SARA NAVIDI
Montgomery Village,MD
Summary
Accomplished Cake Decorator skilled in crafting visually stunning cakes tailored to client specifications. Proven ability to enhance customer satisfaction and drive sales growth through exceptional service and meticulous attention to detail in high-volume environments.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Wedding Cake/Cake Decorator
Stellas Bakery
Rockville, MD
07.2001 - 02.2016
- Assisted customers with planning cake vision, including color palettes, themes, size and shapes.
- Efficiently crafted espresso drinks, including cappuccinos and lattes.
Demonstrated expertise in coffee preparation techniques.
Provided exceptional customer service in a fast-paced environment.
Maintained cleanliness and organization of workspace throughout shifts. - Mixed colors and flavors of frosting to create desired aesthetic effects on cakes.
- Produced hand-drawn illustrations on cakes utilizing chocolate bag, mixed colors with edible gel for enhancing artwork.
- Created custom cakes for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.
- Decorated cakes with a variety of hand-made edible decorations including fondant flowers & roses, marzipan roses, buttercream and whipped cream roses and flowers.
- Able to perfectly fix any issues that arose during the cake design/decorating process.
- Trained new staff on decorating techniques, customer service, and barista skills (specialty espresso drinks)
- Answered phone calls, put in orders and handled customer disputes or complaints.
- Reviewed customer orders for accuracy before decoration process began.
- Used pastry bags, hand made chocolate bags and tips to pipe messages and decorations onto cakes.
- Assisted in the growth of sales by maintaining professional customer service and preparing visually appealing designs.
- Followed code dating procedures and adhered to legal regulations governing product labeling and packaging.
- Worked with common cake decorating and baking tools, such as mixers and carving tools.
- Controlled spoilage by generating turnover movement and maintaining monthly inventory.
- In charge of decorating at least 5-8 wedding cakes per week with overwhelming customer satisfaction.
- Maintained safe and sanitary area by checking food products' temperature and freshness.
- Prepared, decorated, and completed average of 20-40 cakes per shift.
- Mass-produced 100+ hand-made marzipan, white fondant and colored roses per shift, including whipped cream and buttercream roses for seasonal holidays, specialty and wedding cakes.
- Boxed, weighed and wrapped cake orders and other bakery products to prepare for pickup.
- Maintained fully stocked display cases.
- Cleaned display cases, utensils and working spaces to ensure sanitary work environment.
- Handled cash, credit card and check transactions.
- Finished baked goods with glazes, icings and other toppings.
- Consistently maintained high levels of cleanliness, organization, storage and sanitation of food and beverage products to ensure quality.
Education
Associate of Arts - General Arts
Montgomery College
Rockville, MD06-2004
Some College (No Degree) - Baking And Pastry Arts
Johnson And University
Providence, RISkills
- Design methods
- Color mixing skills
- Production and processing
- Customer service
- Food safety
- Time management
- Team training
- Attention to detail
- Effective communication
- Creative design
- Visual presentation
- Themed cake creation
- Wedding cake design
- Icings and fondant
- Stock rotation
- Decorating skills
- Product inspection
- Precise Hand-eye coordination
- Cake decoration techniques
- Food safety compliance
- Expert piping techniques
- Chocolate and whipped cream expertise
- Buttercream proficiency
- Artistic cake design
- Problem solving
- Edible decoration
- Order accuracy
- Cake decorating
- Glazing and icing application
- Pastry baking proficiency
- Continuous learning and adaptation
- Color theory
- Quality control
- Active listening
- Cake consultations
- Communication skills
- Adaptive and creative
- Custom order fulfillment
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Equipment cleaning
- Multitasking capacity
- Staff coordination
- Customer consultation
- Client relationship management
Art Work & Cake Decorating
I realized I had a natural talent in drawing, art and design after attending Culinary School, so I enrolled in a local community college, Montgomery College in Rockville, MD and started taking art classes in which I flourished. While attending Montgomery College, I ended up applying to MICA (Maryland institute college of art) and was accepted and moved to Baltimore. Unfortunately I was dealing with a chronic medical condition so I had to take medical leave after one month. After I returned home from Baltimore I applied and was accepted to The Corcoran College of Art and Design in DC, which is much closer to my home in Montgomery Village, MD. Unfortunately I was still dealing with the same chronic medical condition and I was unable to continue. I returned to work at Stella's Bakery in Rockville, MD, where I flourished there as well. Once I was being treated for my illness, I began to receive many promotions and eventually was put in charge of decorating and finishing all the cake and wedding cake orders as well as being offered a managerial position.
Accomplishments
- Received several promotions at Stella's Bakery, eventually being put in charge of decorating and filling all the cake orders.
- I was quickly offered a managerial position at Stella's Bakery for my quality of work.
Affiliations
- I am an avid marathon runner, I joined a running group and volunteered at marathon races giving out water and cheering on the runners.
- I am in a book club currently, the first book I read was 'On Juneteenth' by Annette Gordon-Reed.
Timeline
Wedding Cake/Cake Decorator
Stellas Bakery
07.2001 - 02.2016
Associate of Arts - General Arts
Montgomery College
Some College (No Degree) - Baking And Pastry Arts
Johnson And University