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?

I interview a lot of people - I would be bemused but it wouldn't swing me either way - if she was the best of the questions we'd set she'd get it if she wasn't she wouldn't get it.

I wouldn't hire her, but I would eat the cake as interviewing can be hard work.

It does fail the 'are the men doing it?' test and I'd think she was a bit flaky.

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!

How is that even remotely similar to walking into a job interview, with a lemon drizzle under your arm?

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 totally different - really nice to bring a cake on your first day, a thank you for welcoming me into the team kind of thing. Miles away from bringing one to an interview IMO

Oh but why do we all have to be so serious and professional and boring and the same?! I think it's lovely. Of course she shouldn't get the job based on that alone, but really, why not? (Not that I would do it. But then I am pretty serious and professional and boring). Hopefully by displaying her real personality in this way and not putting on the soul destroyingly dull corporate mask, she'll be turned down by places she'd never have felt at home in anyway, and find her perfect job. Let us know how she gets on OP!

I actually think the cake puts the interviewers in a position of feeling guilty if they don't get the job.

I remember someone in an interview mentioning that they had raised money for the charity by running the London marathon. They didn't get the job and I felt terrible.

Cake on your first day is fine and your team will love you for it. In an interview, I'm on the fence but can see it might work if it's a PA role which is very focused on looking after every aspect of your boss' life - sorting their dry cleaning, buying birthday gifts for their partner, etc.

It would certainly make her stand out amongst the other candidates, but not in a good way.

It would depend entirely on how she styled it out. It could be inspired or cringeworthy, we have no way of knowing. I say good for her for taking a risk.

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

What a nasty and dickish thing to say. Baking is a skill,, and at it's best it's an art form, and it's not easy to be very good at it. Why on earth shouldn't someone gain self esteem from being good at a skill they have learned?
Can't boil water and jealous, I'm guessing.

I once went for a job interview with several bags of Christmas present shopping. The interviewer had asked to move the interview from morning to late afternoon, and I said that I had book the whole day off work as I planned to go shopping in the afternoon. So she said to shop earlier and just bring the bags with me. We had a lovely chat about what I had bought, and how hard it is to buy for in-laws, and I got the job.

Well, no harm done, so don't make her feel bad. She can't keep that up for every interview. You just never know, let us know if she gets the job!

You know what I think I am with you Annie592. Ok it might be a little bit out there but to wrap up an interview quickly or to not give someone the job based on that is ridiculous. And as for the idea that she is playing up to traditional gender stereotypes, I mean what a load of rubbish. Just cos she baked a cake?

When I say ''no harm done'' I mean, at least she got interview practice. YOu just NEVER know, it might work. i wouldn't do it myself.

Know it's a totally different thing but work once let someone go as they were off sick for over 9 months.

Work had done everything to support her but she did not take any of the help and when they started the capability process she went mad and came in shouting and screaming and threatened with tribunal etc etc etc
The day after the employment ended she brought in a cake. None of us ate it

at 'was it a prison?'

It's weird. I'm 6 months into my new job. It was my birthday this week and I didn't bake a cake because I thought it looked a bit 'try hard'.
I just left some low key pastries in the kitchen with a note saying 'Help yourself'.

I can't even imagine the handover. Did the candidate bring their own knife? Plates? Cheery paper napkins? Pop a bit of bunting up in the conference room?

I do see how it can work for some interviews and scenarios. It's just in a very large organisation with a very structured interview process (with HR managers not the staff she would be working with) I think it's giving the wrong impression.

Jesus FUCK, noooooo

One did your friend say how the panel reacted and did she feel slightly awkward after? I'm curious to know how she presented the cake and what she said to them!

I work for a bank and I'm pretty sure any of our senior managers in our team would be delighted at being baked a cake (apart from one who's gluten free!) And if the candidate did a good interview it definitely wouldn't hurt their application!

I just know this is going to be discussed on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff

Too desperate imo

No, no, never, no!
I interviewed a man who turned up with a bulging lever arch file and whose opening words were 'These are all the job applications I've done in the last year' and 'If I get the job I will relocate my wife and children from Edinburgh but she doesn't know yet' (the job was in Bournemouth!)
Needless to say he didn't get the job.

Yes Worra! I thought the exact same.

That's a very weird thing to do and when I recruited, had someone done that I would have considered them very odd. Also, the cake would have gone in the bin.