Taking cakes to job interview

[onesupplied]

My lovely friend had a job interview last week. Very large organisation, likely to be a strongly structured interview. I asked her how it went and she said well, and that she had baked a cake and taken it along to the interview.

AIBU to think that this has more likely hindered rather than helped her application?

Is this ever a done thing?

@Gwenhwyfar - He used to buy her really expensive stuff to say thanks, and give her pay increases. PAs in IB are treated really, really well.

'in your role you might find people try to influence you with gifts or invitations. How would you handle that?

I am cringing.

I've always found the whole "baking" thing incredibly tiresome. The self-esteem some people seem to glean from it.

Yes Uppity, we x-posted before saying opposing things. But I think fair to say you're in the minority as an interviewer- let's hope OP's friend got someone like you!

I love baking and do regularly for colleagues and friends, but not for interviews!

Aww bless her...I hope she gets the job!

Reminds me of Caitlin Moran's story about winning a competition to write for the Observer and spending the night before making a lemon sponge.

Haha - hopefully.

uppity "thinking beyond the box???"

Seems gauche and a little creepy.

It's a dangerous thing to do for such a traditionally female role. By bringing domesticated behaviour into a professional situation she might as well have written "I'll happily make everyone's tea and keep the staff kitchen clean when no other bugger will even wash up a teaspoon and do any other shitwork everyone else thinks is beneath them" on her forehead.

I realise I sound slightly bitter after 30 years of admin/secretarial work.

I was on a staff panel (so additional to the formal interview panel) this week. Interviewing for a senior role. One (the only woman) candidate brought the staff panel homemade cake. I thought it was awful (the gesture, not the cake!) The rest of the staff panel thought it was great - she would be our boss and they thought it was lovely.

I'm so torn on this! My immediate thought was oh no cringe! But thinking about it more is making me think bless....

I think it will down to her personality on whether she can pull off cake gate!

Brought a cake to an interview?! Hahahahaha...snort...hahahahaha! How strange.

Oh no she didn't

Erm......yes........that's one interview that would be wrapped up very quickly if i was the hiring manager

Oh god that's arse-clenchingly cringeworthy!

Could you ever imagine a man turning up for an interview with a cake he'd baked at home?

How would you even bring it up
In the interview? Would you say at then, "btw, I baked you a cake"? Or would you take it out at the start, cut it up and offer a slice to everyone on the panel? Cringe.

Even if she does get the role, I'm worried that the impression she's set for herself is less than ideal... it's the 'typically female'/sweet/homemaker type example that she might be setting and in the job I imagine she'd find that hard to shift.

Noooooo! How embarrassing

Depends - in some roles putting cake in the staff room would be appreciated! I'm thinking along the lines of nurses and teachers

I was a Nurse in a former life and now work in a School. At every place I have ever worked this would be considered completely inappropriate. I can confirm that both Nurses and Teachers are usually very grateful to see that a homemade cake has appeared in the staffroom but not one that has brought in by an interview candidate! Everyone would be mortified for her.

I've not done this but I have brought in home-made cake on my first day in two jobs - I thought it was a nice gesture to the rest of the team. Won't do it again, MN jury!

I was asked to bring something I had cooked, but it was that kind of interview. I did get the job. Never ever would I do it randomly. Nor do I take an food I cook it to work,I bake a lot and am good but this is just not the professional image to present. It's 'mummy', steer well clear and maintain boundaries.

Any organisation following a proper recruitment process would base it solely on the interview/assessment and who scored highest.

As nice as the thought may have been, bringing a cake along to the interview is unprofessional.

selsigfach I don't see anything wrong whatsoever in bringing a cake in on your first day. In fact I think it's a nice gesture. Bringing a cake to an interview is completely different.

" she interviewed incredibly well and has all the experience we need but I do feel her Victoria sponge was a little dry and I prefer fresh cream to buttercream"

I've not done this but I have brought in home-made cake on my first day in two jobs - I thought it was a nice gesture to the rest of the team. Won't do it again, MN jury!

I think that's a bit different. It's a bit of a team bonding thing isn't it. But taking a cake to an interview is very odd IMO.