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- Support bereaved families by organising and managing the funeral arrangements
- You'll need good organisational skills, sensitivity and excellent people skills
- Provide emotional support to mourners, as well as legal
As a funeral director, you'll be responsible for dealing with the logistics of a funeral, as well as providing support for the bereaved.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Taking details from relatives or friends of the deceased
- Arranging for transfer of the body to the place of rest before the funeral
- Meeting with relatives or friends to give advice and arrange details of the funeral
- Arranging the date and time of the funeral with the church, cemetery or crematorium
- Organising flowers, transport and death notices
- Advising on legal requirements and helping clients complete paperwork
- Preparing the body for burial or cremation
- Arranging visits to the place of rest
- Dealing with floral tributes and charitable donations
- Travelling in the hearse at the time of the funeral
- Making sure that everything runs smoothly during the ceremony
- Advising on types of memorials, like headstones
- You may also give people advice about coroners' procedures if necessary
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
Most of your administration work would be done during office hours, but you might sometimes need to visit clients in the evenings or at weekends. You could work in an office, at a client's home or at a cemetery.
You'll need
To be a funeral director, you'll need customer service skills, thoroughness and attention to detail, the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure, patience, sensitivity and understanding, the ability to work well with others, business management skills, and knowledge of English language.
You can start by taking an intermediate apprenticeship in funeral operations and services or as a funeral team member. Once you have 12 months' industry experience, you can do a funeral director advanced apprenticeship.
You could also start in a support role and get experience as you learn on the job. Usually you'd need customer service experience, and good IT and administration skills.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With larger organisations, you be promoted to branch, area or regional management. With experience and qualifications you could become a tutor and teach NAFD qualifications.