What specific skills are needed for grocery store bakery? - Page 2

Like I said, you will learn speed and how to work with medium consistency icing no matter what you're doing (even if you need it thin- you get medium), and that does take talent. So it's a great jumping off place for those skills. You will never learn speed at home. At least not the average person. You will only learn speed when you're in a situation like this. For these "gifts" I am very grateful to my experience.

I remembered one other reason I left... make sure you ask about unions. I wasn't told until after I was hired that it was required I join the union. They kept talking about how great the union was and great benefits. I asked much it would be and it was $136/mo!!!!! I didn't want to join the union and I didn't need their benefits. AAAAND this didn't even include the insurance! I already have fantastic benefits through my spouse for $32/mo- total- medical, dental, optical, prescriptions- whole nine yards. Theirs was more on top of the $136. They didn't bother to tell me this until I had been there 1 week.

So I left for those two reasons. I honestly don't know if I would have stayed without the union issue (probably not)... In this state if you work for a grocery store you have to join the union. So check that out before "joining the team." It may be cost prohibitive for you to work there.

Yes, that is the difference, you are correct! Let us face it when you need a job, you need a job and everyone's needs are different. I think Dawn wants to make sure that you don't sell yourself short and I agree. It must be frustrating for people to have to meet time requirements when they could have done so much more with a little more time.
One thing I would like to say, please, please do not feel bad if you get hired on, on probation, and cannot meet the speed requirements. This is a very common problem and lots of folks just cannot work at the speed required for various reasons, sometimes hand issues etc. Everyone works at a different speed and it is nothing to feel bad about. I remember well when my daughter did a two week placement and they were not happy that in those two weeks she didn't meet their requirements. However, when she actually worked in the field, she was able to. But I do remember her seeing folks get let go because they were unable to work at this speed and these people would feel so bad about it. It doesn't mean you aren't good enough, it just means that for their purposes, you aren't fast enough. It has nothing to do with being a skilled decorator or not.
And it truly will make you faster at some things when you do your own cakes. One thing I would do, once you get hired, is tell them that though you have no intentions of using the job as a means of getting your own customers, make sure that they realize that you also do cakes outside of the job. That way, you won't have any conflicts of interest. The store where my daughter worked actually re-directed cake jobs to her and also to me, when they could not handle a request. Actually it was a good practice for them as they were able to keep the customers happy even when they couldn't fufill orders.
I hear that Dairy Queen is a good place to work and they seem to produce some wonderful decorators judging from the work of a few people I know!
I am sure Dawn joins me in wishing you all the best of luck in your job search. It is always a good thing to have a job even if while you have it, you are looking at other possibilities.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Absolutely!!!! I hope you get it!!!! Like I said you will learn some useful skills. That is how I was able to take a cake order 2 weekends ago for the same day (actually for 4 hours later)- and that included baking and cooling!! I could not have done that if I hadn't had the experience from that bakery job!!

I only want you to be fully aware of all involved- ups and downs!!

Don't go into it blind like I did.. use the benefits of those of us who have been there to ask the best questions.

Good point Dawn, about the union fees. Interesting thing in Canada, don't know if it is the same there, but you have to pay the dues even when you are probationary, even if you are part-time. Then the probationary members actually have no rights associated with the dues they are paying and also, in my daughter's case, no union representative to deal with when there are issues. Do I dare mention that sometimes proper safety proceedures for workmen's compensation, are not followed? Like for example, using frozen icing buckets stacked as a step stool because no ladder or proper stepstool was made available. Not a good thing in a freezer room believe me. Generally all food workers unions have fairly stiff union dues regardless of the wages being paid. Something to think about.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Well congratulations on graduating in the coming summer! Good for you and yes, you can never learn too many things to always have something to fall back on or even just have as a hobby. The more interests and skills the better, you are wise to realize this! All the best of luck to you!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

[quote="letseatcake"] I don't know if you've taken the Wilton classes or not, but if you have forget that rose. They make their mound with the 104 and they don't use stiff icing, they use medium for everything. Don't bother taking your pictures, I did that. You can't be too creative. They have standards to go by and only a few different variations.

I didnt know what to qoute so I did most. I too worked for Sams on the East Coast. None of what was stated above was true at any of the 6 Sam's Clubs I went to ( I was an auditor, claim rep, baker, reciever, verifer etc) did that. Yes they froze if had to, but for the most if they were decorated they were not they were freshly made for the customer.But I also know that there are more Sams clubs then those I went to!
THe ones I went to (all 6) wanted decorators experienced or unexperienced. If you were exp'd you were paid more and got a higher position, if you werent they trained you for a month and then you were fine.
Anyway just go to the grocery store, and apply and ask what experience the grocery store wants! Every company is different.
Have a wonderful day!