In what can only be described as a bold move, IKEA is hiring 10 lucky candidates to work in a virtual IKEA store located in Roblox, the popular online game.
This announcement was made public on IKEA’s official website. According to the post, 10 applicants from the UK or ROI will get the chance to work various jobs in a Roblox game called “The co-worker.” The positions include all common IKEA jobs, from working at the cash register to serving meatballs. Naturally, these activities will be mini-games often found in Roblox. The candidates will be paid £13,15/€14,80 an hour.
Before you ask, allow us to answer: Yes, this is very real, and you can apply for the position as long as you are over the age of 18. Candidates who make it through the initial application will need to go through a virtual interview. Applications are open from June 3 to June 16. The announcement was later shared on X, and many were rightfully confused. Some users were baffled by the announcement and wondered if it was actually real, while others have already applied for the potential role.
Many games, especially MMORPGs (such as World of Warcraft), already have people working in them as Admins and Game Masters, so the idea of working in a virtual store doesn’t sound too far-fetched. Then again, it’s very interesting IKEA chose Roblox of all games, where the majority of players are younger kids.
It will be interesting to see if a virtual IKEA store can work inside a game like Roblox and if, perhaps, this can one day become a legitimate career choice.
One thing is for sure: Many of the virtual IKEA shoppers will probably jump on the furniture and get behind the meatball counter inside the virtual Roblox IKEA, and we cannot wait to see how it all works out in the end.
