Ever wondered how the people at Target do it?
No, not collecting the carts. Nor scanning each item and placing it in a bag.
We mean the general feeling of being at Target. Think about it - you spend a lot of time shopping there.
You like the experience. There’s lots to choose from. Plus, the customer service is great.
So you decide to join them.
Not only for the employee discount, but all the other benefits you can get by working there.
Such as being part of a diverse team. Or the many training and learning opportunities you’ll get.
But how do they manage to do it so seamlessly?
Well, it’s all in plain sight - just look at the company’s mission statement:
"To help all families discover the joy of everyday life."
And what’s more every day than shopping for your family?
So, if you like making people feel at home wherever they are, you’re a good candidate for a Target position.
And if this mission statement resonates with you, then you’ve gotten one of your feet in the door.
What do you have to do to secure your chances at getting the job?
Impress hiring managers with your resume, of course!
It’s the reason you clicked on this guide, after all.
Here is what our extensive guide has in store for you
- How to decide which resume format is just right for your level of experience
- How to appeal to Target recruiters and stand out among other candidates
- How to frame your resume so that recruiters spend more than 6 seconds reading it
- How to describe your skills and experience, even if you don’t have a long work history
- How to balance out your resume by including the right skills for the position
- How to prepare for your interview while writing your resume
Looking for related resumes?
- Sales Team Leader
- Food Service
- Human Resources Specialist
- Maintenance Technician
- Sales
- Store Manager
What makes a great Target resume: a proactive mindset
Your resume is so much more than listing your work experience. You showcase who you are as a professional.
As such, a resume’s job is to convey everything else you have to offer. Skills, personality, possibilities. You name it.
So, if you’re wondering if you need a resume for Target, the answer is yes.
Before we tackle the technical part on how to write it, we need to discuss the approach. You can just whip up a resume and apply everywhere you wish.
Corporations, especially large ones, want to know why you’re applying for a position with them. If your aim is to work at a big corporation, there are plenty to choose from.
That’s why customizing your resume is necessary. You must show you’re not only familiar with Target, but also your desire to work for them in particular.
Recruiters want you to show the level of enthusiasm they expect from each of their employees.
But how do you do that?
Familiarize yourself with the company’s:
- Mission statement
- Values
- Future goals and commitments
Why?
To appeal to anybody, you need to speak their language.
If you focus on Target’s concerns, while referencing your expertise, you’ve hit the nail on the head.
So, what are Target’s future goals?
The company’s focus is mainly on building a diverse workforce that represents the local communities it serves. In all 50 states.
That’s quite the commitment!
How do they plan on doing it?
Through:
- Lifting one another up
- Continuous learning and improving
- Collective power of difference
And this reaches all the way to the recruitment process, too. By organizing immersive recruitment events, where you can get to know the company. And network.
These are Target’s values.
They provide the focus of your resume, too. Even if you don’t have a work history, do you have experience volunteering? Or helping your local community?
Can you prove you’re committed to continuous growth? Both professionally and as an individual.
This is where the proactive mindset comes in. Can you provide examples which both:
- Describe your experience and skills
- Reflect the company’s goals and values
If you do, describe them in your resume. If you’re not sure you do or how to add them, continue reading. We’ll show you!
Next, you must choose the appropriate resume format. How many are there?
The most popular ones are the:
What’s the difference between the three?
The first layout is the recruiters' favorite.
Why?
Because it’s the traditional approach to writing resumes. It’s used primarily by experienced professionals.
The format starts with listing the candidate’s extensive work history. Then it moves on to education, skills, and other relevant information.
By contrast, the functional layout is best for students or those who lack work experience.
It provides a space to elaborate on your skills and how they can benefit your future employer. There’s also room to add your education and certificates.
Finally, the hybrid format is a mix between the first two. If you have 2-3 years of experience or you’re switching careers, this is the layout for you.
Regardless of which format you choose, there are a few key segments you must include:
Integral sections to have on your Target resume:
- A header to list your contact details and link to supplementary information
- A resume objective or summary to highlight your best achievements
- An experience panel, where you provide relevant examples from your work history
- A skills box to display all the technical and social abilities you have to offer
- An education section to show your qualifications and credentials
- Extra boxes you can include to support your application
Going even further into each segment, what should you put on your Target resume?
Your resume needs focus. Although you’ll be listing various moments from your work life, you must have a focal point.
Concentrate on the following questions:
What do Target hiring managers want to know about you?
- Why do you want to work at Target?
- Why have you applied for this position specifically?
- Can you walk us through your resume?
- Is there anything on your resume to which you would like to draw our attention to? If yes, what is it?
- In a few sentences, tell us about yourself.
- Why should Target hire you?
- Describe a moment in your life when you felt most fulfilled.
- Describe a challenge you’ve had to overcome. How did you do it? What did you learn from it?
- Tell us about a time you’ve made a mistake. What did you do? How did you fix it?
- What’s something you’re most proud of? Why?
- How would you deal with an angry customer?
- You have an issue with your manager. How would you go about resolving it?
- Describe a problem you’ve encountered at your last job. How did you resolve it?
- Tell us about a situation where you had to adapt. What happened and how did you adapt?
Coincidentally, these are the type of questions you’ll get during your interview. So having them in mind will help you prepare for the next stage of your onboarding.
After submitting your application, you can track its progress through your Target account.
No matter the outcome, you will be notified directly by the recruiter or via email.
How to perfect the header section of your Target resume
Remember, every section of your resume is important. Even the small box at the top, which holds your basic info.
Why?
Given that most recruiters prefer a one-page resume, you don’t have much space to expand on anything.
So, consider if each section is at its absolute best before moving on to the next one.
What should you be on the lookout for when it comes to the resume header?
In most cases, this section has your:
- Name
- Job title
- Address
- Phone number
- Link to portfolio
- Link to professional social media accounts
Nothing extraordinary.
Yet, we’ve all done it. We’ve all had a situation where we’ve misspelled our name or email by accident.
That’s why check for any:
- Missing information
- Typos
- Broken links
Let’s review several samples to illustrate how these can affect your application.
3 Target resume header examples
For this guide, we’ve collaborated with Zuhriyaa. She agreed to share her resume drafts so she can help others seeking employment.
Here is what the first version of her resume header looked like:
Imagine you were aiming at an HR position. Recruiters do tend to spend an exorbitant amount of time on LinkedIn.
But this is no reason to not include your phone number or your email. And Zuhriyaa must know this as an HR specialist.
Speaking of HR, leave the industry slang and abbreviations. You never know who is reviewing your resume. HR is the name of a department, not a job title.
Also, this is the best place to start out with a bang. List your full job title.
Being a “Human Resources Specialist” or a “Talent Acquisition Manager” sounds much better than “HR”.
Overall, this sample gives off the feeling that the applicant isn’t serious about the vacancy.
What would make the draft better?
Check it out:
If you can take the header out of the resume and use it as a standalone business card, you’ve done well.
This is the main purpose of the header - to introduce the professional. If it’s sloppily filled out, no recruiter will take you seriously.
Another way to supplement your resume, if you don’t have LinkedIn, is to add your portfolio:
Imagine you were aiming at an HR position. Recruiters do tend to spend an exorbitant amount of time on LinkedIn.
But this is no reason to not include your phone number or your email. And Zuhriyaa must know this as an HR specialist.
Speaking of HR, leave the industry slang and abbreviations. You never know who is reviewing your resume. HR is the name of a department, not a job title.
Also, this is the best place to start out with a bang. List your full job title.
Being a “Human Resources Specialist” or a “Talent Acquisition Manager” sounds much better than “HR”.
Overall, this sample gives off the feeling that the applicant isn’t serious about the vacancy.
What would make the draft better?
Check it out:
If you can take the header out of the resume and use it as a standalone business card, you’ve done well.
This is the main purpose of the header - to introduce the professional. If it’s sloppily filled out, no recruiter will take you seriously.
Another way to supplement your resume, if you don’t have LinkedIn, is to add your portfolio:
In this example, Zuhriyaa is a Style Consultant. So it would make sense for her to have her own website, where she showcases her work.
Now if hiring managers want to see if Zuhriyaa’s work matches their needs, they can browse her portfolio.
Why your Target resume needs an outstanding summary
The resume summary is where you can reveal your character and your mindset.
How?
This section is the only one which doesn’t have a rigid structure. As such, you are free to highlight your best accomplishments in 5-6 sentences.
You need to be concise, to the point and relevant.
Emphasize how your skills will benefit Target should they hire you. Don’t forget to mention popular past employers or important milestones.
But what if you lack any work experience?
Then you should write a resume objective. It shares the same purpose with the resume objective. The only difference is you focus more on your potential employer.
Don’t forget you must share relevant skills and experience, even if it’s just volunteering. Appeal to the company’s values and future goals.
3 Target resume summary examples
With all this in mind, have a look at the sample below:
From what the candidate is searching for to their expertise - the text is too vague.
What job is the student applying for?
How would recruiters know if the candidate is knowledgeable? About what?
Is having a driver’s license relevant to the position?
Instead of providing a list of reasons why the applicant should be hired, we’re left with questions.
Write as if this is your only chance to make an impression. Don’t assume you’ll have the opportunity to clarify things during the interview.
The fewer questions you leave unanswered, the better.
What would improve the sample above?
Take a look at the edited version:
Well, this is someone who knows what they want. And that they have to offer in return. Although the candidate is a high school graduate, they’ve referenced relevant classes.
It’s obvious the student is interested in Economics. And it’s safe to assume they want to acquire some practical experience, starting from the bottom.
This resume objective shows drive, curiosity and a growth mindset. It definitely catches the eye!
If you have a few years of experience under your belt, flaunt your achievements:
This Styling Consultant is at the start of her career. Yet, she can boast having worked on a variety of gigs. She even has work featured with prominent industry leaders.
The applicant also demonstrates willingness to hone her skills. She’s sure to expect a callback from hiring managers.
How to craft an excellent experience section for your Target resume
Many consider this the make-or-break part of their resume. But if this was completely true, then many highschoolers wouldn’t have a chance at a first job.
Yes, professional experience is important. Yet, you can draw examples outside of work, too.
As we mentioned in the beginning, Target recruiters look favorably on volunteering.
Why?
Because it says a lot about you as a person. There are so many skills you learn while volunteering:
- Working with other people
- Project management
- Vendor relations
- Negotiation skills
- Resourcefulness and creativity
And so many more.
Moreover, if you’ve ever participated in notable side projects, describe them.
How?
Section entries start with a short description about the employer or the project. This is normally followed by 3-5 bullet points reflecting on the impact of your work.
That’s why it’s best to lead with data. Begin each bullet point with an action verb and detail:
- The circumstances
- Your input
- What makes this a notable achievement
Remember, providing context to what you do is key!
3 Target resume experience examples
Here is what you must avoid when writing:
07/2020 - 01/2022 
- •Increased number of customers.
- •Promoted diversity.
- •Fixed budget spending.
Again, this sample looks sloppy and unprofessional.
Why? There is:
- Ambiguity - both in the job title and the company description.
- A partial address
- No mention of a company website
- Bullet points leave many questions to be answered
Ambiguity creates confusion. It can also leave the wrong impression. Zuhriyaa’s job title doesn’t specify what type of styling she does.
She can be a Fashion Stylist or a Hair Stylist. Yes, it creates some mystery. And it may make recruiters scroll down to read more. But in this case, it’s unnecessary.
This isn’t the way you want to be remembered.
What’s worse, the company description states “a fashion factory”. When it comes to fashion the word factory can have a negative connotation.
Usually, it evokes images of child labor and questionable heath and safety standards.
Not really the vibe you’re looking for, is it?
Consider the following example:
07/2020 - 01/2022 
- •Increased number of customers by 85% by providing adequate alternatives for individuals with allergies and sensory issues.
- •Boosted popularity of local up-and-coming fashion designers by organizing exhibits and fashion shows at Shook.
- •Decreased spending for textiles and fabrics by 39% after re-evaluating the company's goals, re-examining Shook's best sellers and sourcing better vendor deals.
Just look at how a little bit of context adds value to the whole entry.
Now we know:
- The scope of the company’s business operations
- How the applicant’s work scales to the size of the company
- The impact and merits Zuhriyaa’s work brings
What’s more, each point refers to a specific issue and its resolution. Not only that, but the candidate has reflected on their work.
In short, Zuhriyaa’s work benefits her employer. And hiring managers take notice of such candidates.
Want more examples?
Have a look at the sample below:
12/2018 - Present - •Optimized and boosted product delivery efficiency by 61% after coordinating driver schedules with security specialists' surveillance routes.
- •Reduced loss prevention by 54% by consulting with the store floor planners and installing surveillance at the appropriate places.
- •Mentored all newly-hired staff according to the latest industry practices and techniques.
How to wow Target recruiters with your hard and soft skills
Don’t worry, it’s not rocket science. But there is an art to it. And you’ll soon find out how easy it is to talk about your talents.
Before that, we must address how to decide which abilities to list on your resume.
Carefully review the job description for the position you’ve chosen. Search for qualifications, skills and tools required for the role.
Make a list with all your findings.
Next, consider other abilities you have to offer. Add these to the list, too.
Think of an example of each of the skills on your list. These will come in handy when you have to describe them.
Pro tip
Even if your resume doesn’t have all your skills on display, prepare examples for each.
This will prepare you for interview questions such as “Give me an example of a situation where.…”.
Finally, include all the mandatory talents on your resume as per the job ad. Afterward, review the section.
Which skills are predominant - social or tech skills?
You may not be a social butterfly, but you’re no robot either. It’s important to create a well-rounded profile. So, balance out your skills.
How to grab recruiters’ attention with your hard skills
One caveat to remember with tech skills is that they will be assessed during the interview. So make sure you can talk freely about the examples you’ve provided on your resume.
Other than that, refer to all the times you’ve gone above and beyond for past employers.
How?
Lead with measurable results.
Use the C-A-R method to talk about your achievements. C-A-R stands for challenge - action - result.
This way you give enough context for your skills to shine. All without detailing unnecessary information.
What if you’re a student or a college grad?
Refer to school projects or side gigs. Employers want to see how your work will help them achieve their goals. So don’t forget to mention all the transferable skills you have to offer.
If you don’t know which abilities to focus on, we’ve prepared some cheat sheets for you:
Top technical abilities for a Target style team lead
- Knowledge of guest service fundamentals
- Customer service
- Knowledge of styling tips
- Ability to conduct styling consultations
- Retail business acumen
- Department sales trends
- Inventory management
- Customer shopping patterns
- Pricing and promotions strategies
- Leadership skills
- People management skills
- Time management skills
- Scheduling skills
- Mentorship and coaching skills
- Evaluation skills
- Planning abilities
- Knowledge of business priorities and sales goals
- Interviewing skills
- Knowledge of active selling techniques
- Proficiency in using all tools available to staff
- Knowledge of safety and compliance policies
- Ability to train and teach
- Accounting and budgeting skills
- Ability to lift and move merchandise up to 40 pounds
Important tech talents for Target human resources specialists
- Knowledge of federal, state and local employment law
- Proficiency in workforce management programs
- Knowledge of basic Office Suite computer
- Knowledge of body language
- Knowledge of products, services and tools available for sale
- Knowledge of store sales trends and goals
- Knowledge of payment practices and scheduling systems
- Listening skills
- Ability to provide feedback and recommendations
- Explanation skills
- Ability to create and lead a service a customer-oriented culture
- Ability to manage expectations
- Ability to plan, lead and follow-up on organizational changes
- Ability to evaluate competitors
- Relationship building and nurturing
- Ability to build teams
Must-have hard skills for Target security specialists
- Threat and risk management
- Ability to defend and protect
- Ability to provide a secure work environment
- Ability to identify and capture shoplifters
- Physical security management skills
- Ability to execute emergency procedures and protocols
- Reporting skills
- Shipment and delivery assistance
- Forensics
- Loss prevention
- Quick response
How to show off your social talents on your resume
It isn’t difficult to say “I sold X amount of products, therefore I have sales skills”. That’s because technical abilities are easily measurable. The results are there for everyone to see.
But what about soft skills?
Social abilities can be quantified, too. But they are measured in impact.
How does your work affect your colleagues? Do managers applaud your help during tough times?
Have your efforts contributed to a good cause?
Think of all the times you’ve received thanks for making someone’s life easier. Include these on your resume.
If you’re not sure how, check out the following samples:
Notice how we’ve used the C-A-R method again. When you provide the right context, everything else falls into place.
Decorating a store front doesn’t sound important, until you’ve boosted revenue by 70%.
Need help brainstorming? Here are our suggestions for trending soft skills:
Trending social talents for your Target resume:
- Passionate
- Helpful
- Welcoming
- Resourceful
- Adaptable
- Flexible
- Multi-taskinng
- Ability to work under pressure
- Critical thinking skills
- Analytical skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Willingness to learn
- Being up to date with all current industry trends
- Ethical
- Trustworthy
- Personable
- Creative
- Accountability
- Responsibility
- Inclusive
- Inspiring
- Communication skills
- Collaboration skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work in a team and independently
- Accuracy
- Conflict management
- Business acumen
- Sales principles
- Cleanliness and tidiness
- Hardworking
- Reliability
Do you need a formal education to apply for Target?
Most positions require you to have either a high school degree or an equivalent. Some senior roles demand college-level education.
It all depends on the position you’ve chosen.
Another job requirement to keep in mind is age. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older. If you’re still a student, you may have a tougher time getting hired.
Why?
Because of availability. The company seeks individuals who can cover different shifts. And sometimes school classes clash with the hours available for the job.
Are there any certificates that will get you noticed by recruiters?
Yes!
Certificates are always a good way to keep yourself up-to-date with industry developments. They also show employers you’re serious about your career.
But, given that Target is a big box department store, sales certificates stand out more than any other.
Take a look at some of the most popular certificates for sales positions:
Top 15 certificates for your Target resume
- Certified Manager Certification
- MEDDIC
- Challenger Sales
- Retail Management Certificate
- Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP)
- Certified Sales Development Representative (CSDR)
- Certified Professional Sales Person Certification (CPSP)
- Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL)
- SPIN Sales Training
- Certified Sales Professional
- Certified Master Sales Professional
- Sandler Training
- Customer Service and Sales Certified Specialist
- Certified Sales Executive (CSE)
- Certified Security Specialist (CSS)
Just remember, check the validity of your certificates before you put them on your resume.
What else can you add to supplement your resume?
So many things!
Depending on the position you’re pursuing, you can list:
- Volunteer work
- Side projects and gigs
- Awards and certificates
- Languages
- Cover letter
- Courses and extra training
Don’t go overboard and keep it relevant to the position.
Cover letters are not mandatory, but they add a nice touch to your application. In a few paragraphs, state why you want the role. And why you’re the best candidate for it.
Bear in mind to address the company’s recent developments. As well as future goals.
Key takeaways: how to hit the bull’s eye and land a job
- Research the company, it’s mission statement and its values
- Think about how those relate to your personal and professional experiences
- Show you have a proactive mindset when writing your resume
- Check the resume header for typos, broken links or missing info
- List your greatest achievements in the resume objective or summary
- Lead your experience entries with action verbs and data
- Always provide context for your skills and experiences
