An admission requirement for the Culinary Institute of America is to gain six months of experience in whichever major one chooses (in my case baking and pastry).
How do I offer myself to work at a bakery with them knowing that I'm doing this because of the schooling I wish to pursue?
What is the difference between an apprenticeship, internship and going there because of the reason I mentioned above?
I want them to hire me, but what kind of questions or information should I solicit?
Thank you. I really can't explain it much better but I'll try if any of you aren't sure what I'm trying to ask. 
I took a baking and pastry program. And one thing we were taught was to get experience, which is important because anyone can cook in a home kitchen, but cooking in a professional kitchen for professional reasons is different. The easiest way to get experience is to work in a kitchen. The easiet way to get the kitchen owner/manager to take you on is to donate your time. Getting hired could be harder, especially if you have no experience. But bakeries and other kitchens are always looking for help and if it's free, that's even better.
My recommendation would be to pick a bakery that you like. Sample their products. Talk to the ownder/manager and explain what you want and why. Be honest. However, if your absolute only reason for working there is to satisfy the entrance requirement, then don't tell the whole truth. But if you sincerely want expereience regardless of an entrance requirement, then say that and focus on that.
Hope that little bit helps.
I don't see anything wrong with letting the bakery know that you need the experiment to get into the school program you want to. I think it shows that you're serious about the job and presents a real desire to learn.
Hi,
I can give you some second hand info on internships/apprenticeships. My daugther is a chef, a culinary school graduate. At her school, an internship was required in your senior year to graduate. Some schools have leads on internships, some you have to find on your own, all have to be approved by the institution where you are enrolled. They are on the job training, and also involved a report to the school from the place you interned, and from the student themselves.
An apprenticeship is usually done under one chef. The American Cunlinary Federation website is interesting, they go into the differences and also offer some apprenticeships.
Anyhow, it a very demanding occupation which thats alot of motivation and dedication.
I believe culinary school and the competition class my daughter was a part of were the best teachers of discipline she could ever have. As she goes on each step in her career(even being fulltime for her resturant managment BS) I cant help being very proud of her dedication.
She obtain her first internship by picking the place she was interested in and writing them a letter telling them she was interested in doing and internship and obtaining any experience she could in her field. Within a couple of days she was called, and did get the job. Good Luck!!
Michele
Would it be better to call or through e-mail? Or to actually go to the place to ask to talk to the person?
The work I could do is very limited because of my age; it would be limited to decorating because I can't operate any bakery machinery as it is illegal; should I let them know this?
My daughter had the same frustration, until she was 18 she wasnt allowed in a kitchen where they used knives!! Her first internship was when she turned 18, I know there are liabilty issues involved when you are a minor so Im not too sure about where you live ,youd have to find out the rules there I guess. It never hurts to go in person though, if its a smaller bakery, possibly family owned, they may let you at least observe to start, it never hurts to ask.
I had a young woman walk in one day and had me a resume. She was very nice, well dressed, and on a mission. She was in the last year of culinary school and needed a job to gain experience. I was very much impressed with everything about her. ESPECIALLY the fact she was working as a waitress (great customer service skills) to support herself. I couldn't give her a full time apprenticeship (that would drive me nuts..having someone around all of the time) but she does work for me during events and when I get a bunch of orders I need help with. What I like most is she is eager to learn and try new things! I can tell you, had she called me on the phone or sent me an email....I wouldn't have responded.
It wasn't what she said but how eager she was to do wonderful creative things! She really enjoys food and what goes along with it! It was a perfect match! You will find that, too! And you will know when it happens!
Yes, you have to comb your hair! Make yourself look like "The Fonz"! 
Just kidding!
Although I agree that the best way to gain experience is through working in the industry, just walking in a bakery and offering to work for free isn't always that easy. I have to add my two cents:
First, if you volunteer, you are not an employee, therefore you will not be covered under the establishments workers comp. If you get hurt while you are there, it will be your problem. I went through that with a volunteer and it was a nightmare.
Second, working for free lessens your value! Someone who is eager to learn typically works harder, stays later, etc. Don't be taken advantage of. Offer to work for minimum wage if nothing else. Or, negotiate a set amount for a set amount of time, i.e. $100 a week for 6 weeks, 15 hours a week or whatever. When you do graduate, most often you will apply for an entry level pastry cook position. It will be difficult to find one because the next crop of newbies will all be working for free, trying to gain experience 
Third, you MUST tell the truth about your intention to only commit to a limited amount of time. I have been in the position of having 4 applicants for the same job, hired the best one on paper, only to have them leave after 4 weeks because they were going away to school or only needed X amount of intern hours, etc. It's deceitful. Three other very qualified applicants didn't get the job because that one didn't tell the truth. After 4 weeks, I had to start from zero again and never saw it coming.
Fourth, in agreement with the previous poster, professionalism is so crucial. Even though what we do can be a downright dirty mess, I make elevating my career choice to something respected my mission in life. All too often there is an assumption that we work in kitchens because we can't do anything else.....an assumption always made by someone who has not even the slightest clue how hard we work, how talented we are and how stressful what we do can be. Dress nicely, have several copies of your resume and if you bring any pictures of your work, spend a little money putting together an official portfolio. It will be worth it. Shake hands firmly with the employer, male or female.
Fifth, I wholeheartedly agree with pursuing apprenticeship through the ACF. That's what I did and I think that the on the job education that I received was so much better than what I learned in the classroom. I support culinary schools, and went myself, but you learn best by doing.
So, there's my two cents, for what its worth. Best of luck to you!
Sharon
It wasn't what she said but how eager she was to do wonderful creative things! She really enjoys food and what goes along with it! It was a perfect match! You will find that, too! And you will know when it happens!
Yes, you have to comb your hair! Make yourself look like "The Fonz"!
Just kidding!
What's funny is that I had to google "The Fonz" to see what you were talking about. 
. . .but how do I approach the people? Let's say there's a lady at the "front-of-the-house". Do I say, "Hey, is the owner here?"
Owner: Yes, may I help you?
Nick: Yea. I want to work for you! 
I am so naive when it comes to getting a job. . .maybe because I've never had one. . . 
. . .
I agree with SugarPlumStudio in regards to being honest and up front about your intentions. Wherever you end up, they may be relying on you for a certain time frame and if you leave before they anticipate, you may leave them hanging. Never burn your bridges.
Also, in my field of work (not food related), I am not likely to respond to applicants when they emailed or called when I had no job postings. When they show up in person, I am more likely to check them out. Appearance, body language and their demeanor holds a big influence on my decision to pursue interviewing them further or not.
You may want to call ahead to find out when the boss is in before you show up though.
I just thought I would add my opinion seeing that I just finished a Le Cordon Bleu program....
First of all, there should be no requirement for you to have industry experience prior to enrolling in the school, unless you were enrolling in advanced classes. The purpose of the CIA or Le Cordon Bleu programs are to introduce you to the industry and to teach you the basics of a culinary, patisserie career. At the end of your schooling, you would be required to fullfill an internship and let me tell you, more often than not these are not paid positions so you need to be prepared to work full time without pay so think about your rent and living expenses.
As far as insurance during your internship, you would be covered under the schools insurance should there be an accident at the kitchen that hires you. Another thing is that when you are looking for an internship, it is usually very competitive and more than likely you will need to do a working interview. This is where you are invited into their kitchen and asked to prepare something. Additionally, you will be taught to use any machinery in the school kitchen or on your internship. I had a working interview for a small grocery store in my area where I was just going to do cake decorating, so it applies even with them, but not always!
A word of advice from someone who has been there...make sure that the school you choose is the school you want to attend and that you are committed to the program. I saw many people drop out along the way and they are still responsible for thousands of dollars in loans and they have nothing to show for it!
If you are really wanting to pursue a career in this industry, then go for it! It will always be rewarding!
I'm very interested in this topic too. I went to a wedding show recently b/c I'd love to get a job in cake decorating but I don't want to just ice 25 cakes a day.... I want to learn and I want to do real decorating. I found a decorator that did my wedding cake about a year and a half ago and she has grown leaps and bounds in her work and seems amazing. Her bakery has expanded too. I would love to talk to her about a job, but I wasn't sure if I should just walk in or if I should e-mail her first and see if she hires decorators. I think some places and some decorators just don't hire extra help b/c it costs so much. So do you think if I e-mail her and ask if I can send a resume and pictures of my work that would be bad?
What's funny is that I had to google "The Fonz" to see what you were talking about.
Google the Fonz?? Ugh! I am getting old! 
I think professional dress can be age appropriate, but nothing too revealing and please no jeans and flip flops!
BTW, My DH was HR manager for Best buy and Home Depot for 8 years. A resume is crucial, even if it is small. List college credits, recreation cake classes, etc. And about your age, if your state has age limit laws on what equipment you can operate, you can believe the owner will know (or should) since they are the ones that will be fined/shut down.
Good Luck.
Julia
I attended WCI in Portland. Strictly baking and patisserie. I could see where they would recommend having industry experience as it could go hand in hand with the number of drop outs during my experience, but to require it? Most professional kitchens are very fast paced and they do not normally welcome people without experience, let alone volunteers. It would be great for you to find someone who would be willing to take you on. In my experience, talk to the kitchen manager, they are the ones who are really running the kitchen.
What's funny is that I had to google "The Fonz" to see what you were talking about.
Google the Fonz?? Ugh! I am getting old!
I think professional dress can be age appropriate, but nothing too revealing and please no jeans and flip flops!
BTW, My DH was HR manager for Best buy and Home Depot for 8 years. A resume is crucial, even if it is small. List college credits, recreation cake classes, etc. And about your age, if your state has age limit laws on what equipment you can operate, you can believe the owner will know (or should) since they are the ones that will be fined/shut down.
Good Luck.
Julia
Lol.
I think I'll just wear a suit and a tie? Or is that inappropriate because of the type of job I'm looking into?
Could I place my WMI as a reference? 
Bakeries usually close on Mondays, and weekends are the busiest, starting Thursday, so answering your question, I would go on a Tuesday BUT would call first to see if the owner is/will be available, so you don't interrupt or something... Good Luck!
BTW, regarding a resume, just list what classes have you taken (since you are young), like the Wilton Method, dress casual (I would wear a tie or suit) no flip flops! Where in CA are you?
HTH
The easiest way to go about it is, Think of what you would want someone to say to you.
If some kid showed up in jeans and a t-shirt with his hair uncombed and no resume and said ''Hey, I wanna work here so I can get into culinary school'' my first thought would be ''Well, you can't make the effort to dress the part of a job interview and you dropped in whenever you felt like it, I think I'll pass.'' My second thought would be that you didn't do any research ahead of time.
Don't go in with a script- they'll see right through it. Take some pictures of cakes and stuff you've done before. Get your teachers/people you've babysat for/raked leaves for/ walked dogs for to write you a letter of recommendation. If that can't do that, ask them to be references on a resume. Yes, *take a resume!* even if all it has on it is volunteer services or team activities. If you've got good grades, take a report card (because that can show your dedication to projects, no matter how mundane.)
Most of all, be yourself. Answer whatever questions they ask, and be prepared, but don't over-prepare 'cause they're gonna ask you stuff you don't expect.
I think it is best if you find a bakery you admire and go there. Buy a cake or something. Talk to the decorators and owner. Let them know you are interested in learning the business and see what they say.
When I went to Let Them Eat Cake I was shocked at how nice and helpful the owner was.
I stopped in because I had seen the Food Network Show where they won $10,000 for a cake they did. I bought three small cakes and started to talk to the owner about how to paint a white chocolate Oscar Award gold. That was when I learned about luster dust.
As I thanked him for the info he could see I was excited to try this out. He then said I should just bring my molds and chocolate to his shop and he would show me how to make them. He also said I could spend the day making them there. I was so excited.
While there I got to see how they ran their shop and asked if they ever needed help with simple stuff like mixing the cakes and icing and so on. I told him I would love to come help out for free just to be around them and to learn by watching.
He did say yes he does have people come in to help and most are in school. He asked me to leave my number and he would call me when he needed help. Sadly I never left my number. I still think about going back to give my number but so far I've been to busy to do so.
Be honest. Be excited. Be your normal self. Tell them what you want and why you picked them.
Being only 15 may make it hard for you to find a place. But you never know. Even if it is just cleaning up after the decorators, mixing cake batter or whatever, take it. You will learn more then you ever thought you would.
When are you planning on going to school?
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