Should I Consider A Career In Baking?
Career News July 13, 2014Are you seriously considering a career in baking? Then, there are a couple of things that you need to take into consideration. This includes what institution to attend, what plans you have in terms of your actual responsibilities at your place of work, and so on. There are a lot of ways to be involved in the baking profession, so you will need to keep your options open.
Below are some factors that you need to take into consideration prior to going down this career path.
Education
You should not enroll into just any type of culinary institution. You will need to enroll into a pastry and baking arts culinary school that will offer you the opportunity to get the in-depth knowledge into of the skills that you need to acquire in order to become successful in this chosen field.
You will need to consider the courses that are being offered in the school in order to make sure that you are getting the education that you need. For example, not every school offers courses on ice cream preparation, chocolate tempering, bread baking, and sorbet.
Internships
You will need a lot of experience in order to climb smoothly up the career ladder of the culinary industry. You can get some level of experience through internship programs. The culinary school you attend can help you out with this. Or else, you will need to get the experience on your own. You should consider where you can go for internships – do you want to go to any one of the culinary capitals of the world or go local?
If you do not do any internship, it would make it really difficult for you to prove that you know exactly what you are doing. It is important that you are versatile in what you create and follow the right techniques. From cakes to crepes to breads, there are flavor and form profiles that you will need to follow, and internships can help you a great deal.
What Do You Really Want to Bake?
What do you wish to bake daily? As a baker, you can choose to bake different types of baked goods. You can decide to bake breads, rolls, and bagels or you may choose to bake cup cakes, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, etc.
You may need to take a few moments to think about what you want to bake prior to choosing a culinary school. If you prefer to cake, you may need to take classes in cake decorating.
Work – Job Opportunities
As a baker, you can get work in a restaurant, bakery, hotel, and other places. If you have entrepreneurial spirit, you can decide to open your own bakery shop where you provide different types of delicious baked goods.
Earnings
This is perhaps one of the most important factors that you will need to take into consideration when you are considering a career in baking. According to the United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2012, the median wage of bakers per annum was $23,140 – most bakers earn more than the median annual wage.
If you are going to be happy being a baker after considering the aforementioned factors, then you should take this career path.
