1. CAKE DECORATOR RACHAEL PICARD

2. Cake Decorating is both a challenging and fascinating career in which creativity is constantly being explored. Cake decorators must be very versatile with several skills because they use color, texture, frosting, and icing to achieve or communicate the desired look of the cakes for their clients. Although this career takes a lot of work, the end product is always worth it.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION Pastry artists Design, construct, and enhance baked goods Creative, skillful, and experienced Have no strict career path

4. Communicate effectively with customers Techniques such as brushing, piping, trimming, lettering, food coloring, and sugar crafting Ability to work with chocolate and icing bag Baking Organization Meet health and sanitation requirements

5. Little education requirement High School diploma Up to 1-4 years of cake decorating experience Possibly apprenticeship at bakery, catering company, or other food business Apprenticeships can be found through American Culinary Federation and complete classes such as cooking, food safety, and management Other option is culinary arts degree program with an internship

6. According to BLS, it is to have better job availability through 2016 as people retire or move on to other jobs Make an annual salary of $25,350 Have more job opportunities in bakeries and grocery stores Better wages tend to be for those working in grocery stores Hours worked by a cake decorator can depend on the projects they have to complete and how long it takes

7. 1.Receive high school diploma 2.Enroll in a training program by ACF 3.Get an apprenticeship or work as assistant to another cake decorator 4.Enter cake decorating competitions 5.Get a job in a bakery or grocery store 6.Open up a bakery and start selling cakes

8. By the end of the day, creating a beautiful cake is what pays off in the career of a cake decorator. It takes a lot of work, a lot of planning, and a creative mind. Graduating from high school and doing an apprenticeship are the first steps to reaching the top on this career ladder. Even at the top, cake decorators always have room to grow and improve their decorating abilities.

9. WORKS CITED Cake Decorating Apprenticeship: Training Info and Requirements; accessed 9 January, 2012. http://educationportal.com/articles/Cake_Decorating_Apprenticeships_Training_Info _and_Requirements.html; internet. Cake Decorating: Career Outlook for the Cake Decorating Profession; accessed 11 January, 2012. http://educhoices.org/articles/Cake_Decorating_Career_Outlook_for_the_Cake_Dec orating_Profession.html; Internet. Cake Decorating: How to Become a Professional Cake Decorator; accessed 9 January, 2012. http://education- portal.com/articles/Cake_Decorating_How_to_Be_a_Professional_Cake_ Decorator.html; internet.http://education- Cake Decorator Career; accessed 13 January, 2012. http://www.careerguidance.com/cake- decorator-career.html; Internet. Cake Decorator: Job Duties, Career Outlook, and Education Requirements; accessed 9 January, 2012. http://degreedirectory.org/articles/Cake_Decorator_Job_Duties_Career_O utlook_and_Education_Requirements.html; internet.