Rick Grubb http://rickgrubb.com 1m 317
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
If you have ever walked into a grocery store and noticed the bakery department’s cakes, cupcakes, and cases then you already know what I get to do all day.
Most people will say to me, “I would love that job.” I say to those people who want to be a cake decorator, you might for a while, but after a few years of it, you may not feel the same way anymore.
What people see on these television shows such as Cupcake Wars, Ace of Cakes, or Cake Boss is the glamorous life. That is what I thought it would be like when I started 10 years ago but I was slightly disappointed.
I thought I would work great hours, make lots of money, and was able to be artistic. What I got was not what I thought I would get.
I went to culinary school, have a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, and I do not make the money I thought I would after all. I love my job but also do not like it at the same time.
The Pros of being a professional cake decorator are:
- Work with the public
- Work with my hands
- Utilize my artistic ability
- Have fun with the people I work with
The Cons of being a professional cake decorator are:
- Dealing with needy and unruly customers
- Having to make the same cakes over and over again
- Getting transferred or just floating store to store when your store is over on hours
- Dealing with bad managers
- Not a lot of money in it
All in all I would say I do like my job as a cake decorator. Some days are better than others, but if you work with a good group of people it can make your job a lot more fun. Cake decorating is not as glamorous as Cake Boss makes it but it is still fun.
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