Srijani (16 years) has been busy attending bakers’ fest, networking with potential employers to get an internship. In this blog, she shares about-
- Connecting with industry
- Tips for interview prep
- Interview process
- What to do if you are rejected
I connected with 6-7 bakeries by directly sending them a WhatsApp message. I made a format for my messages and customised for each bakery accordingly. Almost 50% responded saying we will discuss with our team and let you know as they had stopped hiring interns, few directed me to other contacts, there was no response from some, some asked me to wait.
Finally I got a call from ‘Crave by Leena’, who are pioneers in the space of vegan baking. We had a quick chat exchanging basic details about myself. His first question was ‘tell me about yourself’. Firstly, I wasn’t ready for an interview call and didn’t have a ready answer. I randomly said something (I was not satisfied with my answer) then he asked me about my college. and how did I learn baking. Since I had worked on CoVersity marketing last year,I could answer this confidently
He shared about the company, their vision and asked me to come for an interview. As part of the process, I had to recreate one of their recipes and would be evaluated on my icing and decorating skills with buttercream and fondant.
I was on cloud nine with this success. Quickly regaining my composure, I went about thinking of my prep. I wanted to be better prepared this time.
List down areas where I need clarity
- What are the possible questions they would ask?
- How should I talk?
- How should I politely say no or I don’t know?
- If they say your cake is not nice how do I react?
- If I am not selected how do I ask them why and how I can improve?
- If I am selected what are questions I should ask them?
- How do I ask about the pay? Should I even ask about the pay? What it this pay even called pay?salary?stipend?
Review my domain skills
- I don’t get a good finish on cakes
- I haven’t worked with fondant much
- I am very confident on recreating the recipe since I have been doing that consistently for 3 months now
- I have learnt to be careful about silly mistakes since they alter the final product at many levels
On the D-day, I was so excited and cool and went to the bakery, loved the vibe of that place and then a sous chef came and talked to me. They shared a brief about the trial and I was super excited. Before it started, they mentioned this internship is for 6 months and you have to commit for it.
I explained that I will only be able to commit for 1 month as of now. He said it was not possible. I insisted he check with the co-founders who were in the adjacent room. Then I was a little anxious and didn’t know what to do so I called my guide and he suggested to give a proper reason.
At this point in my exploration, I felt 6 months was a long time to commit to my 1st industry exposure. I conveyed the same to my interviewer and he was a little convinced but the co-founder’s answer was no!
Rejected? What should you do next?
I asked the interviewer feedback on my CV and portfolio. He said they looked fine he was able to get a sense of who I am and the passion for baking. This feedback helped me assess how the industry experts are perceiving me. I wanted to ask about recreating the recipe even if I was not selected but I couldn’t do so. That exercise would have helped me understand the level of capabilities. A learning for the next interview, surely!
As I left the place, I was a little disappointed and a little furious at the moment but after sometime I took a stock of my feelings. I connected with my guide once again and that conversation helped me get back to my normal state. I went about exploring the area along with my sister and we ended the day with a hearty meal of pasta.