Would you like to be a source of comfort to people during some of the toughest times of their lives? Would you find satisfaction in knowing that your job is to make other’s grief that bit more bearable whilst helping them say goodbye to someone they love? If you answered yes to any of the above, then a career as a Funeral Director could be for you.
A Funeral Director’s main responsibility is to arrange the details of a funeral from start to finish. They’ll typically work in funeral homes or crematories.
On a regular day at work, a Funeral Director could be carrying out any of the following tasks:
The right person will:
Dealing with death is never pleasant, but there is a lot of satisfaction to be found in helping people celebrate the life of someone who has recently died.
As a Funeral Director, you’ll earn an estimated salary of £15,000 – £30,000 (and will sometimes be given a car).
If you work for a large organisation, you could go on to be promoted to branch or regional management.
“I can honestly say there is no other job I’d rather be doing. After a 30 year stint with the police, I did wonder how I would find working in funerals, but I love it. I only wish I’d done it sooner.”
Robert Brown, 68, Funeral Care Apprentice at Co-op
The fastest route to a career as a Funeral Director if you have little or no experience in the funeral service industry is to get a job as a Funeral Arranger first.
Funeral Arrangers support Funeral Directors in the smooth running of all processes before, during and after the funeral service. They also offer a lot of additional support to grieving families and friends.
Many employers will take on Funeral Arrangers with little or no experience in the industry as long as they have the right attitude towards the job. Larger funeral care companies such as the Co-op also offer apprenticeships in Funeral Operations and Services to give their employees the opportunity to be the best they can be in their role.
Once you’ve built up significant experience as a Funeral Arranger, you’ll become more likely to have success in your application as Funeral Director.
If you have sufficient experience in the funeral care industry, or you have extensive experience in the customer service industry, you may be able to apply for a job as a Funeral Director straightaway. So if you feel ready, then why not give it a go?
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