by Maris Laughton
Going on three years working at Target, senior Matt Frederick has learned all the ins and outs of the store. He is cross-trained to work Starbucks, Food Ave., floor, sales, customer service, basically everything else you see, or don’t see, employees doing and is currently in the role of signing.
He acquired this role six months ago and is in charge of putting up all of the signs and headers around the store. This role is uncommon for people Frederick’s age, and when he told his store manager, Mike Donigan, he wanted to take it on, Donigan was very impressed.
“It’s a pretty big, important job, and he’s recently transitioned into that and is doing outstanding. In a very short period of time he’s got everything all caught up and heading in the right direction,” said Donigan.
This position requires Matt to work anywhere from 32 to 40 hours per week.
“I have to maintain an inventory. I have to basically order and receive things, process, put it up in the store, allocate hours to me, allocate hours to other people so we can focus on making sure the signing is up on time, and I deal with different equipment because I need equipment to put up the signs,” said Frederick.
The weekend the Lilly Pulitzer line came out, Frederick spent 12 hours working on signs that only stayed up in the store for four hours. His commitment and dedication in situations like this is what makes him such a great employee and team player in the store.
“His 
work ethic is exceptional. I’ve always been impressed with Matt’s drive and enthusiasm and determination to get things done,” said Donigan.
Frederick plans to continue working at Target during and even after he attends Worcester State University to major in business. He is purposely staying local for college, so he can work at his current store and land a promotion once he graduates.
“There are tiers and like a hierarchy at Target, and I’d love to be somewhere at the top of it. It’s an awesome corporation, and they really focus on being a team and helping people find what they need which is what I really like to do,” said Frederick.
Another part of Frederick’s plan is to apply for an internship at Target his junior year in college. The internship works similarly to many others in which he will pick his hours and get paid the starting wages of whatever position they put him in. The purpose of the internship is to help students pay for college, without Target directly paying the tuition bill, but it will also help Frederick work his way up the Target hierarchy.
Frederick’s ultimate dream is to own and manage his own Target store in Hawaii.
“I see the image in my head, and I know I want to be there and that’s why I just keep working for it.”
