Well one of the GWs in my city is looking for a new full time staffer, and today I went down handed in a resume and got myself an interview. When I got home I called the other GW that I normally go to and I've got that stores manager to talk to the person in charge of hiring for the one I applied to.
The next step is the interview which I also have to bring a figure case of some of my models to. My question to you Warseer, is what else can I do ti help me get the job?
lol wtf? They require you to be into the hobby to get a job there? So I guess normal people can't get jobs there. Well it makes sense, cuz you need to know the stuff in order to help customers.
knowing people doesnt always get you the job, sometimes it might, but it usually wont.
example:
ive worked with GW before. the store manager just offered me the job, and i took it.
after being told that i was no longer needed, i applied again a few years later.
i knew the guy who was doing the interviews and the hiring, but didnt get the job because i mainly had experience in 40K and most specialist games. whereas another applicant had experience in the all main core games.
so if you can play 40k, fantasy and LoTR, youve got a good chance of getting the job.
best of luck to ya.
make sure that your models are up to standard ie. better than tabletop. Because as a GW staff member working full time you will be painting alot of minis and in a mass production to a decent quality (and you have to be pretty quick at it too).
They'll also test out your ability to communicate in intro games. The manager stands there and pretends to be a 'non-gamer', while you play a intro game with him.
Also you need to know how to be a salesman in this field (yes, youll need to know how to play - usually in weekends, paint - usually in weekdays and sell - always)
wow, wtf that sounds lame. I wouldn't want to work there.
part times have it easier - its mainly only playing and selling for them.
Yeah part timers have the sweetest deal there but not the awsome discount.
When I got a job there they were impressed about my knowledge in all the game systems short of LOTR... I hate that game, i think its pretty crappy, the only redeemable part of it in my opinion is the priority system.
But alas bring in about 6 - 10 of your best painted models.. I brought in a bunch of independant characters, even painted one up just for the interview. Also bring in a dreadnought, wraithlord or tank, like something big that could be impressive.
When you go for the interview show your knowledge in the game, ask them what kind of army they play, their style of play, all that kinda stuff. Its like any job interview, if you make a connection you'll do well.
For questions they asked what I'd change if i was in charge of the company for a day, uhh what my favorite game system is, and one more question.
Good luck though!
@ Dawn of the Dogs - well I said it couldn't hurt, hopefully it will help. As for knowledge I know both 40k and fantasy well. Would rather not touch LOTR if I could, but I don't sapose it would kill me to learn.
@ whiteshields1830 - if I have to do the fake intro-game thing that'd be awesome since I like to think I'm imaginative enough to get people interested, and smart enough to explain how things work. I also can be a salesman since I have about 10 month retail experiance.
@ sendinthetanks - while I don't have the "mad" painting skills like others. I am a decent painter. My main tallent is converting, and thats what I plan to bring with me. I've got everything from aquatic tyranids, dino-marines, to a long necked stegadon.
Heh..
I wonder if bringing in a bunch of long OOP models would impress them with your longevity in the (fictional) "GW Hobby" or hurt your chances as they hate to see models they no longer sell....
"Trench Raider"
A lot of people say I'm a uniformed thug, no better than the scum I hunt down... a fascist cop... a glorified Nazi... a legalized vigilante, handing out his own highly suspect street "justice"... someone with a pathological hatred of superheroes, reveling at the chance to beat the hell out of them. That sounds fair. I can live with that.
— Marshal Law
when i had my interview for the trainee manager program they asked me how i saw my role as a GW employee after a moment i thought of this...
"The gamers see all the designers and staffers in WD the likes of andy, pete and jervis they may be the core of the games but to the public the shop staffers are the Gw, you represent the hobby in all its aspects and it doesnt matter that you didnt write the game to the kids you are 40k incarnate.."
i passed the interview in the store with 3 managers and the area manager a wonderful chap called baz who i have known for a while.. my failure was in the interview in lenton where i drove from edinburgh to lenton the day before so was uber tired for the interview and all this coupled with 4 days notice of this trip and a rushed painting time, the models looked great but i was in no state for an interview.
It would hurt you, they want employees who are "fresh" and new to the hobby. I have a friend who was passed up because of this, had too much nostalgia for the old stuff.Originally Posted by Trench_Raider
Come to think of it they want customers like that too. Ones who haven't been around long enough to see the more, er, dubious parts of the officially official Games Workshop Hobby.
The job itself isn't that great, they pay is alright for an entry-level retail job, but the real bonus is in the staff discount. Which means you end up sinking your entire paycheck back into the company anyway.
My advice is, act like a complete raging retard, and be super-excited about the game systems.
Just like a real staffer.
--Chris
*********************
Besides the staff discount, another bonus is the training GW does with employees. It doesn't take with everyone obviously, but for some people, there is a lot that you can learn about customer service, and running a retail store. Last year I hired an old friend that had worked for GW in the US for 14 years. He has brought a ton of knowledge to my shops. What I'm learning from him isn't how to play a game, or paint, I've been in the GW hobby for that long myself. The valuable things that I am picking up are how to run intro games, how to work patiently with several people at once, teaching them painting or playing, how to organize an large event, and subtle ways of dealing with customers. He has a different approach than I do, so like any good follower of Tzeench, I'm analyzing his methods, stealing what's good, and suching him dry.
The experience that you can pick up at a GW store is well worth working there for a bit less in wages. The discount is a huge bonus. I'm sure managers differ, and there will be good ones, and bad ones. Some have more to teach than others.
"Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind"
Chris is wrong in my view, ive been into warhammer since the first spacehulk game for the pc. I recently got a job at gw and here is a few points.
1/ Be keen, if you say your not really interest in learning different game systems ect, it wont go down well.
2/ Dont worry if you dont know a certain game system, if the shop is any good they will train you. I did not know lord of the rings at all but i learned it and enjoyed it tbh.
3/ Bring in some well painted models, it depends on the manager like most things it seems but i only had to bring in a few (they were painted to a high standard though). If your really good then you could end up doing alot of painting (good and bad point depending on the person).
4/ Have a sense of humor, If your a boring bastard you wont last long (prob wont even get the job).
5/ Be able to communicate well, you will have to explain the details of each gaming system to some differcult people (some kids are to hyper to really learn lol).
Chaplain Xeres - Keeper of the faith.
I've been for an interview before (didn't get the job), and one thing they did with us which seems to be fairly common when they've got a few applicants to check out at once is to get you to stand in front of everyone and answer a bunch of questions - what's your favourite BL novel, which chaos god would you worship, what's the worst thing about Games Workshop (yes, really!). Try and think up some smart answers.
Tim
"Every man knows he is a sissy compared to Johnny Cash."- Bono"I just want to hear something I haven't heard before."- John Peel
Ive heard of that happening Helicon but i personally did not have to go through it. Really i think it comes down to the manager your working for, they seem to have quite a free reign on how they recuit ect.
Chaplain Xeres - Keeper of the faith.
You need to have a good working knowledge of at least 2 out of the 3 core games (and be willing to learn the other one). Dont have to be a great painter - you just have to be able to teach basics to people.
I had to do something similar to Helicon at my first recruitment day for leicester. You had to answer 10 questions that they had set - it wasnt so much the questions and what your answers were, so much as how you answered them. They also did two teamwork exercises to see how you reacted to other people.
The most important thing they look for is personality, and the question the manager has to ask is "would i want to work with this person?" and "will he fit in with the rest of the team?".
If you are an outgoing person with a good sense of humour, but are not so hot at painting then you will get the job over someone who is as interesting as a plank of wood but paints to a golden demon standard.
http://paintingape.blogspot.com/
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Reasons not to hate Mat Ward #1002 - Mat Ward donates 68% of his annual salary to helping underprivileged children in South America
Praise be to the Eight-headed path
On the same point as Xeres, if they do interviews with lots of people at once, they might ask who your favourite superhero is. It doesn't matter what you say, as long as the reasoning is clear. It's all just a test of clarity in getting ideas across.
What is in a name? An Ork by any other name would still see us as meat.
I would say the Emperor as he is the perfect example of how a person should be :P.
Chaplain Xeres - Keeper of the faith.
I must say that I was rather surprised when I applied for a management position and they required me to bring examples of my painting to the initial interview. I was even more surprised at the salary I was offered. You can sucker young people with staff discounts but do they really expect to get professional managers at -30% of regional salary average? No wonder they make the decisions they do; they get all their management talent from the discount bin.
My advice to the new job seeker: Think of all the questions you could be asked and have answers ready. "Tell me about yourself." should generate a 60 second response, not Hamlets soliloquy. Be prepared to lie. The answer to, "What is you biggest complaint about GW?" isn't "Price." it's, "They don't put stuff out for my army fast enough."
Last piece of advice: make an effort to look and act professional.
Don't lie about anything in an interview if you do it will come out in due time, thats just bad advice Taliesynkp. Better just tell them what any beef you have as a customer, and don't knee-jerk price. We are all aware that models are expensive. Otherwise just make sure you bathe before you go and be cool. Also ask questions back so you know what you are getting into and whether or not this is something you really want to do. I've seen to many guys come through our door in denver only to walk out a month later because wasn't what they expected.
Daniel McDowell
2 1/2 years @ GW colo mills
What you do unto a stranger you do unto me.
-jesus
"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandment's would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."
- Ronald Reagan
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