I got there and was thrust immediately into the frenzy of things. The frosting was cold. Cold frosting means thick frosting. Thick frosting means crumbs in the cake when you ice it. And of course, we started with chocolate cake. Thick frosting also is next to impossible to pipe in the ways they wanted it piped. It never got any better, either. The frosting never did warm up and the cakes looks liked shit. But that was "okay".
Let's also remember that the people who SHOULD have been training me weren't at work yesterday. Instead they pulled someone from Deli who has 1 week of cake decorating experience to train me. *frustratrated* And she left me, alone in the bakery, multiple times. I don't know this bakery. I don't know where anything is, what the ordering policy is, how much a 1/4, 1/2 or full sheetcake costs. They just left me.
So I frosted about 8 cakes, and by then it was like 40 minutes til I had to go home.
And that's when my manager showed up and told me that I had to decorate all the cakes that I had made before I went home. I had to use an airbrush for the first time, with no training - which luckily I figured out just fine. I than had to use (cold) frosting to make this horrible design. Shell border with colored strings of fondant piped willy nilly over the side. I ended up working an hour and 15 minutes longer than I was scheduled.
I went home covered in (cold) frosting and I was extremely sore.
Now I have to be work in 23 minutes and I just don't want to go. But, I'll get better, I'll get used to the pain, I'll get used to the less than ideal circumstances.
Rachel
Sorry to hear that you had this kind of first day at work. Unfortunately, you are not alone. It was not too long ago that I had read, either here, or on another forum, that someone else was given the same kind of crappy first day. So it is in some places, especially those that depend upon volume sales to make a profit.
But just think how good this experience is going to look on your resume when you go to get the loan to open your own shop!
Theresa 
And that Theresa, is why I'm walking out the door.
Rachel
Sorry to hear that, Rachel. I hope it was not something I said - I have a tendency to be honest, and in writing it may sound discouraging.
You will find the place to showcase your abilities, apparently it is just not there. Let me know if you need a job reference. Always willing to help!
Theresa
First days are always ugly. You did survive, and did all the work (even if you did have to stay late) and today will be easier. You'll know where some things are, you'll know they'll abandon you, and you also know if you bake it, you ice it. I'd say it was a good, very hard day's learning experience. Today will be much easier! Let us know how it goes. Asprin may help. Hang in there.
By "walking out the door", I think she meant going to work. To get that experience in the trenches, to get a paycheck, and work toward what she wants to do on her own terms...
Correct me if I'm wrong, mrsright?
Sorry, I thought it meant the other way, like she was going to quit. So much for interpretation without visualization!
Theresa
I'm so sorry to hear that you had a bad first day. I'm not sure what store you are working for, but when I read your story, it sounded an awful lot like my experience at Walmart. (note-I am in no way insulting the store, just mentioning that I had a similar experience).
I've been decorating cakes for 10 years. I needed a second job, so I went to work for our local Walmart Bakery. It is unfortunate that sometimes the bottom line is $$$ instead of true works of art. I've heard that some walmart bakery are WONDERFUL, but the one I worked for just pushed TOO HARD for more cakes.
I would work my entire 8 hours, totally exhausted, only to have my manager walk up to the case, look it up and down, and ask if I would be willing to stay 1 or 2 more hours, so the case would look "fuller". I can't tell you how many times I wanted to CRY MY EYES out.
In the very beginning, I was soooooooo worried. I knew how to decorate cakes...I had done it for years...but I just couldn't keep up with the other decorator. She would have 4 cakes iced and DECORATED by the time I was finishing up my 1st cake. It took a little time, but I started learning how to work faster. Pretty soon, I was keeping up with her.
I don't work there anymore, and honestly wouldn't want to. However, I did learn some wonderful things that, had I not worked for them, I would probably have never learned. First, I am best friends with that other cake decorator. She is like a mom to me, and has taught me so much. It's great to have someone like her to go to with cake questions or advise. Secondly, the fact that I can whip out a bunch of good looking cakes out in half the time is WITHOUT A DOUBT the best thing I walked out of that store with. I have benefitted SO MUCH from that in my own personal cake business. For example, I have 2 wedding cakes for this Saturday. One is a 3 tier, and the other is 11 tiers!!! Did I mention I have a full time job?? I would have never been able to fill that type of order had it not been for learning that type of speed.
Lastly, I was self-taught on that airbrush machine, too. You'll be airbrushing desert scenes on harley davidson cakes in no time! 
All in all, it was an ok experience. I didn't like that they only saw $$, and not the skill or effort that went into it. They always pushed for more. Mother's Day and Graduation was HORRIBLE...that's when I think most grocery store/bakery cake decorators think about giving their notice . They left me BY MYSELF to make 75 (YES, SEVENTY FIVE) cakes for graduation weekend one year. And of course, no one wanted little quarter sheets. They wanted full, filled, edible image, can-you-hand-pipe-the-school-mascot-out-of-piping-gel cakes. 
But I'll tell you, the experience and techniques that I left that store with was more than worth it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Good luck with your new job. I hope everything gets better for you. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to PM me. Take care.
Boy do I know exactly what you mean! Last summer I worked in the bakery at one of our grocery stores for about 3 months, I ended up quiting, just couldn't take it any longer. The same thing happened to me, being left alone trying to deal with customers when you don't know anything about their bakery or where anything is drives you CRAZY!! Then all I was being told the whole time was "do it production" style, they really didn't care how the finished product turned out, they just wanted them done fast! THAT'S what I couldn't take any longer, I wanted to take pride in my work not just have to throw it together each day just to get it out on the tables! PLUS, I was hired as a cake decorator, they never told me that I had to make everything single thing in there that went out on the tables and in the cases 
. Alot of their things didn't come in already made, the cakes came in frozen but you had to put everything together, ice and decorate, and package and price it all on top of that!! I really feel for you, hopefully you can hang in there longer than I did lol, I lasted 3 months but that was plenty for me!!! Plus the bakery manager there was a total A$$, he would act like you were bothering him if you needed to ask where something was at or any question at all. Try to hang in there, hopefully it gets better, it WILL get better if you have a good manager in there. Good Luck! 
And I totally agree with the speed part, that is a plus.
Yes, I meant walking out the door of my house to go to work. I'm taking this job MOSTLY to help me get my own bakery later. I don't like production style cakes, but I'll do whatever it takes to get me into my own place.
And I was walking out the door literally to go to my 2nd day of work. The 2nd day was much better and I got to work with whipped cream icing for the first time. It was great. I put together over 300 cupcakes, airbrushed them. The head cake decorator wants me to teach her how to use gumpaste and she and I got along really well. THat was nice. She taught me how she puts the frosting in the warmer for like 10 minutes when she first gets to work. THan it's a good consistancy.
It was better, and I'm not in quit so much pain today. Hopefully it will continue to improve quicky. Interestingly, she said that because they are limited to cakes sanctioned by corporate that any customers who want cakes they can't do, she'll refer them to me to do at home. WOW!
Thank you all for your kind words. I do have to be careful about carpal tunnel as I am in the beginning stages of it already due to my computer career before this.
THANK YOU!
Rachel
Rachel I am so glad your second day went better
May I ask how are your feet & your back. I am worried that Mine are going to KILL me once I do this full time.
Good Luck To YOU!! 
Monica -
My first day coming home I could barely walk in the door. At all. I actually called my husband who was in the house and asked him to open the door cuz we keep it locked.
Today was better. I started the day with 800 MG of Ibuprofen and probably could have taken a little more at the end of my shift. My legs and feet hurt really bad. My back hurt too. But not as bad as the first day. It should keep getting better, but the floors they have in bakeries are horrible on the back and knees.
Rachel
Awesome! If you ever come to visit, let me know - we can hang out.
Rachel
oh my... 
I was thinking about checking our Food Lion bakery about decorating there. I think I'll wait awhile now.
Thank you Rachel for letting me know. I think you will get used to it. I hope so. My first job was waitressing. I remember when I got off work my feet felt like nails going thru the bottem of them 
It got better, much better.
HI RACHEL, I WORK 40 HOURS A WEEK AS A PRODUCTION CAKE DECORATOR, WHILE IT IS TEDIOUS IT REALLY CAN TEACH YOU A LOT. NOW ABOUT YOUR FEET, I WOULD SUGGEST SEEING IF THEY WOULD ALLOW YOU SOME KIND OF CUSHIONED RUBBER MAT TO STAND ON, THIS IS WHAT I USE. ALSO MAKE SURETO KEEP YOUR KNEES BENT, IVE NOTICED THAT AFTER AWHILE I START TO LOCK. ALSO MAKE SURE YOUR WALKING AS MUCH AS IS ALLOWABLE. THIS WILL ALSO HELP FROM GETTING STIFF. HOPE EVERYTHING CONTINUES TO GET BETTER. HAPPY DECORATING
JULIA
I part-time bartend on Friday and Saturday nights (the rest of the time I'm on this computer) and the #1 piece of advice I can give is wear GOOD SHOES. We work on rubber mats, which is a little easier - but I find out (even after 20 years doing it) my feet, hips and back will kill me on the nights I have to wear shoes for their visual effect rather than comfort.
As to the hands and wrist - I have no advice, except for Ibuprophen (which I could not live without on a daily basis).
I will say that I could mix drinks and pull beer for 12 hours and I feel a lot better than when I have to stand at the kitchen counter making cookies for 6 hours. After reading all the "chain bakery" stories on this site, I have a new respect for the employees working there.
GOOD LUCK and you are much more of a trooper than I could ever be!
*ps - I'm just South of you outside of Albany... I might run up one day and pick up one of your marvelous airbrushed cakes! 
Hi rachel:
I work for costco and I know exactly what you mean, we are supossed to do 5 cakes (buttercream half sheets)(beginning to end) but believe it or not we make more than that, and we have those pads for the floor but what I notice that works for me are just regular working shoes, the ones from shoes 4 crews work just fine.
Good luck,
Patty
PS. about the pain, it will only get... (you'll get used to it)
I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all the support you ladies have given me. It has been extremely difficult for me to go back to work (leaving my two kids at home) and the training is definately difficult.
I wouldn't trade this for the world though. Cakes are my passion, as I know they are for all of us, and if this will help me get to where I need to be - my own cake shop - than I will do everything in my power to be successful.
Rachel
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