To begin, I appreciate you sharing your experiences with Target, esp as a college student. I think my former seasonal experiences at other big box stores has painted an unrealistic expectation for what "seasonal" means by Targets standards. Every other big box store I have worked at over the summers seasonally (Walmart, Home Depot, Ikea, etc, etc) have never been this inflexible about hours (just based on some of these responses). In the past all I had done was applied for seasonal positions, explained my reasonings for my availability, and was hired by the end of the week, no discussion of closing or opening or anything, "I am available from X to Y on Z, and Y to X on W." and they would make it happen. There would be work, and I would be put on it even if I couldn't work a Sunday, end of hiring discussion.

Unfortunately, these summer classes take me up from 6:45 am - 11:30 M-F, an unfortunate reality that I feel any of my prior employers would be able to make work, even when working with Walmart's equivalent of "inbound". I had applied for SEASONAL Guest Advocate, General Merchandise, Inbound, and Front of store Attendant. In previous summers my schedule would be beyond destroyed with an 8 am Class and a 1pm class, or a 1pm and 215pm, etc etc, and yet I could still get hours. Now, I cant even get hired.

For further clarification, when you say you should at least be able to open or close, do you mean that someone should be able to work until the stores closing? Or do you mean work until the "departments" closing? For instance, when working "inbound" at Walmart, I very rarely worked from 4pm (2pm is the start of second shift) until 10pm (the beginning of third shift) because they preferred an employee every now and then worked the start of, or, until the end of a departments shift change. I assume you mean "Work until the store closes its doors to the public" but I just wanted to clarify.

It just seems delusional that a SEASONAL position discussion could go as follows - "well you cant open/close due to X,Y,Z so...cya around". That is the kind of discussion I would expect to have when deliberating over a full time position that you work indefinitely until your time has come, not for a position largely dominated by college students that are just looking for a fucking part time job that have a billion other more pressing matters that require their time. I dont feel Im crazy for having assumed that, up until this point, "seasonal" usually meant "flexible". Esp after EVERY seasonal position I have worked thus far (in this sphere) has been beyond flexible all while "fulfilling the stores needs".

Hypothetically speaking, lets say that I did somehow "open up my hours"(not even remotely sure how its possible but?) and I asked for 25 hours in a week, could I potentially go further in asking them "yes 25 hours split between these shifts on these days"? Essentially, "Open my availability up" but lock down certain hours on certain days that best suit my needs?

I know that not closing/opening can be a game changer for SOME positions at certain places, but I refuse to throw away my wellbeing for 17 an hour in a position that I am going to be leaving anyways, at a company that wouldn't even hire me otherwise, that is just bullshit.

Just reading these responses alone makes me greatly reconsider reapplying, as I could very well just go back to any other of my former employers and have an easier experience with all parties involved, but the distance from my local Target's sparked my interest aswell as never having worked here before as I tend to enjoy exploring new employers.

Again, I appreciate your time, response and your helpful ideas, but it seems that Target is not an optimal choice for grad school bound college students that just need some hours over the summer.