What It's Like to Work at Target

My name is Paul Rados, I'm 33 years old and I held an associate position at Target in Fairview Park, Ohio, from March 2010 through July 2010. I was originally hired to work in the snack bar, which at Target stores is referred to as "Food Avenue." This position, I quickly learned, was for classification purposes only, as I was immediately cross-trained to work in other areas, including cashier and stock.

My background is in food and beverage management, as well as food production. I was told in casual conversation later that I appeared to be overqualified for the position, but was hired because I was in school at Cuyahoga Community College, continuing my education in dietary management, and so was looking for part-time hours. Human resources chose to take a chance on me and offered me a position. I was scheduled for 32 hours per week, though I had asked for 24.