Promotions are based on personality, politics and how well you can manage perceptions. Target has been successful based on their image, and this extends throughout the executive culture. Absolutely the worst 5 years in my entire 15 year professional career, and even after reading reviews like this one, I thought my experience would be different. Don't make the same mistake. I'm trying to get out as quickly as I can. You will not have the time or opportunity to develop professional skills, education or certifications. Dead end job unless you're leaving a career in politics/campaign management. Introverts, intellectuals, detail-oriented, intelligent people need not apply. Engineers, IT, Bachelor of Science-types can do much, much better somewhere else. If you do take a chance and work eher, once you're labeled for not following all the other lemmings, don't expect to change that percpetion. Just start looking elsewhere sooner rather than later. Also, if you're experience professional expect to be offered a position two to three levels below your current experience. In my experience with close friends being ran out of the company, it's a horribly contrived process aimed at falsifyiing performance counseling in case you sue or contest your termination (this goes for hourly employees too). No severance has been offered to anyone that I know of that's not senior managment (pay grade 17 or above, which are normally filled from within). Be prepared to feel like an outsider until you reach that magical level noteriety and become one of the inner circle. If you're not from Minnesota, you're at an immediate disadvantge. Nepotism is rampant. Without an MBA, you'll likely never be promoted above a PG15. The culture (jokingly referred to as "the Target Culture") is horribly oppressive and passive-aggressively heavy-handed--you won't find many positive reviews on here from folks with more than 4 years of experience.
All the high ratings appear to be from new-hires and those still on their "honeymoon"--folks in their first 6 months overjoyed with all the smoke and mirrors geared directly at them. Target also has a full-time staff that monitors internet traffic about the company--so I'd expect most of those reviews are being created purposely from within Target to continue their very successful (so far) and robust PR campaign.
