How To Get A Job At Target

Target is one of the largest retail chains in the United States, with nearly 2000 stores in 2021.

Each location employs, on average, 150-200 workers to assist customers, stock shelves, and perform a wide variety of other duties to keep the store running.

No matter your current level of experience, you’ll likely be able to find a position at a local Target that suits your specific set of skills.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the common job titles offered at Target, as well as provide key tips to help you impress their hiring managers and ace the interview.

Types of Jobs at Target

Target stores sell a wide variety of products and service thousands of customers each day. Many job titles are working together at each store to make this possible and ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

Here are some of the common job positions you can find at Target:

1. Cashier

   Average hourly pay: $13 per hour

   The main duty of cashiers is to help customers check out their purchases in a polite and timely manner.

   They also:

   • Assist customers when self-checkout machines aren’t working properly.

   • Use their knowledge of the store’s checkout systems to answer customer questions.

   • Leave a positive last impression on the customer before they leave the store by being polite and friendly.

   Being a cashier at Target is a great entry-level way to build experience if you’re a student or just breaking into the workforce.

   The customer service and problem-solving skills you’ll learn will serve you well in a wide variety of unrelated professions you may choose to pursue in the future.

2. Cart attendant

   Average hourly pay: $9.68 per hour

   Cart attendants are primarily tasked with retrieving shopping carts from target parking lots and ferrying them back into the store.

   Their other duties include:

   • Providing general assistance to merchandise stockers, sales associates, and other Target employees.

   • Stocking shelves and performing cleaning tasks during free time.

   • Assisting customers with any questions or concerns they may have.

   Cart attendant duties typically require little training or previous job experience, making the position a great opportunity to add some work to an empty resume.

3. Team Leader

   Average hourly pay: $19 per hour

   Team leaders use their leadership, communication, and merchandising skills to enhance their employees’ performance and boost store sales.

   If you decide to take on this role, you’ll be tasked with:

   • Monitoring Target staff members across various specialties and levels.

   • Setting sales goals for employees and motivating them to achieve.

   • Identifying store inefficiencies and problems and then implementing changes to improve those areas.

   • Use customer service skills to deal with customer concerns pleasantly and satisfactorily.

   Working as a team lead will provide you with many skills that will be useful and desirable throughout your entire career.

   Learning to become a great leader will always set you apart from the competition.

4. Merchandise stocker

   Average hourly pay: $10.86

   The main duties of Target merchandise stockers include:

   • Stocking shelves with available products in a well-organized and efficient manner.

   • Ensuring that displayed products for products are accurate and up-to-date.

   • Maintaining a safe and clean work environment for customers passing through or shopping nearby.

   • Politely answering the questions or concerns of any customer that happens to approach them.

Where to Find Target Jobs

We’ve got you covered if you’re interested in pursuing a job at Target and don’t know where to get started. Here are some common, reliable sources where you can apply for such positions:

• Job boards. Reputable online job boards are the default tool you should turn to find a job at Target.

  You can use them to easily and conveniently search, read about, and apply to any vacancies available.

  Have a look at Zippia’s job boards to find Target positions that are hiring in 2021.

• Target’s career page. Target also has its career website that’ll allow you to search for and apply to open positions.

  We recommend checking out job boards before using Target’s website, however, as they tend to be more streamlined and user-friendly.

• Staffing agency. If you would like to work at Target but wouldn’t mind similar work at other companies, you could always contact your local staffing agency.

  They’ll interview you to learn about your job history and skills and then connect you with employers hiring for related positions in the area.

• Referral. If you know someone who currently works at Target, ask them if they’ll be willing to refer you for a job.

  This will greatly improve your chances of receiving an interview, as hiring managers prioritize referred candidates.

  Your contact will also be able to provide you an internal look into the specific skills and qualities you should display to get a job at their store.

Tips for Applying to a Position at Target

Here are some important tips to help you maximize your chances of securing a job at Target:

• Learn Target’s values. Companies typically want their employees to convey and represent the positive values they stand for when it comes to customer-facing positions.

  For Target, these values include:

  1. Being friendly, fun, and collaborative around other team members.

  2. Fostering work environments that are diverse and inclusive.

  3. Leaving a positive impression on customers.

• Study the commonly asked questions at Target interviews. If you learn what types of questions interviewers frequently ask at a certain company, you can narrow down which you need to prepare for and be more efficient.

  Google “Target [job title] interview questions” and identify which questions are common across many different sources and then focus on them.

  These questions will likely relate to your customer service skills and ability to work in a fast-paced work environment.

Target Interview Process

The interviewer at the local Target was impressed by your online job application and now wants to interview you to see if you’re the right candidate for the job.

Take a moment to congratulate yourself before preparing for the next step.

Here are the interview stages at Target that you’ll need to prepare for:

• Relaxed first-stage interview. There’s a multi-stage interview process that you’ll need to pass to obtain a job at Target. The first stage is typically the most laid-back and is designed to assess your overall personality.

  It’ll begin with a brief assessment that you’ll need to fill out. They’re usually fairly short and delve deeper into the same types of questions you answered on the initial Target job application.

  Next, you’ll be interviewed on the phone, often by the person who will be your supervisor. You can expect to answer general questions about your resume and the kind of person you are.

  They will also be trying to determine if you would be a good fit to work with them and the rest of the team.

• Second interview. If the first interview has gone well, you’ll receive an email or phone call from an interviewer notifying you that they’re interested in meeting with you again, this time face-to-face. You’ll then be asked to schedule a second appointment.

  This section may include several interviewers that will ask you questions during the same interview session. The assistant store manager will almost always be present.

  Before COVID-19, these interviews were always conducted in person. These days, you’ll usually instead meet using video-chat software such as Zoom.

  The questions you receive will typically be more difficult than those you faced during the first interview stage.

Target Interview Questions and Answers

Here are some common questions that are asked during interviews at Target:

1. Why do you want to work for Target? You’ll receive this question early on at nearly any Target position you apply for.

   Your enthusiasm and genuine interest in working at Target are extremely important, as you’ll be dealing with customers on a day-to-day basis.

   The interviewer wants to make sure that you’ll display a cheerful attitude and smile to these customers, as that will reflect positively onto the store.

   Here’s a sample answer that will satisfy these concerns:

   I want to work at Target because I love collaborating with teams and dealing with customers.

   I’m a very social person and look forward to answering customer questions and making their shopping experiences more pleasant.

2. How would you define customer service?

   Make sure to emphasize key elements of good customer service such as:

   • Genuinely listening and considering customer concerns.

   • Being polite and attentive.

   • Always conveying a positive attitude.

   • Leave a lasting positive impression on the customer.

3. If a customer was searching for a product but didn’t remember the name, what would you do?

   The interviewer wants to make sure you have the following traits:

   • Patience

   • Communication skills

   • Enthusiasm when it comes to helping customers.

   • Problem-solving skills

   Here’s a great sample answer that demonstrates all these traits:

   I would do anything it takes to find the product for the customer and make their shopping experience satisfactory.

   More specifically, I would politely ask them to tell me what they know about the product. I would then use my knowledge of the store’s products to offer possible suggestions.

   If that doesn’t work, I would then use my knowledge of the store layout to recommend where they should search. I would also offer to grab a store specialist in that type of product, whether it be electronics, produce, or pharmaceutical, to assist them.

4. Suppose a customer became verbally abusive. How would you respond?

   Whether you agree with the adage of “the customer is always right,” it’s the attitude every Target interviewer will expect you to take on.

   You need to demonstrate patience, restraint, and an attitude that prioritizes the customer’s satisfaction above all.

   Here’s a sample answer that does just that:

   I would never respond negatively in-kind, as I believe as Target staff members, we should always put the customer first. I would first attempt to find and offer a solution to whatever problem is causing the customer to become irate.

   If there is no such solution, I would politely offer to find another staff member who might be able to assist them.

5. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a disagreement between two individuals.

   Disputes and disagreements are inevitable in any team environment.

   Interviewers want to see whether you have excellent communication and collaborative skills and an ability to foster cohesion among other team members.

   As with all situational questions, the best way to answer this prompt is by structuring your answer with the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR method).

   Here’s a sample answer to show you how it’s done:

   Yes, I periodically had to resolve disputes among my team members at my previous assistant manager position at Walmart.

   In one such instance, I observed that two employees were not getting along.

   My first step was to speak with them individually and listen to their concerns and points of view. I then gathered the two employees and calmly explained each party’s perspective. Now that each person had a better understanding of where the other person was coming from, I offered a compromise that touched upon both of their concerns.

   The result is that both employees stopped arguing and worked with each other freely with positive attitudes.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.