When Laura H. was at business school working on an accounting major, a job in Minneapolis wasn’t on her radar. Used to life in New Jersey, she figured she’d look for opportunities to flex her skills closer to home. But a chance meeting with Target recruiters at a conference in Orlando got her thinking about making a bigger move, and an internship offer from the bullseye convinced her to take the plunge.
Fast-forward to today, and Laura’s got a full-time role on our internal audit team—and she’s helping others launch their own careers at Target. We sat down with her to hear more about how it all happened.
Exploring the job market can be intimidating, especially as a student. When did you first start to think of Target as a contender?
I first talked to Target recruiters during my junior year at college and the experience sounded exciting, so I accepted a summer internship in the Finance & Accounting Development program. That gave me a taste of what a job on Target’s finance team (and life in the Twin Cities) could be like. I had an awesome summer, and was sad to leave at the end.
That made the decision to join Target full-time a lot easier, and I came back the following July after graduation as an auditor. I love it because I get to work with great people on a broad range of interesting projects that touch on areas across the entire company. This past year, I worked on audits related to financial, team, regulatory and brand risk. My team of about 25 people has a lot of fun; there’s plenty of time to get to know each other, go for treat runs and just be social.
New Jersey to Minneapolis is a big move. Did you have any hesitations?
I was nervous about it at first because I hadn’t been to Minnesota before, and I worried it’d be too cold, or that there’d be nothing to do. But that first summer during my internship, I fell in love with the Twin Cities. It’s such a great place for foodies. I like to go out in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood and try new restaurants and breweries.
I also liked the idea of getting out of my comfort zone and seeing more of the world, seeing things from new perspectives. So when that job offer came, I decided to take a leap, called the recruiter and said, let’s do this.
And it’s all come full-circle—you’re now working regularly with the team that recruits new interns and team members.
Yes! That’s always been an interest of mine. In college, I was involved with the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA)—an organization focused on helping Latino men and women develop their careers. I loved taking part in career fairs; in fact, that’s how I found Target in the first place. So as a team member, I wanted to be a part of that work again. I volunteer to attend recruiting events often—it’s a great chance to get out from behind my computer, meet new people and make those connections.
Just last year, I went with the team to Las Vegas for an ALPFA convention, where I went to some professional development workshops and helped with the career fair the last day. There was such great energy! It’s great to be part of the Target team and talk to people about what it’s like to work here.
What advice would you give someone who’s applying for a job or an internship at Target?
Don’t be afraid to make the interview process a conversation between you and the recruiter. You don’t have to wait for the Q&A—chat, get the edge off, have real conversations and elaborate on your answers.
It helps to do some research ahead of time and learn about what’s happening at Target and in the retail industry. A great place to start is Target’s A Bullseye View site, @TargetNews on Twitter and the Pulse blog, where real team members guest-blog about their daily roles. Bottom line: Relax and let your personality come through and you’ll do great!
Interested in career opportunities at Target? Check out the Internships page or explore all of our available career areas.
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