Month: April 2025

When I applied for the Target Executive Team Leader (ETL) Internship, I honestly didn’t pay too much attention to the job description. I was already interested in the opportunity because of Target’s reputation and the chance to gain real-world leadership experience, especially after talking with the recruiter at the career fair. The description mentioned that the role was “very team-oriented and results-driven,” but that alone didn’t really influence my decision to apply.

After starting the internship, though, I realized how accurate the job description actually was- even though I did not pay to much attention to it. It said I would learn how to impact financial, team, and operational performance—and that’s exactly what happened I feel like. I spent most of my time up front being guest facing, helping facilitate daily operations and making sure the team was properly staffed and positioned to keep things running smoothly. I also had to think ahead and communicate with team members so everyone was set up for success, and manage the age gap I had with a lot of my team members.

One part of the description that stood out was about working closely with a mentor and eventually leading their department. That was definitely true—I got a lot of support from my mentor Pat and gradually took on more responsibility over time. I actually had a cool opportunity where he had to leave on vacation 3 weeks in so I got to take over fully. The ongoing developmental conversations they promised were also something I appreciated. I always felt like my growth was a priority, and they wanted to invest in me to come back post grad.

Overall, even though the job description didn’t play a major role in my initial decision, it turned out to be a really good preview of the internship itself, and I would reccomend the read to someone. It was a strong match for what I actually experienced, especially when it came to leadership, teamwork, and hands-on learning.

If I came across a news article reporting that my favorite company was involved in a lawsuit for any act of discrimination against a group I identify with, it would definitely change the way I feel about the company. Knowing that they were not practicing fair or inclusive behaviors would make it hard for me to support them moving forward or even look at them the same. I wouldn’t be able to buy from them again without thinking about the unjust behavior and unnecessary pain they caused, and I would lose respect for the brand.

This would definitely influence my decision to support the company moving forward. If the company sold something I just wanted, I’d stop buying it altogether and look for a different brand that aligns better with my values. If it was something I truly needed and couldn’t easily replace, it might be trickier to fully step away from them, but I would be done promoting them for sure, or recommending them, or standing behind what they do. They would no longer represent a brand I feel like I could be proud to be associated with, and instead, I’d just view their products as items I needed, not something I respected or valued owning.

Finally, this situation would absolutely affect whether or not I would apply to work for them in the future. I wouldn’t want to align myself with a company culture that doesn’t treat all people fairly and commits acts of discrimmination. I hope to be in a leadership role one day, and being a part of an organization that’s known for discrimination doesn’t reflect the kind of environment I want to help lead or be associated with. Fairness and inclusion matter to me, and hopefullt for the company I work for, and a company that fails in that area is not one I could see myself working for.

Here is my take on Do Interviews Make or Break an Employer from a recent experience-

I first heard about the Target Executive Internship at a career fair I was attending for a class. I also had a couple of family members who had worked for Target and always spoke really highly of the company, so that definitely made me more interested in checking it out.

The application process was actually pretty smooth. After talking with a recruiter at the career fair, we scheduled a call later that week and went over the basics of the job, and he set me up with an interview with a store director from my region. She was the one who made the final call on whether I got the internship so I was realling nervous going in. Lucky for me the store director came into the call with such high energy and enthusiam for my desire to work at Target, and by the end of the call chose to accept me into the role! I was placed in Medford for the summer, which was an incredible experience. 

The interview was honestly way better than I expected. The recruiter and interviewer had such a positive energy that it felt more like a conversation than a stiff, formal interview. They also did a great job of keeping me updated throughout the process, so I never felt like I was just waiting around, not knowing what was happening. I belive they were also so transparent about what my duties in my intership would be that it made me even more excited to start. 

Even after my interview and internship, Target kept in touch, which I thought was really cool. The whole experience—from the way they recruited me to how they followed up—made me want to work for them even more. It really showed me how much a well-run hiring process can make or break someone’s excitement about a job.

And for me, the hiring process and the team culture won me over!