If you are a high school student who wants to make some money, you most probably look forward to working at either some retail store or a fast-food restaurant. If you chose a retail store to work at, no doubt Target comes at the front position. Have you ever wondered what it is like to work at Target or even wanted to apply? Well, you are in the right place! In this article, you will come to know everything about working at Target and what you should expect if you have or want to apply for the job.
What is Target?
Target Corporation is an American retail brand founded by George Dayton in 1902. It is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Target is also considered the eighth largest retailer in the United States. It sells almost every kind of product from groceries to all pieces of household furniture.
What is the application and interview process for Target?
You have to apply online for the job through their official website. Once you have applied and the slots are available, you will receive a call within a week from them to schedule an interview. Now, for an interview, they will ask some questions about you and then some scenarios. For example, they will ask you to describe a time where you were so proud of yourself or how you will deal with an annoying customer and things like that. So prepare well for these types of questions and do some research about the company before going for an interview. And once you have successfully passed an interview, you will get a call from them within 2 to 3 days. You will then have to do a background check.
Orientation
Before you start the job, you will have to go through the orientation where you will learn all the logistics of the company by an HR. They will give you a tour around the store. You will learn about your salary, break timing and your work position. At the orientation, they will give you a folder with all the forms. Also, they will provide you with your name tag on the day of orientation itself.
What is the training at Target?
You will be trained for around three days. According to your position, they will train you to do your work. For example, if you’re going to be a cashier, they will teach you how to use a register. The training will cover a bunch of different rules you have to follow. They will talk about sexual harassment, what to do if a kid is lost, how to solve a customer’s problems, and things like that.
What are the requirements for working at Target?
Working at Target doesn’t necessarily need any educational qualifications. However, if you have some customer service background, it would be nice. If you are going to work at restocking, you need to be able to lift 50 pounds.
What is the dress code for Target?
The dress code for Targets may vary for different countries. In Washington, you are required to wear a red shirt or a top with your name tag. For bottoms, you are required to wear khakis or some plain pants. No jeans are allowed to wear on weekdays, but you can wear them on weekends. You have to wear sneakers, you cannot wear crocs or any open-toe shoes.
What are the different work positions at Target?
There are so many work positions available at Target. Some of which are mentioned below.
Cashier
Cashier helps people check out their items. After a couple of months of being a cashier, you will be trained to work at a self-checkout. At self-checkout, people scan their items and you just monitor and make sure there is not a problem. You have to answer questions to anyone having trouble with machines.
At services
So once you have worked as a cashier for several months, you are trained to work at services. Here you will learn a lot about returns, exchanges, price matches, and many more. You will learn how to help people find the items, and how to solve their complaints.
Retail
Retail consists of hardlines and soft lines. Hardlines means you will work in departments such as furniture, jewelry, electronics, appliances, and sports equipment. Whereas in soft lines you will work at clothing, accessories and beauty departments.
For example, the clothing department consists of basically hanging up the clothes. So when people want to go to the fitting room, you just open up the fitting room for them and take out all the clothes they don’t want. You have to refold it, organize it, and hang them back.
Restocking
Restocking means you will work in the backroom and help restock the items and pull out the items from the backroom ensuring the product is not damaged.
Cart attendant
Cart attendant collects carts from the parking lots. To work as a cart attendant, you must be willing to work outside all day long and you must be physically fit.
How much do employees get paid at Target?
In the United States, the average minimum wage for working at Target is $12 for an hour. The salary depends upon the position you are working at. For example, a cashier gets paid a minimum of $14 wage for an hour and, if you’re in restocking items, you will be paid a minimum of $14.50 for an hour.
What are the working schedules of Target?
You get your schedule two weeks in advance. So you know what hours you have to work within the next two weeks.
In terms of breaks, you get breaks every three hours and every five hours. So for every three hours, you are required to take a 15 minutes break, which will be paid for. And for five hours, you are required to take a 30-minute break. For this meal break, you need to sign in and out. So you won’t be paid during those 30 minutes.
What are the pros of Target employees?
1. Employee discount
All Target employees get a discount of 10% off on all the items. I know this is not that great of an employee discount but, Target sells everything from clothes to household essentials. On healthy food items like groceries and workout equipment, you will get 20% off and, that is just Target trying to encourage their employees to try to be more healthy and live an active lifestyle.
2. You can make a lot of friends
Target has a good and friendly working environment. And people of all different ages, so you get a chance to make friends of your age. And there are many turnarounds. So you will meet a new coworker almost every week. Also, you can get friendly with the frequent customers.
3. Flexible working hours
Once you’ve applied for the job, they ask about your availability. The management staff at Target are flexible with the working hours and will set a work schedule for you according to your availability. They are very understanding when it comes to your availability.
4. You know your work schedule in advance
They will let you know about your work schedule two weeks in advance. It will be really easy for you to figure out other things you want to do.
5. You will get satisfaction after helping a customer
Now, I know this is not a big deal, but it is satisfying seeing people happy because of you. Even though it is just by saying “Have a nice day!” or helping them find what they want. I know this is a part of your job, but still, it raises your spirit and motivates you to work.
What are the cons of working at Target?
1. Long working hours
You must realize that since Target is a big brand and sells almost everything, the number of customers you will get is insane. So if you’re working as a cashier, it can be very tiring. Especially during the holiday season, the kids are on their breaks, and the rush will be like crazy. So be prepared for that.
2. Annoying customer
For the most part, you will get good customers. However, some may ask silly questions just to annoy you. So try to be patient with them and always keep a smile on your face.
How is the workplace environment at Target?
There is a wide range of people who work at Target from high school students to the older ones who are about to be retired. So basically, people are working at Target from different backgrounds and different ages. So you will get to work with all kinds of people and have that sort of community other than school or college friends. Since Target is a big corporation, there are a lot of turnarounds. People come and go quickly and, almost every other week you will find a new coworker joining.
Some tips for people who have applied to work at Target
1. Make sure to bring the documents on orientation
You will do so much paperwork on your orientation day, so make sure to bring all the necessary documents while coming, like your school ID card, state ID, passport, license, and things like that.
2. Try to be patient and nice to the customers
One thing you must keep in mind if you are about to work at Target is to have good communication skills. You will get a lot of customers daily who may annoy you by asking dumb questions. However, try to cooperate with them well as much as possible because the manager is always on the lookout for good employees. They always have an eye on how well the employees handle the customers.
Conclusion
In my opinion, if you are a student, it is a great start to work at Target. Because not only you can make some money, but you will learn a lot about social life. Like how to handle people, how to help people and so much more. Your patience will increase a lot after working at Target.
