Confectioner

In modern-day America — a country where children grow up with Candy Land board games, trick-or-treating, and more than 50 flavors of Jelly Belly jellybeans — perhaps the only thing more American than apple pie is apple pie-flavored candy.

With that in mind, no one could possibly blame you for wanting to be Willy Wonka when you grow up. And when you’re a Confectioner, that’s basically what you are: Although you may not own a chocolate factory with its own chocolate waterfall, as Confectioner you’re Captain of the “Good Ship Lollipop,” which is overflowing with jawbreakers, chocolate bars, caramels, tootsie rolls, toffee, licorice, chewing gum, gummies, and more.

Equal parts Artist, Chef, and Chemist, you’re a Candy Maker who uses the science behind heat and chemical reactions to turn sugar, chocolate, and other ingredients into sweet treats — or “confections” — which you then sell to people who have a sweet tooth.

Perhaps you’re an Entrepreneur and have your own candy shop. Or maybe you work in product development at a corporate candy company. Either way, you spend your days as Confectioner developing and testing recipes, then following those recipes in order to make syrup-based, filled, and chewy candies, including everything from taffy, truffles, and bonbons to marshmallows, mints, and fudge.

Depending on what you’re making, you might use double boilers, candy thermometers, bench scrapers, pastry bags, taffy pullers, saucepans, cookie sheets, or candy molds. No matter how complicated the process or the equipment, however, the end result is always sweet (and thanks to cavities and sugar highs, a little bit lethal, too!).