How to Become a Baker?

---

If you are looking to become a baker, there are a few things that you should know beforehand, such as the necessary experience, the training information and the career requirements. The first question you have to ask yourself is: do you really want to become a baker? If you like making cookies at home, it doesn’t mean that you can work all day in a hot kitchen and prepare baked goods on a tight schedule. As a baker, you won’t create only breads, but also pastries, pies, cakes and other baked delicacies. You will have to measure and prepare the ingredients, bake and cook the food and, at the end, decorate the goods. The work environments can vary and you will have the possibility to work in small bakeries, retail stores, restaurants and even factories. If required, you could also be asked to work late evening, holidays or weekends.

Become an Apprentice

In order to become a baker, you must first be an apprentice and acquire experience. The best choice for you would be to enter an accredited apprenticeship program. They are offered by various bakeries, hotels and restaurants. A professional will supervise you, and you will be able to learn what it takes to be a baker. You will also be asked to work on your own to get a feel of the real-life job. This type of program will offer you the chance to get on-the-job training and, in the future, will allow you to obtain a certificate or an associate degree.

When pursuing an apprenticeship program, the most important aspect is to learn how to use the equipment. You will have to work with industrial machines such as mixers and blenders, so it’s very important to know how to operate them, so you can prepare the best baked goods.

Get Certification

Most employers will not require you to have a certification. Still, if you have one, you will most definitely stand out of the crowd and you will have more employment opportunities. You can choose from various types of certification: Certified Master Baker (CMB), Certified Baker (CB) or Certified Journey Baker (CJB). If you want to become a highly experienced baker, then you should acquire the Certified Master Baker certificate. In case you want to prepare only sweet baked goods, you can opt for Certified Decorator diploma (CD).

In order to be on the top and advance in your career, you need to keep up with the training and the certifications and always try to go to the next level.

The Skills Required

HotCourses.com lists six important skills for a baker. So, anyone who wants to become a baker must be physically fit and has to be numerically accurate in order to calculate the exact cooking time, order the supplies and exact measurement of the ingredients. A baker must also have to keep up with the hygiene and safety regulations related to machinery operation and food production. He or she must have great organizational skills and majority of the time, he or she has to meet deadlines and work quickly. Last, but not least, a baker needs to be creative and manually skilled to create and decorate the baked goods.