Interview Questions and Answers

1. Tell me about yourself?

I'm currently studying in Humber's Baking and Pastry Arts Management program.
I am in my second year and will be graduating in April. My passion for baking and
cooking drew me to this program and pursuing a career in this industry. I have
many great baking and cooking skills that I learned from Humber and my
community baking work, especially when it comes to developing delicious flavors
for products. I have created two of my own recipes so far that would be great for
a cafe and I'm looking forward to getting more experience and knowledge to
design more recipes.

2. What are you most interested in about working here?

The story behind the bakery and how much passion the owner has towards
baking and how he gained all these experiences from different places made me
interested in working here. Also, I'm interested in how the product has been
made, for example the voltaire mousse cake with chocolate around the edges of
the cake, the process and the technique of other products make me interested
and I want to grow with the company.
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3. What is your salary range expectation?

I’m looking for a competitive salary that reflects my current qualifications and
experience. What do you think is an acceptable entry level range for this position,
given my experience?

4. Do you have any previous study or work experience as a

baker?

As a student at Humber college I believe my studies give me the experience that

I need to work as a baker. Also, baking for the community and for school events
gives me some experience too.
5. What are your weaknesses?

I am an efficient and a fast worker but when it comes time to do the finishing
touches for decorating and plating, I have to make a conscious effort to slow
down my pace so that I can be precise in those steps. I can improve that by
visualizing the end result to motivate me to slow down and enjoy the process.

6. Describe a difficult work situation or project and how you

overcame it.

One day while working in the lab at Humber, the class was tasked with making
coconut macaroons as instructed by the Chef. I was working with my lab partner.
A mistake was made in the process of making the recipe. Because there was not
a large quantity of shredded coconut in the lab, we didn’t have enough
ingredients to re-make a full recipe. I suggested to my partner that we make a
smaller batch using the amount of coconut that was available so that we would
be able to present something to the Chef. My partner agreed so I quickly
converted the recipe to a quarter amount. We worked fast to re-scale all the
ingredients and re-make the recipe with the time we had available. We were
successful in meeting the timeline and presenting perfect macaroons to the Chef.

7. As a baker, you create a variety of baked goods daily, and

you are likely to experience a few missteps now and then.
How do you handle missteps?

An example of a misstep is the situation where an ingredient may be missed or

the wrong ingredient was added which results in a mixture that is not usable. For
example, one time my partner and I forgot to add sugar in a bread recipe. Instead
of discarding the recipe, we fixed it by baking it and adding dusting sugar on top
later.
The best way to deal with this issue is to see how the mixture can be used so
that money and time is saved. Maybe another ingredient can be added. If I don’t
know what to add, I would go to my colleagues and other Chefs for input. This
will help me learn and will save the business money because nothing should be
wasted.
If the mixture cannot be used, I would set aside the batch re-making the recipe. I
would only do this if there was no way that the mixture could be used.
 The important thing is that we provide a great and high-quality product to every
customer.

8. Can you work under pressure deadlines?

Yes, I can work under pressure and I am able to prioritize my work, in order to get
things done when they should be. For example, when I work with a chef at the
lab I have certain time to make and finish the product because the chef has to
finish it faster to assemble or decorate the product.

9. Give me an example of one or more of your favorite baked

goods you like making. Which ones don't you like making?

In general I love to bake everything. There's no specific product, but I have less
experience with decorating cakes, but that doesn't stop me from learning how to
do it.

10. Has a customer given you constructive feedback? What

was your reaction?

Yes, I sometimes get constructive criticism from customers. For example, I have
been making my cake recipe for years and always make some changes to make
different flavors. One time, one of my customers said they like it but they prefer
not to add lemon flavor to it. I accepted and thanked her for her feedback and I
gave her another sample of the product with a different flavour. Also, it's good for
me to gain more knowledge of what people like or dislike and each person has
different tastes in their preferences.