There are some roles we could only ever dream of having; food critic, restaurant reviewer, Getaway host… basically anything that would allow us to eat and travel the world, all the while getting paid.
When it comes to kids, though, their professional goals are perhaps more relative to their current interests, and if we asked our children about their dream careers, they’d surely say playing all day long, give or take the salary (they’d happily accept a Kinder Surprise as compensation).
Now, IKEA is looking to realise one kid’s professional dream, with the company’s very important new role of Chief Play Officer, or CPO.
The successful candidate will have the exceptional responsibility of testing out new toys in 2021 before they’re made available to the public. IKEA’s first CPO will have the critical responsibility of making sure these toys are considered fun for other kids, and thus it’s required for the successful candidate to be passionate about playing with a keen sense of adventure.
“Creativity is key: the successful candidate will have a vivid imagination and enjoy creating things,” the job posting reads.
The CPO’s role will be part-time and based from home. While the role is unpaid, the CPO will get to keep each of the new toys they’ve been tasked to trial. Essentially, the lucky kid will be paid in toys. What a dream.
Unfortunately, being that every kid loves playtime and thus is exceptionally good at it, the toy tester role is all the more difficult to score for how qualified each candidate is. The team at IKEA certainly has a hard task ahead of them when it comes to choosing their new Cheif Play Officer, however, there are a number of other qualifications that must be considered in the application process.
For starters, the successful candidate will live in the UK or Ireland. It’s a bummer for those of us here in Australia. Secondly, the CPO must be between four and 12 years old. No grown-ups are allowed to apply.
To apply, applicants will need to submit a cover letter or video outlining why they should be IKEA’s first Cheif Play Officer. The applicant will explain why they are passionate about toys, reveal their favourite toy, gadget or game, and provide some further details on application criteria.
The successful applicant will be determined as the most original, creative and enthusiastic of all by a panel of hiring managers, and will go on to land the role.
Know of someone who would be perfect for this in the UK or Ireland? Let them know of the fabulous opportunity, and tell them to get their applications in by the end of the day when the role closes.