Time flies when you’re having fun! With fall just around the corner—can you believe it?—it’s already time to say farewell to Target’s summer interns as they wrap up their programs and head back to school or on to new adventures.
In July, you met Caitlynn, Zunerah and Hannah, three of our interns working on three very different (and challenging!) areas of our business. Before they officially hang up their red and khaki, we checked back in to see how the rest of their program went and hear some of their favorite moments on the job—and what they’ll take away from the experience.
Caitlynn Davis
Human Resources (HR) intern at a Target store in Denver, Co.
Favorite part of your gig? “Spending my summer with so many awesome people! The team was so much fun and I really looked forward to coming to work each day.”
Best advice from a teammate: “Our sales floor team member, Brooke, told me that to be a great leader, I needed to be ‘global.’ That means I should know what’s going on in my work center just as much as any other one. My success is not autonomous, but synonymous with that of the entire store."
What’s one thing you learned on this job that you’ll use in the future? “The role relationships play in everyday life. It’s important to have high-performing teams and to work hard, but equally important to have fun and build good relationships with the people you spend so much of your time with. A happy team is a hardworking team.”
Favorite memory with the team: “The karaoke machine! We took it to store huddles and serenaded our team with the Fresh Prince and Salt ‘n Peppa—that’s a memory I’ll hold fondly!”
Shoutout to next year’s class of interns: “Make mistakes, ask questions, and have as much fun as possible. I learned that a good attitude can go a long way when your knowledge of Target is still growing.”
Zunerah Syed
Planning Analyst intern at Target’s Minneapolis headquarters
Favorite part of your gig? “Definitely the Outer Spaces innovation talks held at Target Plaza Commons. They helped me branch out and participate in events that supported my personal development and also gave me a clearer view of all the things Target stands for.”
Best advice from a teammate: “I developed great bonds with two of my co-workers, and got to know them from both a personal and professional standpoint. Among other things, they helped me see the importance of work-life balance.”
What’s one thing you learned on this job that you’ll use in the future? “The importance of building a network, both within and outside of your department, and developing your own personal ‘brand’ while you’re here. It’ll give you a real-life glimpse of what it might be like if you decide to work full-time with Target.”
Shoutout to next year’s class of interns: “Your internship is what you make of it, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to team members in completely different areas of the company. Doing this will help you figure out your own interests as well!”
Hannah Ihssen
Distribution Operations intern at Target’s Upstream Distribution Center (UDC) in DeKalb, Ill.
Favorite part of your gig? “Shadowing nine different operation managers across all four of our UDC’s departments. Each department is different with unrelated functions, yet they’re all connected and they influence each other. It helped me understand the supply chain and the distribution network, and exposed me to a wealth of advice and experience.”
Best advice from a teammate: “My whole team had incredible job knowledge and great advice. They were all excited to show me how to do absolutely everything! Special shout-out to Justin in the Packet Office for teaching me how to slot a trailer.”
What’s one thing you learned on this job that you’ll use in the future? “How to effectively communicate feedback to people, and build them up while you're doing it. Everybody makes mistakes, and people need to learn from them in order to grow. I was nervous about dealing with tough conversations, but my peers helped me realize that there’s a way for teams to leave these conversations feeling uplifted and ready to work harder and grow.”
Favorite memory with the team: “Our ‘Pie-in-the-Face’ fundraiser! Team members got to pie their operations manager in the face on their break time. It was a ton of fun. Luckily, nobody wanted to pie the intern yet!”
Shoutout to next year’s class of interns: “Ask as many questions as you can. The more you ask, the more knowledge you build. And connect with your team as much as possible—you become much more well-rounded and capable if you learn from many.”
Congratulations to all of our interns across the country on a fantastic summer program! Thanks for sharing your talents with us, and we wish you wonderful things on your next adventure.
Want to know more about Target’s internship programs? Check out our Careers resources for College Students. For more on what life is like at Target, explore Careers and meet more of our team members on The Pulse blog.
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