Internship Story: Jon Guzman at Target

Jon Guzman, a rising senior from Waterbury, Connecticut, spent his summer as an Executive Team Lead (ETL) Intern at Target. Interested in developing as a well-rounded business professional, he learned a lot about his managerial style while practicing new skills on a daily basis.

How did you hear about this internship? 

I heard about the Target ETL internship opportunity by attending the Jumpstart Your Career event hosted by the Maine Business School. I asked the recruiters about internship opportunities at Target and then handed them my resume. A few weeks later, a Target recruiter followed up with me via phone call, during which they went through the process of where to start on my internship journey. 

Why did you choose to intern here? 

I chose to intern with Target primarily because of convenience. As an out-of-state student, the internship opportunities typically advertised at the University of Maine are geared toward students living in the state of Maine. Target, being a Fortune 500 company generally associated with having store locations within 30 minutes of any zip code, choosing them as my internship destination was a no-brainer. As a marketing major, I wanted to obtain critical managerial experience to develop myself as a well-rounded business professional. But what sealed the deal for me was how adamant the recruiters were about loving their careers at Target. 

What were your internship tasks? 

Target’s motto states, “No two days are ever the same.” Which I can relay from experience is very accurate. My main objective as an ETL Intern was to execute what Target refers to as “Owning your Business,” which in my case was supervising Specialty Sales. My role included the departments and teams of style, beauty, tech/entertainment, baby, and home. You could sum up my typical day-to-day responsibilities into five classifications: 

• Leading and Motivating Teams: I spent significant time on the sales floor and in the backroom, leading and aligning team members in their respective departments. This included planning and assigning daily goals, organizing tasks, filling in to support business needs, and motivating the team to achieve store-driven objectives.
• Guest Service and Engagement: I focused on delivering exceptional guest experiences by ensuring the team was knowledgeable and empowered to address guest needs. I also engaged with guests to resolve issues and gather insights into their shopping experience. 
• Operational Management and Visual Merchandising: I worked closely with my mentor and other store leaders to understand their roles and responsibilities. I managed daily operations by ensuring the sales floor and backroom were stocked (inventoried/audited) correctly, building displays, navigating work centers, and maintaining a safe and appealing store shopping environment. 
• Business and Metric Performance: I learned to analyze business reports and metrics to identify and address areas of opportunity. I helped set and manage departmental goals and business strategies to drive sales and meet store priorities. 
• Leadership Development: I actively sought opportunities for personal growth, participated in training activities, and demonstrated a willingness to take on new challenges. I learned about Target’s leadership expectations and worked to develop my leadership skills. 

What did you like most about your internship? 

The people. One of the main factors that can make or break a positive internship experience is the working environment created by management. I was lucky to work with the T2434 team. They were welcoming, uplifting, driven, and a pleasure to work with.

From the Store Director, Wendy, who faced challenges adjusting to her new assignment just as I became an intern, to my ETL mentor, Megan, who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, the team leads each had their unique approaches to leadership. The team members left a lasting impression on me with their shared experiences, knowledge, and insights. I enjoyed encountering the diverse avenues of human life that pass through Target’s doors.

What were the biggest challenges you faced as an intern? 

The biggest challenges I faced as an ETL Intern stemmed from the expectations set of being able to lead without the confidence of knowing the expectations of my role (routines, tasks, assignments, etc.) in such a short time frame. Another challenge I faced was my inability to set expectations and standards for my team members and hold my team members accountable for performance-based issues. One of my weaknesses as a leader is confrontation, so store-driven objectives were delayed, or work set to be completed on one day had to be carried over to the next. It was a challenge navigating putting the job first over your emotions.

What things did you learn during your internship that you couldn’t have learned in the classroom? 

Besides learning the catalog of acronyms Target uses in day-to-day operations, I learned invaluable insight into my strengths and weaknesses as a leader in a professional setting. We emphasize developing hard skills in the classroom, while soft skills develop secondarily. Perspective was pivotal to the knowledge I obtained during my internship, as other leaders had varied problem-solving approaches. My mentor Megan, with the expertise of years accumulated in retail management, provided me constructive criticism to develop my soft skills to suit the definition of being a manager. I learned to be a team supporter and able to slam down the gavel when needed. 

How will this experience help you as you move forward in your career? 

If you were to have asked me four weeks into my internship about the prospect of a future at Target, I would probably say, “Not for me.” However, over time, I developed an entirely different perspective on the possibility of a future at Target and a career in retail. You hear negative misconceptions and preconceived notions about what working in retail is like. Still, you must live through the experience first-hand to understand how expansive and lucrative of a career it truly is. This experience has made me a resilient leader, a more aware leader of my strengths and weaknesses, setting the foundation for what steps I have to take to move forward in my career. 

Any advice to share with other students considering an internship? 

Be prepared to encounter failure during your internship. Do not be afraid to fail, as it is a component of stimulating your personal growth. The innate fear of failure holds us back from achieving self-actualization. Instead of viewing failure as a roadblock in your path, view it as a stepping stone in your journey toward fulfillment. 

Why did you decide to study business at the Maine Business School? 

I decided to study business at the Maine Business School to gain a distinctive outlook on business. Being raised in an urban lifestyle for most of my adolescence, the assumption you learn from external influencers is that business means corporate, Fortune 500s, and a 9-5 work day. I knew that studying business at the Maine Business School as a senior in high school would provide me with the aspects of business I needed to familiarize myself with, such as sustainability and small business. Maine may be big, but I’ve learned over time living in Maine throughout my academic journey that Mainers focus on the small. I now can’t go shopping without buying a product labeled “Made in Maine.” To be a Mainer is to care about the land and the people, so studying business at the Maine Business School is the only way to go if you desire to be an entrepreneur.

Hometown: Waterbury, CT 
Class: 2025 
Major: Marketing 
Business/Organization where you interned: Target 
Internship Title: Executive Team Lead (ETL) Intern