Wow it has been FOREVER since I have been on the board! I miss you all!

Onto my question. I just got a job offer from the local bakery ... they are a great bakery and the offer came pretty funny actually I called in to complain that they sold me the wrong cake. Honest mistake, it was NOT a preorder I just walked in and orderd a cake and their ganache covered cakes were not labled and I thought I was getting a coc cake with raspberry filling but it turned out to be a white cake with cherry filling and I told them I did NOT like cherry .... anyway I called to complain. they gave me a gift cert and they asked if I came in often and I told them no, that I am a baker so I normally do not order from bakeries but I have had their cakes at my kids friend's b'day parties and really liked them so I decided to give them my business.

The guy asked how my business has been and I let him know that I normally just do cakes for family and friends so it can be slow at times. He asked me what kind of cakes I made and when I mentioned that I do wedding and custom birthday cakes (fondant) he told me that he is looking for another part time decorator. I just went from part time to full time at my job now (I work at home) but today is my first day full time and the day I start full time I get offered another part time job doing what I really WANT to do.

So my question is that those of you who have worked in bakeries did you like it? I really want to make cakes but I cant do it out of my home anymore it is too stressful with my kids and I already work out of the home now at my regular job I can't stand doing cakes and cleaning up after that too so this job sounds like a great opportunity, but it would take up all my family time, I would be a full tiem mom, full time worker and part time cake decorator. I don't know that to do.

Any advice?

Personally, I'd be happy to get that job offer. I am a S@HM and I miss daily adult contact. I love being with my daughter though so if I do decide to take an out of the house job it will have to be PT so I can still be with my family. It sounds good to me, you won't have to be home all the time but you won't have to be at work FT either.

Thanks, yeah right now I am/was a stay-at-home mom ... I worked part time AT HOME in the evenings but don't get to see the kids when I work because it is a phone job ... this offer came at a crappy time I suppose because I just went full time at my job started yesterday working 3 hours during the day and 5 hours at night 5 days a week (and my 6 year old girl is competition gymnastics so she is at the gym 3 nights a week right after school up until bed time so I literally have no time to spend with her anymore except for my weekends which is what this bakery is offering. So basically I just took a full time status with my company and have to stick with it for 90 days and I could potentially take a part time job too ..... maybe they will offer something good enough that I could quit my full time job eventually?

I was in the same boat a few months ago. I took a job because I thought I couldn't pay myself $12/hr to make cakes in my slow time. I worked there for a few weeks until I couldn't stand it anymore. What I learned is that even "bakeries" make cakes from boxes, actually most stuff comes from premade containers. I learned how different my style is from a bakery and why my business can charge more for a cake than a bakery...none of my cakes look the same or anywhere near to a grocery store sheet cake. I also work more with fondant than with buttercream, so it was hard for me to decorate every cake with a very soft buttercream. Good luck with whatever you decide! I think it will be a great learning experience for you.

I love my bakery job... we make everything from scratch, it is a family business, and they treat me that way and we get to make custom order cakes, so you really get a chance to be creative. I f you get a chance to work at something you love doing i say go for it!

Thanks,

This bakery is a family bakery as well and seems like it would be a great place to work.

Maybe you could work for a just few hours on Saturday OR Sunday and see how you like it.....
If you really like decorating, try it out, you can always decide later it is too much for you. Who knows, maybe down the road it can become a full time job and you could quit the phone job.
Good luck to you! I know I'd love an offer like this!

Holy cow.....I just noticed that you live in "The Boro". I live in Manchester.

Hey there neighbor! You are not far from me at all.

I think you should give it a try. Try it out on weekends like someone in another post mentioned..a few hours. I totally understand you when you say you hate the clean up at home after baking.

Thanks! I think I am going to stop by today in about an hour, bring some photos of my work and discuss things with him and see if he can use me at all. I would love to do it so long as it doesn't take away all my free time, since going full time I don't see my famiyl much anymore except for weekends which is what I would work at the bakery but if it is a good enough opportunity then a short term sacrifice could get a me a good job where I could quit my phone job eventually and just work the bakery

No I'm not. I was actually there at Michaels tonight for my course 3 class.

oh fun .... I am not far from there at all .... The avenue is one of my favorite places to go just to get out of the house.

I want to chime in from the mommy point of view. You only get one chance with those kiddos.. think hard and long before you see less and less of them, and they of you.

I understand from the bottom of my widdle bitty toes how much you enjoy decorating and would love this opportunity, believe me! Don't spread yourself too thin, I don't know the ages of your children, but no matter what TV or whoever says, they need their mommy.

It goes by SO fast, opportunities come and go, but our chance to mold our children happens only once.

Don't spread yourself so thin you cheat them and you out of life's most precious gift.

((((mommy hugs))))

Amanda! Welcome back!

How old are your children? And are you a single parent? Those questions are going to determine whether you can work two jobs or not.

You have to decide for yourself if you can juggle all this. You will have to go back to this gentleman and ask him exactly how many hours you will be working. Working in many bakeries, even part-time, does not always mean 3-4 hours a day. It often means you stay until all the work is done for the day, you just don't get benefits.

Speed is also a pre-requisite when working in a bakery. Are you able to handle the speed in which you will be expected to work?

We read these stories every week, and then three days later, we find out that the person was let go because they weren't fast enough for the production work expected.

I hate to sound so negative. I am happy for you, really. And having been home-bound due to illness for a long time, I know the need for mature conversation. I believe that you need to weigh all these options very carefully before proceeding.

Theresa

Theresa,

Thank you for your response. I don't think you were negative part of the reason I am asking is because I do not have bakery experience so I am not sure what to expect so I do appreciate your honest input.

I tried to go yesterday to talk to the owner, he was not in when I stopped by. I am a little hesitant already about the position given the lack of organization by the managers and owner of the place. Their work is great, they taste great but boy they are not organized at all and they have a lot of unorganized teenagers working there. When I stopped in yesterday (Tuesday) the guy at the counter said the owner was at Sam's so I told him tha tis fin eI will stop by another time but while I was there I wanted to redeem my $10 gift certificate the owner said he would leave for me under my name at the from (he said this on Sunday) ... well, it wasn't there. So I bought a chocolate milk for my son who was with me and the guy at the counter wrote down my name and cell phone number and said he would have the owner give me a call. ..... I still have not received a call and the owner is leaving for thursday for Canada for a car show. Seems he may be mor einterested in his car show than finding someone for his decorator position? I dunno, but right now I am a little leary at their lack of organization/communication.

Well, lack of organization is a very bad habit, especially when we're talking about cake tools.

I would reconsider that position, unless he gave you autonomy to straighten out the shop and micro-manage it for him, of course, with extra money.

It doesn't sound like a place I would work in.

Theresa

When in doubt, don't do it

Jibbies