2 answers
Gabriel
Student
Miami, Florida
1
Question
Updated
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what the hardest part of finding work as a baker?
Hi I'm just starting on the baking path and as one of the few things I really enjoy, I would love to make baking my career and want to know what I'm getting into before I dead set on this path. Thank you in advance.
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2 answers
Chris D'Andrea
Account Manager
3
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Chris’s Answer
Hi Gabriel - Happy to help out here - I was a professional chef for 10 years and spent a 6-month stint at a very popular bakery here in California making croissants and other laminated pastries - now I work at a software company.
First - If you show enthusiasm, get to work on time, and work hard every day, you won't have any problems getting a job at any food-service place. Restaurants and bakeries are always looking for employees because the work is physically challenging and the hours are long. Just show up to a few places and ask to speak to the manager and express your interest in a job. Dress professionally and be curious. Then, if you get a chance to 'stage' or trial, work hard.
I wouldn't try to talk anyone out of following their dreams (I followed mine for a decade before making a change) but I would encourage you to try working in a place for a little while to see if you like it. My shift when I worked at the bakery was 2:00 AM to 10 AM....doesn't seem THAT bad, but your schedule will be completely opposite of all your non-industry friends. You may love it, but the hours are certainly tough. Most bakeries are going to follow a similar schedule, because people want to eat pastries early in the morning, and they take time to make. Another thing to think about is that baking on a small scale and leveraging your creativity is fun, but large scale bakeries are much more of a repetitive assembly-line style.
So to sum up, you won't have any problems getting a job if that's what you really want to do, but it's worth keeping your options open until you're 100% sure the lifestyle is for you.
Good luck!
First - If you show enthusiasm, get to work on time, and work hard every day, you won't have any problems getting a job at any food-service place. Restaurants and bakeries are always looking for employees because the work is physically challenging and the hours are long. Just show up to a few places and ask to speak to the manager and express your interest in a job. Dress professionally and be curious. Then, if you get a chance to 'stage' or trial, work hard.
I wouldn't try to talk anyone out of following their dreams (I followed mine for a decade before making a change) but I would encourage you to try working in a place for a little while to see if you like it. My shift when I worked at the bakery was 2:00 AM to 10 AM....doesn't seem THAT bad, but your schedule will be completely opposite of all your non-industry friends. You may love it, but the hours are certainly tough. Most bakeries are going to follow a similar schedule, because people want to eat pastries early in the morning, and they take time to make. Another thing to think about is that baking on a small scale and leveraging your creativity is fun, but large scale bakeries are much more of a repetitive assembly-line style.
So to sum up, you won't have any problems getting a job if that's what you really want to do, but it's worth keeping your options open until you're 100% sure the lifestyle is for you.
Good luck!
Rachel Fong
Food Manufacturing, Food Safety
4
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
I would say it's good to look for the hidden baking jobs. It's easier to find out about restaurant and corner-bakery jobs, but there are other places. For example, there are central kitchens for supermarket chains and wholesale bakery plants that operate pretty quietly. There are also institutional kitchens - corporate, hospital, college and school cafeterias. The kitchen trial for a job is the big challenge. Kitchens can be incredibly different in terms of personality and what people want. Generally though, I would say people are looking for calm, speed, pacing and stamina. You can be a very good baker, but doing it all day while also taking your breaks on schedule - that can be a challenge for a lot of people. You have to work fast enough to get enough done so you can go on break; you have to know how to schedule your tasks so you can go on break; and going on a break can't cause you to lose steam!