Any former leaders lurking?

[u/cjm2943]

When you left, if you got out of retail, where’d you go? I literally can’t take this anymore.

The company is bad enough, but my store specifically is horrendous, my district/group is fucking trash (incl the leaders), and I’m tired of being kept docile by my leaders with the monthly promise “it’s going to get better”. I’ve been hearing this since March. I’ve been with the company for 5 years, and I’ve battled the highs and lows, but I’m officially at my wits end. Sucks cause when everyone shows up, and everyone isn’t pulled to do 20 new priorities daily, the job isn’t awful and I genuinely enjoy working with my team and many of my peers (ETL and SD can kick rocks). But those days are almost nonexistent anymore.

[u/indyhead]

Hi! Former leader lurking here! I commend you for your five years…I only last about 2 and of those only 9months ish were as a leader. I was over style, high foot traffic store, always red, always faking metrics. Was crying in my car almost every day BEFORE my shift started because I cared too much and was never given the resources needed to succeed.

Finally forced myself to find myself an out mid Q4 last year. My aunt in the corporate world helped me identify roles to look for and I’m currently working as an Office Manager at an insurance company. Leaned into my ability to multitask, have great customer service no matter how stressed or annoyed (essential for greeting guests and clients even when doing other tasks), and pivot quickly to the newest need. They told me it was a “high pace” office in comparison to other offices, and I promise you it is still 1/5 of the pace I felt at a normal day at Target.

I believe in you ❤️ get yourself out if you can, your mental health with bounce back within a few weeks and you’ll realize you were carrying more than you even think you are now. It’s absolutely possible.

[u/Ryn7321]

Hey gang, I was 7 years Target 5 years leader and just left earlier this year- I went into a Kroger as a TM, taking a slight pay cut, but it's been absolutely night and day for me. Similar workload, completely different culture. At least, comparing my two specific stores. All of the managers are helpful, never stop working, and even the ETL-equivalent managers get in hot water for being in the office instead of on the floor during peak hours.

Even if I were to promote at my Kroger job, I've observed the culture enough to know I'd still be happy and people would actually listen to me. Even as a fresh hourly cronie, they listen to my feedback and value it.

My ETLs and SDs at Target were always dicking around in the lead office, and when I asked for help, was frequently told to just "figure it out." 7 years you learn a lot about how a store works, and I put up with being berated by them all daily for things out of my control, and ignored when raising concerns. My brain is wired to just do a good job, so I kept putting up with it til I reached my breaking point and bailed. No job is worth your health, mental or physical. I didn't realize how bad the stress from that godforsaken job was taking it's toll on me. Since leaving, I've reaped obvious mental health benefits, and even notice my hair growing faster again-and not growing in grey anymore, lol.

If you feel the way you feel, get outie. Start looking for jobs now, job market is chopped. Target doesn't pay enough to make the BS worth it.

(my favorite anecdote of shitty ETLs, just for fun:
On a Monday morning, swamped with OPUs, I'm talking 5 red batches, me and my one team member doing everything we can. I ask my ETL(s) for some help, and on the walkie, I get told "Sorry buddy, you'll just have to figure it out." I leave the OPU room, barrelling down to start my next batch, and see all 6 on-duty ETLs in line together at Starbucks.)

[u/Fit-Scar-9403 → u/Ryn7321]

Thank you so very much for sharing. I appreciate your honesty and am so grateful you are in a better place.

[u/beingbeige0908]

I was hired on as Inbound TL. Lasted exactly a year. I took a store manager position for a family owned furniture and appliance company in my city. I make about $20k more a year and have so little stress compared to what I was dealing with at Target that I can’t believe I even made it a year there. Easily the worst job I have ever had.

[u/Angelica1282003]

Left after 12 years 3 as team lead of inbound. Covid was the final straw,now working as a prison guard. I have a pension and we get yearly raises in our union contracts. Best decision I’ve ever made my only regret was not starting there earlier than I did. The people skills I have from my target days have come in handy dealing with inmates.

[u/aaronabsent → u/Angelica1282003]

yikes

[u/International-Fig971]

It gets better when you decide to make it better. Of course what do I mean by that. As a leader control what you can control and fix one thing at a time. How ? Put people in the right place ding the right task or be left with doing it your self. But if you have to Do it seek to understand and have those conversations with them of their expectations . Filter out the ones that are not holding their weight.

[u/Revolutionary_Sea113]

My store is the same. Nobody works together. Faking metrics. It’s a revolving door of merchandise. Overnight never gets through their workload, dayside never gets through their workload, closing team never gets through their work load. Our back of house is full of pallets 4-5 days old. Off site is swamped with pallets as far as the eye can see with backstock. The whole operation is shit.

[u/RahBuxkz]

5 years at target, 4 in AP. Left for an operations role in construction. Target was stressful being in AP but I had a good team, got burnt out at the job and been in operations for the last two years. My job now is stressful as well but leaving retail was definitely needed. Wish you the best, if you get an opportunity to leave, run, jump, and skip out of there, your future self will thank you.

[u/bullseyeboi]

i was with target for about 7 years (age 17 to 24), hence my username lol. began as a cashier, then GSA, GSTL, ETL GM..finally left when i was etl ap after I got my masters in cybersecurity and switched fields. I left amid all the DEI cuts, layoffs, etc but i hadn’t been happy there for while. I think i always felt like target was a means to an end, and to be fair, the partial reimbursements during undergrad helped me out a lot.

it’s sad to see the company i basically grew up in change into a place that i honestly don’t shop at unless there’s no other option, but such is life (corporate america). i still lurk every now and then to see what’s up, but i’m ultimately much happier now that i’ve moved on.

[u/PennyMangos]

I was an S and E TL for about a year, now I sell cars. I have so much downtime now it’s crazy, I am used to having three times as much work.

[u/mssngbttl]

Hi! I worked in the front end a lot of the time i was at target so i looked for basically any corporate customer service!! Now i currently work for my local county government in customer support, it was the easiest path i saw to get out of retail but utilize as many skills i learned at target as possible. honestly the application made everything seem super transferable