I want to apply for a job that I know I would be good at but have no formal training for. Am I mad?

[MarmaladeTwatkins]

It's a catering job at a residential home, just cooking proper home-cooked meals for 22 residents and baking cakes/pastries.

Not blowing my own trumpet, but I am a good cook and can make naice cakes. I would love to work in a job with food and this one would be perfect for me... at the bottom of my street, nice hours that fit in with school runs... but I have no formal experience. The job description says previous experience preferred and baking experience essential. Well, I have baked all sorts of cakes but not in a professional capacity.

I haven't applied for a job in over ten years and feel a bit out of my depth, pathetic as it sounds. Do you think it's even worth me applying?!

I think a bakewell tray bake sounds perfect as does nice dress, big smile and hair up

I wouldn't be taking coatings as you don't know the budgets but possibly some sample day menus or thoughts in the back of your head

I think this sounds like a perfect fit

Did you get the food safety certificate?

My mum has also just said to do some costings and then I came back and read everyone saying the same. So I will definitely do some costings, yes a week's sample menu is a great idea. I will get onto the Costco website now and do some swotting up.

Have also been reading up on dietary requirements and feeding elderly people too. A lot of it I knew already (I used to batch cook for my gran and granddad when they were both still here and quite poorly)

I am going to sit and do the FHC tonight. Just have not had a spare 3 hours to sit and do it. DH broke his hand on Saturday so have been run orf my feet

Well done at getting the interview.

It's all sounding very exciting

Good luck!

I've been lurking till now, but I too wanted to say well done and it sounds like you've had some brilliant advice here. As someone who interviews quite regularly, I'd only reiterate that preparation is key: reading up on the home itself (who are the residents? are they from a particular part of the country so you could have themes around local foods and/or local produce). I'm sure your enthusiasim will shine through.

Good luck from me too!

Good luck :)

I used to work in HR for a chain of care homes. You sound perfect. If you want to dazzle them swot up a bit about safeguarding of vulernable adults and what you would do if you spotted potential abuse.

Marmalade, if you pay an annual fee to the disclosure and barring service, you can join their update service.

That means that your enhanced disclosure will be available instantly online for employers to see, rather than them having to wait ages for it to come through once you have been offered the job.

If they mention DBS checks at interview, you could mention/ offer this, so they know that you have considered the safeguarding responsibility in the role.

If you have any other experience working with / volunteering with vulnerable adults, think about how it might be relevant to this role. It might come up.

You sound like you would be great.

If I were going to take a cake I would take something small and pop-in-the-mouth'able. Mini muffins or mini cupcakes or little biscuits. (or a combination)
Something that doesn't need plates or cutting.

Go marmalade - good luck!
The lady who runs our school kitchen (300 pupils, so not tiny!) was "just a mum" when she and a friend decided they could do better than the naff reheated crap the county caterers were doing - it's now all cooked on site, locally sourced where possible, traceable meat from local butchers etc etc. Enthusiasm is worth a tonne of experience and qualification.

The thing is with the costings while you don't know the budget if what you could do is over their budget that then gives you the chance to say well I could substitute this for that or bulk out the mince with lentils for example (just an example, not sure how that would work but just to give an idea that you can budget and have thought of these things).

Crossing my fingers for you.

I am another on nursing someone with a broken hand. Dd has broken her wrist and thumb again. She went on an activity week of abseiling, kayaking, mountain climbing, hiking and orienteering and got hurt on the last day when she went bowling, chose the lightest ball like the weed she is and got her thumb trapped in the ball.

This is the fourth time she has broken that part of her arm. I am convinced that she does it on purpose to get out of doing the dishes and hoovering.

I really hope you get this job you old trout. If you do I will go to waitrose and ceremonially shake a trifle in your honour.

That reminds me phantom, years ago when my dd was in junior school (early 2000s) the school kitchen was taken over by 'just a mum' with limited experience. She did the same as your school cook, sourced the meat and milk etc from local farms, homemade everything and completely changed it from the terrible Sodexho type food that they had before. And this was years before the Jamie Oliver campaign, her school dinners were phenomenal. Parents could go and have dinner if they pre booked, and it was lovely to go to the school once in a while to eat with dd, and the food was simply delicious.

Perhaps that is something you could suggest Marm, a family day where relatives can come and have dinner for x quid each. Or is that a rabidly stupid idea.

This all sounds very positive! Good luck!

massive good luck to you! sock it to 'em!

Thanks Gerroff. Commiserations to Little Gerroff, bless her little cast. :(

How do you just stage a coup of the school kitchen?! I am amazed and in awe! I hate the cook at DS's school. She fluffs about the place like she is Fanny fucking Craddock but all of her stuff is bought in and warmed up. I would love to seize the kitchen from her...

No, relatives day is an excellent idea! I went for lunch at DS's school earlier this year and it all came back to me; being force-fed grey, lumpy mash made without butter or milk, in the grim '80s. Bleeeeeee.

Thanks everyone for the good lucks and advice.

Good luck from me too!

Gerrorf definitely not a stupid idea. The home that my Gran was in allowed family's to come for Sunday dinner or tea as long as it was pre booked. My friend recently was doing the same at the home her aunt was in.

There was always enough tea and buns, for visitors, when the afternoon trolley went around too.

Bloody brilliant thread..marking my place for Friday's update!

You sound like you really care that the residents are cared for and have meals they enjoy... I'm sure that's sadly not always the case.

Woo hoo, well done on getting this far. Take a Victoria sponge and some shortbread if it were me.. I'd go traditional to start and go lary later!!!!

Good Luck!!

Just read this thread through-good luck today :)

Best of luck for today

Good luck Marmalade