Jon Guzman: Developing leadership skills through Target internship

This summer, Jon Guzman, a senior marketing major at the Maine Business School, applied the skills and knowledge he gained in the classroom to a fast-paced internship at a Fortune 500 company. As an executive team lead (ETL) intern at Target, Guzman honed his leadership skills while broadening his perspective on career possibilities in retail management.

“You hear negative misconceptions and preconceived notions about what working in retail is like,” Guzman said. “Still, you must live through the experience firsthand to understand how expansive and lucrative of a career it truly is.”

Guzman discovered the ETL internship opportunity at the Maine Business School’s Jumpstart Your Career event, one of many opportunities for University of Maine students to explore internships and careers.

As he navigated the demands of his role, Guzman gained valuable insight into his strengths and weaknesses as a leader, developing a greater understanding of his management style. With the guidance of an ELT mentor who provided valuable feedback and constructive criticism, Guzman learned how to support his team while setting expectations and holding team members accountable.

“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,” he said. 

Read more about Guzman’s successes and challenges, and the valuable lessons he learned from his internship, on the Maine Business School website.

Contact: Melanie Brooks, melanie.brooks@maine.edu