On November 3, SCAD Savannah welcomed Julie Guggemos, vice president of product design for Target. She came to discuss job and internship opportunities at Target with interested students. Guggemos was joined by a panel of department representatives, including senior recruiter Lauren Chesley, design director James Gallagher and textile designer Jennifer Thompson. SCAD Atlanta students joined in via video conference and were able to interact with the panel and ask questions.
Guggemos began with a presentation on the Target culture, which detailed the way Target meets customers’ needs. Target relies on customer feedback and external research as they set goals and design prototypes for the future.
An example of this ambitious goal setting is in Target’s forthcoming website. Because Target is committed to making the customer’s buying experience easier and more efficient, they will launch a new, hands-on website, which will be a “new platform of shopping online,” said Gallagher. Customers will be able to “customize a room, put together their backyard,” Guggemos continued. Target also has an application for smart phones. In stores, the beauty and electronics departments feature touch-screens to aid customers in their product choices.
Students were excited to hear details of Target’s internship program. Every summer, 300 interns are selected for a 10-week intensive curriculum. Interns travel to Target headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, are provided with housing and assigned a design project for the duration of their stay. Some intern projects have been quite successful. A SCAD Savannah student’s project in women’s ready-to-wear is expected to make $12 million this year.
The panel encouraged hard working, talented leaders with good grades and an impressive portfolio to apply. They are most interested in juniors, although they do interview some sophomores. Learn more about Target and their internship program here.