Closing Time

The day is almost here. As of Monday, I will no longer be working at Target. After 27 years with the same company, my number finally came up and my job will be consolidated and my position eliminated. Even after surviving waves of layoffs and watching former coworkers and friends leave, it was still a shock. After all. I've been here so long, it's hard to see life without Target.

I started at Target in 1981 when I was 16 years old, working part time in Men's/Boys/Shoes at T002 in Knollwood, MN (yes, only three digits back then). I was there until 1986 when I quit to become a rock star.... And when I realized that luck was more important than talent when it comes to music, I came back to Target in 1991. I've been here ever since. I met my wife at Target, moved to HQ, and so on. No matter what changes in my life, whether it was getting married, IVF, having kids, losing my parents, Y2K, whatever, the one constant for me was Target.

I had the option of finding a new position position internally. I really wanted to stay at Target even if it meant taking something outside my skillset or perhaps even a step back. I interviewed for a few positions that seemed exciting but none quite fit my background. There were other positions I could have moved into too, but it wasn't what I wanted to do - I wasn't passionate about them. There were also a couple of upcoming positions that seemed perfect for me where even the hiring managers asked for me to apply, but the wheels of business move so slow that I ran out of time before my 60 days ran out.  

During all this time I was talking to more and more people both internally and externally. And the more discussions I had, the more I questioned whether staying at Target was really the right fit for me. Was I hanging on because I felt sentimental over my tenure here? Was I hanging on because I haven’t been in the job market since 1991 and it scared me? Or was I hanging on because Target really offered the best options for me. The truth is I really didn’t know.

In the end as last week ended and nothing internally came up, It felt to me like a sign. Now don’t get me wrong. I love Target and that will never change. I love the culture, love the people, love the work. I have no ill will, no resentment. I don’t blame anyone. I'm not disgruntled or angry.

True, getting laid off and finding a new job is not what I wanted to do with my life right now, it is what it is. And even though I'll be petrified when I walk out that door on Monday for the last time, there is also a peace that comes with it. A sense of pride in what I have accomplished over the years. I don’t know yet what the next step is. And that's the scary part. But it's nothing to hide from.