Avery Ruzicka

In the world of bakery, being organized and planning is critical to the business, not only during holidays, but also throughout my day-to-day.

And what’s great about this world is that it gives me ample opportunities to tap into different parts of myself. My job never feels stagnant since there are so many areas to oversee—creatives, finances, and of course, baking.

Documenting along the process is also super important because this is how you problem-solve and learn along the way.

So you can either craft the job that suits your strengths or go out there and find it. You can be involved in the culinary world in a million different ways. The best thing you can do is to find the one that is a natural fit for you that makes you want to wake up and go to work. Ask yourself constantly— Am I happy? Am I inspired? If not, that doesn’t mean you need to leave the culinary world, just keep going until you find the right job. This is a process that may take time, but will be worth it.

We look for a strong work ethic and a strong level of engagement.

With social media, I’m able to connect with bakers, both near and far, and gain new ideas that can be applied to our bakery.

'Zingerman Bakehouse Cookbook' by Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo is a unique book that talks about both the successes and failures of the bakery, which is not frequent. People tend to only focus on their successes in publications, and don’t often go into how they could improve.

This means you’re in a room full of people who are experts. Every day in the kitchen is an opportunity to learn something new if you surround yourself with the right people.