Answers.Body: <p>There's a nice interview with LEGO Designer Mark Stafford on The Brothers Brick:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><a href="http://www.brothers-brick.com/2009/01/11/from-lego-fan-to-lego-set-designer-the-mark-stafford-interview-part-1/">From LEGO fan to LEGO set designer - the Mark Stafford interview</a></p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>The basic process was:</p>
  
  <p>The position was advertised, and Mark's portfolio was sent in. He was then invited to a two day recruitment workshop along with a number of other candidates.</p>
  
  <p>I've also read other interviews such as <a href="http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk/manchester/en/funzone/master-builder.htm">this one from The LEGOLAND Discovery Center</a> asking about how Alex Bidolak became a LEGO Master Model Builder, and he came in through the competition route.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T20:58:45.870Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-27T20:58:45.870Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Answers.Body: <p><a href="http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/pressroom/ProductNews.aspx?y=276303&amp;l=200071&amp;n=312641">Pierre Normandin</a> followed the path of "well-known AFOL doing tremendous sets" to "AFOL invited by LEGO to participate in secret projects from time to time" to "Actual LEGO designer" (I'd like to say "demigod", but he tends to frown at me when I do that). He was also one of the first groups of LEGO Ambassadors.</p>
  
  <p>But in any case, the most important criteria is, you have to be a tremendous builder. The next step is to make LEGO know about you one way or the other, but if you are a tremendous builder, chances are they will. Then, you have to inquire about job openings and of course, apply. In that respect, I think his path is similar to Mark Stafford's.</p>
  
  <p>LEGOland parks sometimes fill they openings through competitions, but I don't think Billund does that.</p>
  
  <p>Edit: by the way, the job postings aren't in any kind of secret place, but quite <a href="http://jobs.lego.com/en-us/searchpage/">easy to find on the LEGO web site</a> (I think they're in category "Product Design/ Development"). Of course if they happen to search for candidates for other jobs in your own area of expertise, maybe being already in house is a good path to reach the designers team, too.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-28T07:13:28.477Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-03-20T22:21:23.590Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-03-20T22:21:23.590Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.Body: <p>I participated in the Master Builder competition. Winners were potentially offered jobs as Builders and Master Builders. The position was advertised on the LEGO job boards and the competition in question was held in LEGOLAND California. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-21T22:49:11.607Z
Answers.Text: Can you possibly fill this answer out a little, more detail on what "THE Master Builder competition" was, where and when etc, why they are never going to hold another one, and how being a Master Builder could lead to working as a designer for TLG.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Móż
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-20T17:26:02.827Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-07-20T17:26:02.827Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: nijineko
Body: <p>I always fantasized on the mysterious (and admittedly cool) job of LEGO designer. Is there anyone who knows what it takes?</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Do you need to go to the Lego university and get good grades?</li>
  <li>Is there any Job post in some secret place? </li>
  <li>Do you get a job by being on the LEGO fan club for long enough? </li>
  <li>Or do you need to participate in competition and get recognition for your own designs?</li>
  </ul>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-10-28T20:07:39.360Z
Comments.Text: I have something to contribute that does not justify an answer…As stated in (I believe) The Ultimate Lego Book (I've lost it so can't be sure, but it details the model maker/designer recruiter process), one of the stages a would-be designer has to go through is, when presented with a set of generic pieces, having to construct a model that is as imaginative as possible.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ali
Tags: <design><lego-group>
Title: How does one get a job as a LEGO designer?
UserDisplayName: jfyelle
ThreadText: # How does one get a job as a LEGO designer?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-27)
  
  I always fantasized on the mysterious (and admittedly cool) job of LEGO designer. Is there anyone who knows what it takes?
  
  * Do you need to go to the Lego university and get good grades?
  * Is there any Job post in some secret place?
  * Do you get a job by being on the LEGO fan club for long enough?
  * Or do you need to participate in competition and get recognition for your own designs?
  
  **Tags:** design, lego-group
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I have something to contribute that does not justify an answer…As stated in (I believe) The Ultimate Lego Book (I've lost it so can't be sure, but it details the model maker/designer recruiter process), one of the stages a would-be designer has to go through is, when presented with a set of generic pieces, having to construct a model that is as imaginative as possible.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2011-10-27. Score: 22 | Accepted answer
  
  There's a nice interview with LEGO Designer Mark Stafford on The Brothers Brick:
  
  > [From LEGO fan to LEGO set designer - the Mark Stafford interview](http://www.brothers-brick.com/2009/01/11/from-lego-fan-to-lego-set-designer-the-mark-stafford-interview-part-1/)
  
  The basic process was:
  
  The position was advertised, and Mark's portfolio was sent in. He was then invited to a two day recruitment workshop along with a number of other candidates.
  
  I've also read other interviews such as [this one from The LEGOLAND Discovery Center](http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk/manchester/en/funzone/master-builder.htm) asking about how Alex Bidolak became a LEGO Master Model Builder, and he came in through the competition route.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2011-10-28. Score: 10
  
  [Pierre Normandin](http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/pressroom/ProductNews.aspx?y=276303&l=200071&n=312641) followed the path of "well-known AFOL doing tremendous sets" to "AFOL invited by LEGO to participate in secret projects from time to time" to "Actual LEGO designer" (I'd like to say "demigod", but he tends to frown at me when I do that). He was also one of the first groups of LEGO Ambassadors.
  
  But in any case, the most important criteria is, you have to be a tremendous builder. The next step is to make LEGO know about you one way or the other, but if you are a tremendous builder, chances are they will. Then, you have to inquire about job openings and of course, apply. In that respect, I think his path is similar to Mark Stafford's.
  
  LEGOland parks sometimes fill they openings through competitions, but I don't think Billund does that.
  
  Edit: by the way, the job postings aren't in any kind of secret place, but quite [easy to find on the LEGO web site](http://jobs.lego.com/en-us/searchpage/) (I think they're in category "Product Design/ Development"). Of course if they happen to search for candidates for other jobs in your own area of expertise, maybe being already in house is a good path to reach the designers team, too.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2016-07-20. Score: 2
  
  I participated in the Master Builder competition. Winners were potentially offered jobs as Builders and Master Builders. The position was advertised on the LEGO job boards and the competition in question was held in LEGOLAND California.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: Can you possibly fill this answer out a little, more detail on what "THE Master Builder competition" was, where and when etc, why they are never going to hold another one, and how being a Master Builder could lead to working as a designer for TLG.  
  
  ---
  
  