Seasonal Jobs for Target

Every year from mid-October to early November, seasonal jobs for Target become available through job fairs at over 1,800 stores. These hiring events give people a chance to stop in at just about any store in their local area so they can meet hiring personnel and be able to interview right there on the spot.

In 2020, Target will hold its fifth annual event at every store and it appears this will continue every year. In 2019, Target set out to hire over 130,000 seasonal workers in total at the stores as well as in the distribution centers.

When Do Target Seasonal Jobs Start?

Target seasonal jobs begin sometime around the middle of October and continue on through the holidays into January of the following year.

One of the most effective ways to eventually get hired as a full-time staff member at Target is to work as a seasonal employee and impress the management staff. This is not really all that hard to do when you think about it.

The best way is to show up on time and ready to work every single day, be very dependable, and be ready to fill-in for any staff member who misses work. Of course, there are no guarantees you’ll get hired after the three months of seasonal work.

However, it’s not uncommon for a few workers to stand out as exceptional workers and to get hired full-time as a result of that hard work. At the very least, a few seasonal employees get hired part-time.

How Do I Find Target Seasonal Jobs Near Me?

You can use this link to go to the “search jobs“ page at Target. Once you are there, you can begin the application process by either looking for a local position or conducting research on different seasonal jobs available.

If you are accessing the page from either your cell phone or a computer, and you have your location finder turned on, your actual location will already be placed in the 2nd box. All you have to do then is place the number of miles surrounding your general area where you want to search for a job.

Use the link here below to access the page:

https://jobs.target.com/

Use the "search jobs" page to find seasonal Target jobs in your area. — You can leave the “keyword” blank as long as you have your “location” and “radius” filled in to begin searching and applying for a job in your area.

What Do Target Seasonal Jobs Pay?

Currently, Target is offering seasonal jobs at a minimum pay of $15 per hour beginning in October 2020. In case you haven’t noticed, this retail chain pays its workers far above the average minimal pay compared to other retail stores.

This indicates there are going to be a lot of applicants. So, my recommendation is for you to apply as early as possible once the hiring process for seasonal workers begins.

How Long Do Target Seasonal Jobs Last?

Seasonal jobs for Target last approximately three months. They will run from mid-October to approximately mid-January. This also depends on the needs of the stores themselves.

You may be working in a store where a high volume of merchandise is returned after the holidays and this can help you stay on possibly 1 to 2 weeks longer than average.

Once again, to make these jobs last longer, you’re going to have to really impress management by working hard and being very dependable. Even then, you are not guaranteed a spot. However, in my experience, a person who stands above the rest has the best chance of getting hired full-time after the holiday season has passed.

Even if you don’t get hired after the seasonal job has run its course, you will have gained plenty of experience and you can use it to apply elsewhere. Or even better, you can use it to gain leverage with your current management team.

You can do this by applying elsewhere and calling a Target manager and letting them know you would prefer to work at Target instead of the other store you applied to!

How to Apply for Target Seasonal Jobs

When you apply for Target’s seasonal jobs, you will visit the store during the job fair and follow instructions from the hiring staff.

It will be straightforward and simple. Just make sure you bring all your personal information that you will have to enter into the application such as your social security number, driver’s license, personal references, and your school and employment history.

Try to dress in casual business attire if you are seeking an hourly position. If you are going after a salaried position, dress in business attire. Bring your resume and CV if you are going after a professional position.

Hourly workers with work experience should also bring a resume.

Stay away from wearing jeans or sloppy clothing. You’ll have to dress to impress because they will be sizing you up from the moment they see you.

Alternatively, you can use the same online application process as if you were trying to get a full-time job.

You can use this link to access all the information you need as your guide to applying at Target.

Additionally, take a look at how the hiring and interview process goes using this link.

Does Target hire on the spot?

When it comes to seasonal hiring, Target has been known to hire someone on the same day as their application and interview at their hiring events/job fairs.

However, to be hired on the spot, you’ll have to really impress with your background and experience, you’ll have to come prepared, and you’ll have to make quite an impression on the staff.

During the seasonal hiring events, you are interviewed at the location and either hired after an interview and a quick background check, or you are told they will reach out to you very soon.

If Target expresses interest in you and you are not hired immediately (very few people are hired this way), you will eventually become part of their team within the week after you apply. Usually, they need workers right away, so they speed up the process considerably.

What is it like working as a seasonal employee at Target?

According to reviews on Indeed.com, here are the pros of working as a seasonal worker:

It was a great way to gain experience in customer service
Management was excellent and the working environment was fast-paced but pleasant
It’s great for people who like to work out because you walk a lot and get plenty of exercise
The pay was excellent for this type of job
You get to help a lot of customers and they appreciate your work
The working hours were very flexible and management worked around your college schedule
The 15-minute breaks, as well as the lunch and dinner break, gave plenty of time for someone to be able to relax or eat their meals

Some of the cons discussed were:

It was too much physical work
Some employees were never given enough hours to work
Management team was not attentive to its employees
The training for a seasonal team member could have been much better
It was very stressful because the store was always so busy
In a short amount of time, you had to quickly learn all the products that were in your department and this was very difficult
Management kept you in the dark when it came to whether they were going to keep you on the staff after the holiday season ended

Tips to Go From Seasonal to Full-Time

At Target, you can imagine how many applicants are trying to get hired at a starting pay of $15 an hour, just like you are! This makes getting hired full-time at this retail chain much more challenging.

So, how do you stand out in a crowd when so many people want to get hired for the same job as you?

Here are some great tips for you to consider:

Try your best to begin networking with your management staff the moment you are selected as a seasonal employee. This means you need to be courteous and respectful, and you need to give the impression that you take the job seriously. Far too many employees begin goofing off in front of management, so stay away from this type of behavior while you are working. There’s plenty of time after your shift to joke around and have fun with your friends and family. I’m not saying you should walk around with a serious stone face! However, you need to have a serious working attitude so that management sees you as someone who will get the job done right.
Be as helpful as possible and always lend someone a hand if asked or if you see something you can assist with. Don’t be afraid to take initiative and help out another employee. Just make sure it doesn’t go outside the scope of your job and make sure you quickly return to what you were doing before you needed to help someone.
Make sure you show up on time and are ready to work every single time you start your shift. A great way to do this is to leave early enough from home so you can be at the store by at least 15 minutes earlier than the start of your shift. Target needs dependable people, not workers who have issues and arrive late and call out regularly.

Featured image courtesy of Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.