The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion

Features, Active Careers, and Open for Business

My guides to Get to Work are available: Baking, Aliens, Doctor, Detective, Photography, Sixam, the Alien World, Scientist, and Opening a Business! The next Pack releases December 8, 2015 - Get Together Expansion.
The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Pack
The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Splash Screen

Overview and Release Date

The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Pack was released March 31, 2015. It is a hybrid of two very popular Expansions from The Sims history - The Sims 3 Ambitions and -- finally -- The Sims 2 Open for Business! Here are the gameplay features brought with Get to Work that a player new to the Expansion or seeking to buy it needs to know.

Open for Business!

The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Pack has features from The Sims 2 Open for Business
Click to Enlarge. The Sims 2's Open for Business features are back in Sims 4!

Get to Work lets you turn a lot into a retail store, which can then be boosted with signs and other decorations to increase curb appeal from Sims out shopping. You can make nearly any kind of store you like, from selling foods to clothing and almost anything from Buy Mode. We have a Full Guide to Retail that can help you explore this feature and provide tips on how to manage a business. Here is an overview of features:

  • Customize through build mode and make any type of business you like: an art gallery, bakery, grocer (sort of), clothing boutique, or bookstore. You can sell nearly anything!
  • Dozens of new build mode objects to make your shop your own. Truly beautiful stores can be created by those with skill in building.
  • Hire and fire employees, manage their uniforms, and promote them when they're dissatisfied with pay.
  • Employees level in retail skills - from their ability to drive sales to their work ethic and ability to clean
  • Gain perk points that let you boost aspects of your business and your own Sim's ability to drive sales.
  • Synergizes well with crafting Skills like Painting, Handiness' Woodworking, and the new Skills in the Get to Work Expansion Pack
  • View profit reports for the day, and gradually evolve your store with more expensive products
  • Vending machines let Sims buy food without interacting with your staff. This can let you cook while they buy it up!
  • Adjust your markup to either sell many products at a low price, or few products at a very high price
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Three New Active Careers

Doctor, Detective, and Scientist are all featured in the EP. Players get to choose whether they follow their Sim to work and take control or not. This offers you some flexibility in play. However, to really get promotions effectively, you'll need to assume control. Players can extend the work day by up to 2 hours by clicking the meter at top left, which is also used to leave work early.

Doctor

Explore My Mods! Color Picker for Builders, Seasons Tuner, Dine Out Reloaded and a Gameplay Overhaul! Like other modders, I've been working to make The Sims 4 a better game. Check out my many mods here!

The Sims 4 Get to Work - The Hospital for the Doctor Career
Click to Enlarge. Hospital for the Doctor Career

The Sims 4 Get to Work Doctor works with a Sick Patient
Click to Enlarge. Healing and Diagnosing Sick Patients will be part of the Doctor Career

Doctor Career Features
The Doctor Career requires the most work out of a player of all three Active Careers. You will need to determine which disease a patient has, based on their visual symptoms and the tests you perform. You can read a full Guide to the Doctor Career here.

  • Use treadmill tests and X-rays to help diagnose patients
  • Analyze swabs to figure out their illness
  • Perform body scans, take temperatures, and discuss patient health
  • Deliver babies and perform surgeries on patients that require it
  • Make house calls and sometimes treat multiple Sims
  • See your Doctor grow in skill at diagnosing and treating patients as they advance

Detective

Police Station in the Sims 4 - this is where Detectives will Work
Click to Enlarge. A shot inside the Sims 'Get to Work' Police Station

Detective is one of the New Active Careers
Click to Enlarge. A shot of the Detective Career in The Sims 4 Get to Work.

Investigate Crime Scenes as a Detective
Click to Enlarge. Investigate Crime Scenes

Detective Career Features
The Detective Career starts with some low level work but grows to allow your Sim to fully pursue criminals and solve their crimes. You will eventually take on your own cases and get to interrogate suspects in order to get confessions. Here's a full guide to the Detective Career

  • Will work out of the new police station venue, but travel to crime scenes to gather clues
  • Search suspects, fingerprint them, and take mug shots
  • Gradually piece together information via photographing/gathering clues and interviewing witnesses
  • The notebook serves to give you a list of physical features and traits of your suspect
  • With enough evidence, issue an APB on your suspect and apprehend them
  • Interrogate the suspect, with hilarious interactions under the good/bad cop menus and eventually get them to confess

Scientist Career

The Sims 4 Get to Work - The Scientist Career makes Inventions
Click to Enlarge. A Scientist tests out a Freeze Ray they Invented

The Sims 4 Get to Work Expansion Pack - The Scientist's Invention Constructor
Click to Enlarge. Using the Invention Constructor

Scientist Career Features
The Scientist Career is the easiest of the three, but offers the biggest rewards! You will have Eureka! moments when your Sim has had a breakthrough, then get to build a new design using the invention constructor. This one offers a good deal of freedom when at work, but if you're pushing for promotions you must follow objectives. Learn more in the guide to the Scientist Career.

  • Unlock simple, helpful inventions like the Hover Lamp and Momentum Conserver, but many more powerful creations await you!
  • Unlock the SimRay and gradually upgrade it with the ability to Transform objects (and make LOTS of money!) and mind control Sims.
  • The Cloning Machine will let you duplicate many smaller objects, and can be upgraded to clone a copy of your Sim.
  • The Satellite Dish can prevent Alien abductions, which is VERY helpful to those players who don't want to be whisked off and impregnated by an extraterrestrial.
  • Concoct Serums that will allow a Sim to influence emotion, stave off death, and even turn into a ghost for a time.
  • Enjoy one of the most productive collecting lots in existence, with many opportunities to pick up metals and fossils.

Aliens!

The Sims 4 Get to Work - A Portal to Meet Aliens in the Expansion
Click to Enlarge. A Dimensional Portal leads to the alien world of Sixam

The Sims 4 Get to Work - A female Alien
Click to Enlarge. A female Alien on Sixam. Males wear similar high-tech clothing

Aliens are in the Expansion, and may abduct Sims at random times. Male Sims may be impregnated by Aliens, and will have babies. You can choose to keep the baby or send it back to its homeworld, permanently. Aliens are also walking around town in disguise. The Scientist Career and Rocket Science can both lead Sims to the planet Sixam, where you can meet Aliens and even befriend them to add them to your household.

Playing as an Alien, you can disguise yourself at any time and even alter the way your Alien appears while in disguise. Aliens have the power to discover other Sims' traits, as well as empathize with them to experience the same Emotion as that Sim. Click here for a full guide to Aliens.

New Skills

Photography

The Sims 4 Get to Work - Photography Skill
Click to Enlarge. Level up your Photography Skill.

Using a Camera in Get to Work
Click to Enlarge. Take Pictures of the Game World.

Photography Features
The Photography Skill lets Sims take pictures of the game world, while also being able to sell the photographs. You can take up to five pictures when you use the camera, and choose a size for the picture and apply filter effects. These can be framed and hung on a wall to display in your Sim's home. This Skill features only 5 levels, but they avoided unnecessary skilling to master it.

  • Capture Pictures of anything in-game
  • Sell Photographs and improve your Sim's Skill level to get more options

Baking

Get to Work will feature a Bakery Skill
Click to Enlarge. A Picture of a Bakery in The Sims 4 Get to Work.

Baking Features
The Baking Skill is largely like cooking and gourmet cooking, but focusing on baked goods made via the oven and cupcake factory. The baking skill, along with the other two cooking Skills will allow your Sim to make a retail food shop, where Sims can buy dishes. A restaurant is not possible, but you can make loads of dough (heh) on selling high-quality baked goods.

Other Features

New Collectibles
There are Geodes that can be found on Sixam. You may also collect three new plant types there, two metals, two crystals, and a new element for your collections. These are largely exclusive to the alien planet.

Other Get to Work Guides

Expansion Guide
Retail Guide
Retail: Customers and Sales
Retail: Employees and Managing
Retail Perks in Get to Work
Aliens
Baking Skill Guide
Photography Skill Guide
Detective Career
Doctor Career, Diseases and Diagnosing Patients
Scientist Career
Planet Sixam (Alien World)

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Comments (71)

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New
Suzy-boosays...
After playing the game for about 6 weeks, I have only just realized (after reading about it) that you can follow sims to work. (sigh..yes I know.. stupid) I have never had the option to follow my space dude who is at level ten. Bought 4 along with going to work as special combi pack in sale. I did'nt install it, husband did, he cant remember putting the i in anywhere. would this affect my lack of 'following ability' if he didn't? I want to go to sixam!!!! HELP!
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Admin
Playalotsays...
When you are in your Origin Library mouse over The Sims 4. Click on the 'i'. This will take you to where you can see all The Sims packs you have. If any are not installed you can just install them from this page. Smile
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New
Suzy-boosays...
thanks for that Playalot. checked, and he had installed the game. So back to square one as they say. So my problem still remains. Why can't I follow my dude to work. I have never been given this option 'to follow'. Does it just come up when she starts to go, or is there a box somewhere that I have to click on? I must admit I have trawled the screen for such a thing, and its driving me mad. Help any one! I want to go to sixam!
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New
Suzy-boosays...
OK Playalot, Have found sixam, just had to upgrade ship to wormhole. So that's fine. Still can't follow to work tho. (sixam's not all that- after all the fuss I made to get there)!
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Admin
Playalotsays...
There are only 3 careers you can follow, Doctor, Scientist and Detective. Is your sim in one of these careers?
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New
Suzy-boosays...
No! That would explain a lot! She is a Space Ranger. Thanks for your info, you have been a great help. (and possibly stopped me going insane).
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Admin
Playalotsays...
You're welcome, sorry I didn't think to mention the 3 specific careers sooner.... might have cured the temporary frustration earlier! Smile
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New
Suzy-boosays...
Many thanks (yet again) what can I say? After playing Sims for 16 years I should know better. Just lay back and see. To impatient as always.! 'Space Ranger ' will change to Doctor maybe?
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New
mansoorsays...
very goodSmile
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New
Haileysays...
Hiya I have just got the game today. Does anyone know if I can build a store/bakery and have my sims living in apartment above it?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
You can definitely build an apartment styled living area above the retail building. You will still need to go back to your home lot if your sim has a baby as the retail lot will always be labelled as 'retail'. I have had sims live their lives above a shop and it worked well with them only needing to go home for a few moments every now and then to collect elements from the mailbox and things like that. Just remember to use the door locking system to the apartment though or you will have customers using all your sims 'private' household items.
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New
Teirasays...
I can't see my job when I try and go to work. The building is completely gone. How do I fix this?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
I'm assuming that the active career had been working perfectly normally until this happened? It sounds like maybe you have encountered the Disappearing Lot bug. Hopefully you haven't saved your game in this state. But there is a detailed thread on the forum which I'll link you to and hopefully you can work your way through it and solve this game issue.
Disappearing Lot Bug Help
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New
nzcpsays...
Hey, I have a question, can you follow your sims to work if their jobs are not: doctors, detectives and scientist?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
No. Those are the only active careers currently in the game. The rest of the careers are just imaginary and your sims will vanish from the sidewalk as they 'go to work'. There are some mods out there that have added some more active careers but I haven't used them. Apparently they are very good.
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New
Claudia Irwinsays...
I completed the detective career and changed my sim into the painter career. She is now a composition curator and still wears her Chief's outfit to work. I have not played the game for a while and this still happens. Is this a glitch? or is it normal?Huh
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Admin
Playalotsays...
That's a glitch. Delete the 'localthumbcache.package' file out of your The Sims 4 folder and reboot your game. Hopefully that should be all it takes to get your sim to work in their 'correct' work clothes.
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New
Sims fansays...
Unsurehow do I follow my child to school
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Admin
Playalotsays...
You can't. There is no active school lot in The Sims 4. Children just 'disappear' at the edge of the lot when they go to school.
There is a mod made by Zerbu if you don't mind modding your game.
Go To School Mod
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New
Applonia S Hinessays...
I'm so lost on The Sims 4 it's not even funny Sad I'm an original Sims 3 Playstation player who has just switched over to the Sims 4 on the computer and I have no idea what I'm doing I also bought the expansion pack get to work and have no idea how to get to work!! somebody please help CryingCryingCrying
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Senior
Carlsays...
If you don't yet have a job, look near their picture for the phone and use that.

If you do have a job, go to the careers tab in the menu and see what time's their next work shift.
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New
crissays...
download the game, but nothing's changed at all, not even the jobs ):
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New
Afisays...
Can I have a usual career (like being a doctor or scientist, etc) and have a retail at the same time?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Totally, although it would mean running the retail lot on your sims days off or having another sim from the same household run it.
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New
Battytecsays...
Are there any ways to get free retail perks??
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Yep if you scroll down to the end of the cheats guide there is a section on the retail cheats.
Unlock Retail Perks
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New
raeannasays...
If I buy this, will I get to follow my sim to work if their job is not listed above? The Cooking career and Astronaut careers for example.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
No, the only careers that are active and actually 'exist' for your sim are the three that come with this expansion pack. The Scientist, Detective and Doctor careers.
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New
Flaming Fawkessays...
Does anyone know if you can edit the police station or other work sites? There is no interrogation room in mine nor is there enough computers.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Using the bb.enablefreebuild cheat you will be able to alter any 'locked' lot. The active careers will not function correctly if needed items are not present on the lot though!
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New
akikosays...
Do we have to buy get to work expansion pack to unlock all the jobs or it's just a expansion pack to unlock more jobs? Does the plain sims 4 already contain a choice for a job?
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Senior
Carlsays...
Yes, Get to Work just adds the doctor, scientist, and detective as far as careers go. There are a number of normal careers you can find on the careers guide. Those are all in the base game :)

You gave me a good idea, to maybe make a list of what is in the base game to help people with things like this!
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New
jacksays...
gonna love this
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New
jacksays...
how do you get it
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Can be purchased online through Origin.
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New
David B.says...
Hello. I have Get to Work and the new Dine out EPs, and in my doctor career, every time I perform a patient examination action, the patient quickly jumps out of bed to a standing position and has to be readmitted to a bed. What's going on there? Thanks.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
This is a known game bug. There wasn't a fix in this most recent patch but hopefully there will be one soon.
If you want to add a 'me too' to the official bug thread the link is here.
EA The Sims Bug Reports
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New
David B.says...
Thanks. Oddly enough, I never had this problem when I played the game months ago. Maybe it has something to do with the update it made when I started playing again this week.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Yes, a recent patch caused this issue. Smile
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New
David B.says...
dag :-(
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New
Brennysays...
Hey everyone,

I just built my bakery today and have been experiencing an issue. My customers' bars go up when I interact with them, and some even reach a full bar but after that nothing happens.

No red shopping cart above their heads (haven't seen one even though I've tried multiple times), yet there is a notification from them telling me that they may buy the product when I have the time to ring them up?

Instead, what happens for me is, when their bars go up or when the notification for me to ring them (the customers) up comes out, I can't interact with them any longer?

Is this a glitch or am I missing something out? Unsure

Feedback would be very much appreciated! Tongue

Additional Info:
1. I have enabled and am using Mods for my gameplay
2. All of my baked goods have been set for sale
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
You will need to remove your mods and delete your localthumbcache.package file and test in a vanilla game. If the problem is not there then you will know it is being caused by a mod and then you can begin to sort through them and work out which one is causing the conflict.
Gravatar
New
Brennysays...
Hello!!

Omg sorry I forgot to reply in time, but I actually found out the problem! I was sooo silly!!

It was not actually a game problem, but I placed the baked goods in the warmer instead of the display case Blush

After I placed it in the cases, everything worked out fine!

Thank you for your reply though! I will keep this in mind if the actual issue comes up Smile xx
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Regular
Rachelsays...
Hi ☺️ Just wanted to find out something. Do the expansion packs (including this one) have the same system requirements as the base game? I don't want to buy them to find out they don't work. I don't see why the requirements would be different though, then base game players wouldn't be able to get them
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Admin
Playalotsays...
The sysytem requirements are for just the base game if you have concerns that your pc will not be able to handle extra contents then you can make a post on our technical board where they will be able to talk you through specs needed etc.
Technical Help Board
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Regular
Rachelsays...
thank you
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Regular
Emilysays...
I am in the detective career and whenever I arrest someone and go back to the police station, one of my objectives is to 'interrogate suspect' but when I do that, if they are innocent, it doesn't class it as interrogating them and the objective doesn't go away?

Is this a bug or is it normal?

Thank you!
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
I haven't had that outcome before as all my interrogations end up with the perp being locked up. There is some more info on this guide page.
Detective Guide
But maybe just try asking the perp more questions until the case is cracked.
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New
annsays...
is there a guide line to help you build l am not good at that at all l want to build a buisness
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Admin
Playalotsays...
We have a building guide here that might help you.
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New
annsays...
Everytime l hire a second employee for my store it says they will show up the next day but they never appear only the one employee but my finances says l am paying that second employee
Gravatar
Admin
Playalotsays...
Go into the Manage Worlds>Manage Households and find the sim in question and delete them. Then hire a new sim next time your sim is actively on the retail lot. (Tip the staff member sim is most probably in the unplayed Not In World section)


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