LEGO is a household name, and the chances are that at some point in your life, you have played with it (or at least stepped on one of the bricks by accident)!
The culture and ethos of the brand are so nostalgic and powerful that many people who are passionate about building or playing with the LEGO brick yearn to work for the Danish toymaker or simply with their products.
This article takes you through the LEGO-related career avenues available, the benefits of working with LEGO, the best jobs to work with LEGO, and how to maximize your chances of being selected for a role with the company. Time to gather up your minifigures and read on!
Can you build a career with LEGO?
In the same way you can build whatever you like with their bricks, there are lots of different ways you can build a career with LEGO.
The LEGO Group has factories and offices all over the world, and like other large corporations, has many different divisions. These include support services like finance, HR or IT, as well as commercial arms like sales, marketing and business development. Being a company based on product design and creative thinking, a lot of focus is placed on design and innovation, too.
All this means that there is a career for everyone at LEGO, and with over 23,000 employees employed all over the world, as well as the company being renowned for its learning development interventions, growing your career with the group is easy.
Other people choose to grow a career around LEGO products. Some people will use LEGO to make products to sell to people on sites like Etsy, such as wedding cake toppers or LEGO artwork. Some therapists use LEGO in their treatments, and people also create a successful career as LEGO influencers.
The benefits of working at LEGO
LEGO consistently ranks as one of the best companies to work for, and a large part of this is the extensive and inclusive benefits it offers its employees, including:
- Extended paid parental leave: From day one, every LEGO employee is offered extended paid parental leave, in keeping with the company’s value of looking after families.
- Generous employee discount: LEGO employees receive up to a 50% discount on LEGO products, as well as exclusive annual sets only available to them.
- Learning and development: All LEGO employees benefit from a comprehensive training plan and their own “Brick Mate” buddy to ensure they’re mentored effectively.
- Modern workspaces: LEGO workplaces are renowned for being designed to allow creative thinking and inclusion, as well as a “home away from home” feeling.
- Play Day: One day a year, all LEGO employees stop work and play LEGO together. This brings to life LEGO’s core values of fun, creativity and imagination.
Top 10 jobs for LEGO lovers
As mentioned above, there are many great opportunities for LEGO lovers. Here’s a list of the 10 best jobs for fans of LEGO bricks!
1. Product/set designer
Average annual salary: $61,200
LEGO product/set designers are the creative forces behind LEGO sets. They use a variety of hard and soft skills to conceptualize, blueprint and fine-tune new LEGO products, and act as a tester too, ensuring the sets are up to the high standards LEGO requires.
LEGO product designers must be innovative and creative, as well as having an awareness of costs and safety considerations to design great LEGO sets.
To break into this highly sought-after role, a bachelor’s degree in design, engineering or CAD is important, as well as a good awareness of LEGO’s culture and values. Previous experience working for LEGO, such as in an internship, is also advisable.
2. Model designer
Average annual salary: $57,400
Sometimes referred to as Master Builders, LEGO model designers design and build large-scale LEGO models for their stores or other locations such as theme parks (including LEGOLAND).
The role requires a good knowledge of LEGO bricks, as well as design principles, construction knowledge, creative thinking and excellent communication skills to work with clients to bring ideas to life. The role also requires an element of teamwork or leadership, as creating these models can be very complicated.
Entry requirements for the role would include a bachelor’s degree in engineering or structural engineering disciplines, or a related degree in design or graphic design.
3. Model builder
Average annual salary: $75,000
LEGO builders professionally build LEGO models of various sizes. They might work on LEGO conventions or simply spend time creating their own designs, called MOCs (or “my own creations”).
Model builders view LEGO as more than just a hobby. They can freelance and are often commissioned by companies or events to create LEGO installations on a professional scale.
There are few professional entry requirements for the role, but an understanding of design and engineering principles of larger models is important. Generally, a high level of skill in building LEGO is most important for the role, as is networking and building a reputation among other LEGO enthusiasts.
4. Digital model designer
Average annual salary: $62,000
LEGO Digital Designers use digital tools to create real or virtual LEGO models. The role is seen in the LEGO Group as well as externally.
Digital model designers can use LEGO’s own LDD tool or other CAD tools to create LEGO models. They either construct their creations in real life or merely create instructions for sale online.
Getting started as a digital model designer requires a lot of knowledge of LEGO products, as well as the usage of a network to promote services and talent. Higher education will be required, especially diplomas or other qualifications related to digital design tools such as CAD or similar applications.
5. Retail sales associate
Average annual salary: $27,500
Being a LEGO retail sales associate requires an extensive knowledge of LEGO products, as well as a genuine passion for them, as well as having the sales ability, communication skills and rapport with LEGO’s target audiences (children and adult fans of Lego, or AFOLs) to be able to engage with them and sell sets.
LEGO retail sales associates are required to play with LEGO in stores and generally create a fun atmosphere for customers, so this goes beyond a typical retail job. A high school diploma might be required in certain countries to qualify for the role.
6. LEGO flipper
Average annual salary: Varies depending on flipped set’s value
LEGO is becoming very collectible, especially older, rarer or retired sets. In fact, one recent study has suggested that, as an investment, LEGO is more lucrative than gold!
LEGO flippers buy LEGO sets and sell them for profit. This can be done through buying harder-to-find sets and selling them at a higher price when they become unavailable, or hanging onto LEGO sets and selling them (unopened) in the future when they’ve had a chance to appreciate in value.
LEGO flipping is easy to get into. It requires no qualifications, and all that is needed is a bit of starting income and some storage space to keep sets. Knowledge of the LEGO reselling market (ie: through websites like BrickLink) is also important.
7. Blogger/YouTuber
Average annual salary: Varies depending on advertising revenue
LEGO bloggers and YouTubers work from home doing what they love, discussing new LEGO sets, reviewing them and building them online, as well as creating MOCs (or whole LEGO rooms) and sharing their creations and collection with their subscribers.
Many LEGO bloggers and vloggers enjoy successful careers. Not only can their websites or channels generate decent passive income, but the most popular bloggers will have new sets sent to them directly by LEGO to be featured in their content.
Getting started as a LEGO blogger or YouTuber doesn’t require qualifications, but you do need to be able to communicate effectively and memorably online, have a unique angle to attract views, and be able to market what you do.
8. Event coordinator
Average annual salary: $36,100
LEGO event coordinators plan and run LEGO-themed events, such as conventions or expos. LEGO also hosts its own events via its own event planning team.
LEGO event coordinators need to have an intrinsic knowledge of LEGO’s target audiences to plan events that will get them energized. They need to be highly organized, drive top-performing teams, and be able to run the events in real-time, dealing with clients.
To get started as a LEGO event coordinator, you will need to have a degree in hospitality or events management and previous experience working in events or customer service.
9. App developer
Average annual salary: $88,200
Apps can bring the LEGO experience to life in many ways. LEGO-related apps can include educational tools, online instructions, augmented reality games, tracking tools for prices, LEGO flipping, or catalogs.
LEGO app developers need to be able to create functional apps using a wide variety of skills. Getting started in this field will require a degree in software or application development, as well as related experience in UI or UX design, graphic design, programming and innovation.
Some experience creating apps and of the LEGO brand will be needed in order to ensure your own product hits the right note with audiences.
10. LEGO therapist
Average annual salary: $59,800
LEGO is commonly used in many therapeutic approaches because of the skills and behaviors playing with it stimulates. LEGO is often used as part of children’s play therapy, occupational therapy or arts therapy.
As with any kind of therapy, it’s important to understand the right ways LEGO can be used as part of accepted wellbeing models. Therefore, LEGO therapists need to have formal education in psychology or a related degree to be able to become licensed and practice what they do.
Knowledge of the psychology and best practices around how LEGO can contribute to therapy will also be important.
How to get a job at LEGO
Because of its culture and benefits, it’s no surprise that getting a job with LEGO is competitive and challenging. Here are three great tips to get a job with the LEGO group.
1. Research the company
LEGO has a rich history. Starting out in 1932 as a wooden toy manufacturer, the company has been through many ups and downs but, ultimately, is now one of the largest toy groups in the world.
There is also an established and strong culture based around six principles: Imagination, Creativity, Fun, Learning, Caring, and Quality. Understanding everything about LEGO is essential to interviewing well at the company, as all employees are expected to live and breathe its purpose.
2. Browse the LEGO job board
LEGO has a comprehensive career site that lists all the roles available around the world. The career site also introduces you to the company and what to expect, both in the application process and also if you end up working at the company.
Take some time to research the available roles and understand the job descriptions and requirements, as a lot of details are included in every single vacancy. If you feel you’re a good fit for these roles, then it’s time to begin preparing your application.
3. Prepare your application
Competition for roles in the LEGO Group is fierce, and you need to ensure your application stands out from the crowd. Using the information that you picked up from the job vacancies, ensure that you tailor your application so that it fits that particular vacancy as closely as possible.
This will include matching keywords in your résumé to those in the job description, ensuring any required skills or experience are referenced, and that you mention the LEGO Group’s culture and values in these documents, as well as how you might align to them. The LEGO Group uses applicant tracking system technology on their job board, so ensure your résumé is ATS-friendly.
Final thoughts
Working with LEGO can be stimulating, creative, and full of opportunity. But can you make a career out of LEGO?
Working for the LEGO Group directly can lead to an exciting and growth-filled career with lots of benefits, but you need to build a fantastic application as competition for roles is fierce. Aside from working with the group, many people have forged successful careers working with LEGO in other ways, and in some cases, getting to work with the company indirectly.
The best thing to do to enjoy a LEGO-related job where “everything is awesome” is to think of a unique idea, plan out what you're going to do, and ensure that you embody LEGO’s values so that creativity, play and fun take center stage.
Can you think of any other LEGO jobs? Let us know in the comments section below.
Originally published on March 14, 2016.