The culmination of the Diploma in Pastry Arts is to do an externship in a real-life working environment, where students can practice the newly learned skills and get to work in a professional kitchen.

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I was very interested in knowing how wholesale companies manage their baking operations, so I enrolled at a supermarket close to home as Cake Decorator.

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My externship was done during Christmas time, so I had the chance to put my creativity to the test, decorating cakes, cupcakes, and cookie cakes, plus supporting the team in making sure our pastry and cake areas always had good products to showcase to customers.

It was the first time in my life I had to wear a uniform for work, the first time I had to log in the hours I came to work and left work, it was a first time for many things, but one thing is for sure, a smile and good attitude works in any field and position you are in.

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From greeting customers, cutting cakes, and placing labels and products on the shelves, I truly enjoyed the teamwork culture I lived in. Every team member would offer help when needed, always greeted nicely, and we would all help each other.

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The demands of a supermarket in the deli and bakery areas are many, especially during the holiday season and in a time where labor is difficult to find, at least labor who is committed to working; but what I found was a group of people willing to make the best for the customer and doing the best they could to overcome the challenges in hand, even the internal challenges of supervisors moving departments, politics (there always is) and the day to day high volume operation.

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I got many learnings from my externship. My business might be different, but one thing is common a “good morning,” a “may I help you?”, and a “let me solve this for you” can take you a long way in your relationship with your customers. Customers are the core element of any business. Customers are to be taken care of, listened to, and supported.

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At the Maple Tree Project, we devote ourselves to our customers, and we want to ensure you are always happy with the products and services we provide.