you say ".....this will be a change for her". Eventually, you get used to it; and really it's only a challenge in Hardlines. Let's use the Trend Runs, for example: We've been given the freedom to move things around in an aesthetically pleasing manner (flexing and filling).... but then we use A LOT of flip labels ! Very confusing for the Flow Team (sorry)..... but it's "best for the guest" when our stores look creative and inspiring. As for Softlines? The Adjancency books are only a "guide". And it's a very vague "guide". She'll have a great deal of freedom merchandising the fashion in her store. Her VMML (Market Leader) will become her best resource when it comes to "out of the box" thinking. I communicate w/ mine on a regular basis, complete w/ photos !!
🙂
 
So working an event as a vendor today at Macy's...visual team was supposed to clear the mannequins and GIANT light up star for us...guess who is sitting behind the star? And we wanyed to steal these people? Three different sections have had nothing good to say about them at this store....
 
So a while back my VML approached me and mentioned putting a good word in for me in terms of helping her out with setup. This was a few months back. Fast forward to just yesterday, and as it turns out she was in fact supposed to get a visual merchandising team member back in March. Does anyone else have any actual visual merchandising team members? Is this a real thing? Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?






But yeah, anyone else have this in their stores?
 
2Spooky4U said:
So a while back my VML approached me and mentioned putting a good word in for me in terms of helping her out with setup. This was a few months back. Fast forward to just yesterday, and as it turns out she was in fact supposed to get a visual merchandising team member back in March. Does anyone else have any actual visual merchandising team members? Is this a real thing? Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?


But yeah, anyone else have this in their stores?
Click to expand...

Some stores have 1. Some have 2. Some have none and just have other Brand team members help them.
 
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