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 so wish you had described the others as cookie cutter.

"It makes her stand out amongst a sea of clone-like identicandidates.

Ooh, tough gig. What would you bring?

"I know of a friend that was asked to bring a dish to interview that was representative of themselves in some way, it was for a training role ( non food related role)"

Ah, seeing your update that this is for a large firm. I suspect it's lost her the job. I work for a large corporation and we would assume she had no concept of the corporate environment and also what the job entailed. Our admin staff are not required to bake cakes and we do not tolerate stereotypes, this coupled with the thought a cake could make a difference would mean we would immediacy reject her.

Did the interviewers have a slice or say they'd save it for later or just 'thanks but no thanks'?

Even without the potential bribery and looking unprofessional issues, it puts the interviewers in an awkward position having to decide what to do with it and trying to avoid offending her if they don't want it.

There's also a bit of a "Legally Blonde" feel about the story.

In a large company basically it's.no different to walking in and explaining you've no clue what a Corp environment is or what the job is but hey she can bake a cake.. I feel a bit sorry for her actually. I can only suspect she's only ever worked for very small companies and thinks making cakes is part of the job. 😱

I'm imagining the bribery prosecution scene....

"we do not tolerate stereotypes"
by treating a well meant act as a faux pas I think you are living up to stereotypes too though?

Do let us know if she gets the job

Large organisation
Public sector (hence the structured interview)

Not the norm by any means but I hind of admire her spunck. If I didn't have right experience and it was unlikely I would get the job I think k it is something brave and out of the ordinary to do and she will be remembered. As for bribery oh please give me a break.

It could also hit a raw nerve of the interviewer has allergies/is on a restrictive diet etc etc!!

by treating a well meant act as a faux pas I think you are living up to stereotypes too though?

How? I genuinely don't understand. How is it a stereotype to not employee a female who thinks a secretarial role is about baking cakes and we certainly would not be employing someone because they made us a cake. " I made them a cake and they gave me the job" . I don't think so.

If that's stereotypical of a corporation fair enough. But I'm confused by your statement.

Our admin staff are well paid, over 50k a year and not one of the women doing it brought a cake to interview and they are treated with respect and not just because we rely on them so heavily, but because they are a key part of our teams.

This thread's lasted quite a bit longer than the interview... and we still don't know what type of cake...

Her boss asked her to pick up a present for his wife. She was outraged enough about that. Then he asked her to choose a present for his mistress

You could have a fair bit of fun with that, especially if you gave them to him ready-wrapped.

... or if the panel ate any cake Quite

Bluntness

You all just sound a bit grey and samey.

QuiteUnfitBrit, scream! That's true!

As it's a public sector organisation, they'll just brush off what happened with the cake and solely base it off the highest scores from the interview/assessment. The cake may leave a bad taste in their mouth (no pun intended) and if she does get the job, they'll likely bring up that the cake wasn't suitable in feedback.

"they'll likely bring up that the cake wasn't suitable in feedback."

Also what did she transport the cake there in? And is she going back at some point to collect the Tupperware/Lakeland cake carry case?

Also to add we would have said thanks for the cake politely, told her that was a lovely thing to do and then binned it when she left as we couldn't be sure it wouldn't make people sick. And we would have immediately counted it as a black mark against her, it would have told us she didn't understand a proffesional environment, the interactions or the nature of the role. As a woman I'd also have been fairly appalled she thought it was a good idea.

OMFG! I am screaming at this thread!

iknowimcoming, it will be very uncomfortable if she asks for the Tupperware back! She might even go one step further and try to claim back money for the ingredients and labour.

Also what did she transport the cake there in? And is she going back at some point to collect the Tupperware/Lakeland cake carry case?

Good point. Am hoping she didn't bring cake in an old biscuit or quality street tin

OP - so many important questions that are still unanswered