Qualifications
For the owner of a bakery the personal characteristics required for success in a large way are about the same as for other occupations and professions. He must keep abreast of the times by constant study and application. Of course a man must be honest. He must be determined to give full weight. It seems so easy in a bakeshop to cut the weight of a loaf by one-half to 1 ounce and thus reap a temporary advantage, and so it is; but as in other businesses, “honesty is the best policy,” and the baker who has the reputation for giving full weight generally gains in the end, and the one who is known to skimp on his weight will eventually find that policy a losing game. A proprietor must be a hard worker; he is liable to be required to work at any time of day or night. He must be a man who can get along with men, one to win their confidences, cooperation, and best endeavors.
A master baker should be able to manage men so as to get the most out of them consistent with decency and fair play. He should have an intimate knowledge of flours and of the other ingredients used in baking. He should be well posted in the art of baking in all its phases, and have enough ambition to keep posted and abreast of the times.
The other employees of a bakery do not need so many of the qualifications possessed by the master baker so long as they are content to remain where they are, but if they are planning to become master bakers themselves they must make up their minds to obtain this very training. Many soldiers have already had considerable experience in field bakeries. They will find this experience of great value in commercial bakeries. However, previous training and experience in the Army is not an essential, inasmuch as sufficient experience can be had in several months’ study at a trade school to satisfy the requirements of beginners. Men who aspire to forge ahead in a bakery must have “pep,” be alert to learn, and must apply themselves studiously. They should have a natural aptitude for the work, for the best work can never be done in any line where there is no love and enthusiasm.