Roses are red, violets are blue – being a florist could be the right career for you!
Are you passionate about all things floral? Do you enjoy making people smile? Florists get to be involved in other people’s special occasions by designing and creating floral arrangements that will leave a lasting impression.
Florists design and create beautiful flower arrangements for a whole host of occasions such as weddings, birthdays and baby showers. The size and scale of the arrangement will vary – someone may want to purchase a single bunch of flowers to present to their partner on their birthday, or they might want to order enough flowers to fill a whole room for an upcoming baby shower. Either way, most people order flowers to spark joy in others, or to offer comfort – which makes the sentiment behind them pretty important.
Some florists work from standard pre-formatted arrangement layouts whilst others become true artists – exploring their own floral designs and producing original creations. Those who get really into floral design, may also create elaborate displays or floral art pieces for competitions or exhibitions.
Whilst florists spend a long time designing and creating, they are also responsible for looking after the plants and flowers within their care. This means that they must know about different species of foliage, flowers, grass and herbs and how to care for them – once they are cut in preparation for arrangement, their care becomes even more important as they now have a shelf life.
Typical daily tasks for a florist include:
The right person will:
As a Florist, you could earn an estimated salary of £26,000. However, if you become self-employed you will be able to set your own rates and some customers may also give tips!
Some Florists go on to become Store Managers, Supervisors or Head Florists, whilst others may start off as working as an employee for a flower company or shop, and then decide to take the self-employed route once they are confident in their skills.
To become a Florist you don’t need to have any formal qualifications. However, floristry does involve a lot of skill and knowledge, so there are a couple of routes that you can take to get your floristry career off the ground.
There are many employers who will take you on as a trainee or apprentice florist (with no previous skills and experience) just so long as you have a passion for flowers, plants and people – and a willingness to learn. So if you’re keen to get stuck in and you don’t fancy spending the time and money on any qualifications before making your application, then it’s worth contacting your local flower shops to see whether they have any vacancies, or also have a look online.
Whilst some people are happy to train on the job, there’s also the option to take a course before you start applying for jobs. This should help to increase your confidence and employability. Employers will often consider your skills and experience when deciding what salary to pay you – and if you have a qualification under your belt, then you’ll be increasing your chances of getting paid a higher wage.
New Skills Academy offer a distance-learning course which will teach you all the skills and knowledge you need to get started as a Florist. The Floristry Academy Diploma consists of 21 modules split over 15 hours and you’ll not only learn the essentials of flower arranging and how to care for the plants and flowers in your care, but you’ll also learn how to create floral pieces for specific occasions such as funerals and weddings.
As you near the end of the course, you will also be taught how to find and apply for floristry jobs, as well as how to start your own business if that’s a route you’d like to go down instead. When you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll receive a CPD-approved certificate and will be confident landing your first job as a Florist.
Are you considering a career as a florist? Or are you already a florist and have some tips to share? We’d love to hear from you – email us at [email protected] or post a question on the community forum.
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