Not only is pastry and baking a great career—it’s a surprisingly versatile industry with opportunities in many niches.  Some bakers concentrate exclusively on bread, while others prefer to bake cakes, cookies, and pies. Some stick to pastry and other desserts, like chocolate, macarons, or laminated doughs for croissants and puff pastry. There are also specialty shops, like donut shops and patisseries (French pastry shops), where a pastry cook can focus on one niche.  And, of course, food service establishments like restaurants and hotels need pastry chefs to design and make plated desserts and bakers for bread and baked sweets.