First day.

Today was my first day at Target. It went well, but was long. I spent all day in a conference room, and literally didn't see the outside until I left for the day. You would be surprised how competitive Target is. Once I enter my position and take control I will be ranked with all the other people in my district who are in my position. I thought that was kind of interesting, because I would hate to be the person on the bottom. They use this ranking system to determine who is next for a promotion. Target is also very big on reviews. I will be reviewed once a month. During my training I will be reviewed by every person who trains me, everyone else in my training group, and reviewed by myself. I also in turn get to review each of them. So they are very up front with what you do well and what you need to work on. I like this though, because I can see where I need to work on and fix that. This training will be very good, by the time I am done I will have been trained in every aspect of the store. Including the logistical parts of how the products come in and how they get to the floor. I also have to learn how to use all of the equipment, which includes some items I have never even heard of. They literally gave me a new bag filled with stuff I am going to need, I have more books than most college students. When speaking with anyone from Target you also have to learn their language before you can understand them. They all us acronyms for everything, it is almost like speaking in code. I am an ETL, who is in charge of TL's and GSTL, I also have an STL and DTL who is in charge of me. If I have an HR question I have to call the TMSC. For someone who is new, these things don't mean a damn thing!

I have learned that I am pretty damn lucky to be in this position. Of the people who were hired there are only a total of two who are from outside of Target, the rest are people who have worked there for years. So really I am entering on the same level as some people who have worked there for 4+ years. There are some things I am afraid of though. At some point I will be what is call LOD, which means Lead on Duty. The reason this scares me is because they are responsible for opening and closing the store. That means I have to make sure every door in the building is locked and the alarm system is armed. From the stories the others told, that is pretty serious. I can understand why though, if I forgot to lock a door and we got robbed it would be my fault. They are so serious about this that you only get a few chances, if you forget a door too many times you will be fired. I also learned that because of my position I have to be very careful, I can be held liable for harassment. Meaning if I fucked up I could have to pay that person lost wages or things such as that. But really I think I will do well. I thrive on competition, there is no way I will be at the bottom of the ranking system!