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I have never heard or seen anything of the sort, but as I have my own approaching I was wondering if anybody knew if GW Stores accepted work experience applicants? I thought it might be a store by store thing where some wouldn't and some might but I think if any would it would be my GW. It's quite a big store, usually with only a single staff member (Although there is a manager, he usually leaves it to the Blue shirt to handle) meaning players who come in for introductory games would have their game constantly interrupted when anyone walked into the shop as the Blue would have to do the usual ''Is there anything you are looking for, can I help?'' and I was thinking that having a young, relatable person run through the intro games leaving the Blue to attend to keeping the store running could be really helpful. But I also understand that there are probably a heap load of legal worries that I don't understand that would make it unwise for a GW shop to accept kids to help run the store. I am recently 16 and know a lot about the hobby as an enthusiast if that would make a difference.

Thanks for any info.

I'll be honest, I don't really know, but I would imagine that due to its size, its handled centrally.

That said, you may be able to get Experience in the GW HQ. Which could be cool.

Not likely, Notts from North Wales is a hell of a commute!

Honestly?

Forget anything retail based, it will be dull and you'll just get taken advantage of as free labour for a week. You'll get "work experience" in those sorts of low level jobs soon enough, when you hit college and university you'll have to do them to earn money.

Just to give you an example, I spent mine at a newspaper office and a vet's surgery, as those were my career interests at the time (ended up doing neither) but both allowed me to shadow people doing interesting jobs. Spending all day stood in a shop will be a waste of your opportunity, despite your interest in the product (which has absolutely nothing to do with the job, retail is retail, the novelty of being surrounded with stuff you think is cool will not last long)

Unless something has changed GW does not offer work experience. It's to do with CRB checks, money/stock handling, sale of controlled goods etc.

Unless you can get something at the HQ, I'd really recommend against it. Not because it is GW, but because it is any low-level retail. Get something more valuable for your future.

 azreal13 wrote:


Just to give you an example, I spent mine at a newspaper office and a vet's surgery, as those were my career interests at the time (ended up doing neither) but both allowed me to shadow people doing interesting jobs. Spending all day stood in a shop will be a waste of your opportunity, despite your interest in the product (which has absolutely nothing to do with the job, retail is retail, the novelty of being surrounded with stuff you think is cool will not last long)

I did mine at a graphic design department at a university and in a computer repair place.

People in this thread are right though, retail is retail other places are probably more valuable experience. That said if your intent is to do your work experience somewhere that you may be able to paint goblins then it may be worth a shot but I wouldnt expect you to get to do much painting or playing if you do get GW work experience.

Avoid retail for work experience. A lot of managers will fob you of on someone low level because they do not want the trouble of dealing with you for a week.

I signed up for work experience as a forester at the local woodland, what I got was two weeks at a WH Smith store.

Que the boredom and monotony of retail life "learning" in the different departments. I lasted into the second week until asked by one of the storeroom chaps to fetch a long weight from the stores, at that point I collected my coat and gave them one. I can't be certain but they might still be waiting on me as I never went back. Got an A for the report I wrote about it though.

Yeah so retail is a waste of time as you will not be allowed to do the selling bit.

 azreal13 wrote:
Not likely, Notts from North Wales is a hell of a commute!

Honestly?

Forget anything retail based, it will be dull and you'll just get taken advantage of as free labour for a week. You'll get "work experience" in those sorts of low level jobs soon enough, when you hit college and university you'll have to do them to earn money.

Just to give you an example, I spent mine at a newspaper office and a vet's surgery, as those were my career interests at the time (ended up doing neither) but both allowed me to shadow people doing interesting jobs. Spending all day stood in a shop will be a waste of your opportunity, despite your interest in the product (which has absolutely nothing to do with the job, retail is retail, the novelty of being surrounded with stuff you think is cool will not last long)

This this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this

Retail sucks. I had one of the best retail jobs around and I still thought it sucked, can't imagine working for a company like GW

@notprop - I put down Landscape Gardening for my preferred placement and I got dumped at a gardening centre, hefting around bags of fertiliser for two weeks.

Some old fella decided that I didn't know how to use a hosepipe properly, so I had a mornings expert tuition on that...

Wasn't all bad though - the lady that ran the pet shop let me hide out there, and I helped load a statue in to Deidre Barlow's car! Top woman, very pleasant.

Bet you know how to use a hosepipe properly now though.

 ALEXisAWESOME wrote:
I have never heard or seen anything of the sort, but as I have my own approaching I was wondering if anybody knew if GW Stores accepted work experience applicants?.

No they don't.

Retail sucks. The only reason I can think to go and work in a shop is if you want to become a pharmacist. I did a week there and enjoyed it. I can't think of any other "Shop" I would want to work in. Retail is horrid, even if you like the product.

I then realized I was rubbish at chemistry, but thats a different matter.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Bet you know how to use a hosepipe properly now though.

Hosepipin' like a piiiiiimp.

No one ever learns anything from work experience so I wouldn't worry too much about it. I did mine at my MP's constituency office, which is why I'm such a successful local politician...

All good advice.

Seriously though, you'll probably do enough menial work through from a part time job while in school/college/university (delete as appropriate), so there's no point volunteerging for it!

Whatever makes you happy though, I suppose.

Just for good life experience I would suggest doing what I did and spend some time at a court. Certainly gives you a better understanding of how the law works and all the different types of "humanity" that turns up . However ianal lol.

I know several people are dissuading you from doing retail for work experience, however, I suggest you go for it.

The reason why is very simple: Once you've gone through it and seen what regular retail is like then you'll have a great motivation to get a decent uni education so that you never have to deal with that again.

It should also help you understand exactly the type of garbage that retail employees regularly deal with so that you might be able to empathize with them.

All in all it's a great life experience so go for it.

Thats a fair point. Though a week or two isnt usually enough to show you how bad it is.

Just say that you are a photographer and want some work experience in the Nottingham design team

 Kroothawk wrote:
Just say that you are a photographer and want some work experience in the Nottingham design team

Sniffing out some more rumours I see?

But yeah, not a bad idea. I'm not sure what's coming out in February, see.

On topic, I don't really have anything to add as the above posters have covered it. Go for work experience of the job you want to do when you're older, if possible. It'll be much more interesting, valuable and will look better on UCAS and job applications.

That was my way of saying that I don't expect a paranoid company like GW to accept random persons sneaking around their HQ.

Retail suckssss man. I mean really.

I work part time in retail, and while I actually get paid a good rate it made me figure I really need to get on it and go and get a proper job when im done with my education.

Also dont GW have a reputation for treating there retail staff like IG guardsmen? IE with no real care and complete sale focus at all costs.

Analogy for the win.

My work experience was a few years back was in an ICT department. That was actually pretty solid.

 Kroothawk wrote:
I don't expect a paranoid company like GW to accept random persons sneaking around their HQ.

You say that, but a few years ago I got a tour through the staff only areas including the studio when I was on a visit to WHW with my wife.
I went up to the bar in Bugmans to get served, and got included in a veteran staff tour.
I was wearing combat trousers and a black polo shirt, and blended in perfectly.


Personally I did my work experience with a firm of electricians.
I spent a couple of weeks wiring up new-build houses (on my own) and splicing cable in a dairy that operates nationally.
Amazingly nothing has burnt down due to electrical fires.
Best bit?
I got paid at the end (the firm was under no obligation to do so)

If you have a chance to work there do it. If your hobby is toy soldiers then your painting skills will increase. You'll learn retail, work in customer service, handling money, communication skills, inventory, a bit of loss prevention, and you'll get a break on your favorite minis, and models. You'll earn a bit of money, you'll be out of the house.

1st jobs aren’t always the best, but you start your reputation in the work place, reliability, integrity, etc.

Might as well go for it if you have a chance.

 Kelly502 wrote:
If you have a chance to work there do it. If your hobby is toy soldiers then your painting skills will increase. You'll learn retail, work in customer service, handling money, communication skills, inventory, a bit of loss prevention, and you'll get a break on your favorite minis, and models. You'll earn a bit of money, you'll be out of the house.

1st jobs aren’t always the best, but you start your reputation in the work place, reliability, integrity, etc.

Might as well go for it if you have a chance.

We appear to have a bit of cultural mistranslation here.

"Work Experience" is a feature of secondary education where pupils (at 15 IIRC) spend two weeks out of school on a voluntary basis (ie not usually paid, they don't get a choice if they do it or not) in order to get an idea what the 'real world' is like.

Traditionally, unless you're very lucky, its two weeks stood around watching people do stuff you're not really in a position to understand or performing menial jobs that nobody else wants to do. There's very little opportunity for real learning or development.

clively wrote:

The reason why is very simple: Once you've gone through it and seen what regular retail is like then you'll have a great motivation to get a decent uni education so that you never have to deal with that again.

If only that were true. Unfortunately most people (In the UK at least) end up getting a retail job whilst at uni and for at least a short time after they leave, unless they are luck enough to get in to a graduate scheme or do something vocational like medicine or teaching.

 reds8n wrote:

 ALEXisAWESOME wrote:
I have never heard or seen anything of the sort, but as I have my own approaching I was wondering if anybody knew if GW Stores accepted work experience applicants?.

No they don't.

Times be a changing in the world of GW. Free labour might not be something that they want to turn their noses up at forever.

 Steve steveson wrote:

clively wrote:

The reason why is very simple: Once you've gone through it and seen what regular retail is like then you'll have a great motivation to get a decent uni education so that you never have to deal with that again.

If only that were true. Unfortunately most people (In the UK at least) end up getting a retail job whilst at uni and for at least a short time after they leave, unless they are luck enough to get in to a graduate scheme or do something vocational like medicine or teaching.

That's the truth, a lot of people in my work are in that very position. It isn't ideally what they wanted to do, but they are making the most of it. Retail can be good... can be. It just depends on the staff and the company. I'm quite fortunate in my retail job as a student, the company treats us well even though we are only weekend staff.

It might be worth it, but im sure you could think of something much better that would benefit you better in the long run, and I would advise you think about that first.
Retail can be good and bad, it can be pretty crappy if you have to work a retail for someone else in a place you are not keen on.
Retail is not all bad for sure, certainly not as bad as most people would make out, it all depends on many factors, just like all jobs.
I know a lot of people that make a lot of money from retail and they all seem to be enjoying it, these are people with good university qualifications and experienced too.
I cannot see Games Workshop accepting any work experience placements though, I do not think it is their bag.