How to Become a Funeral Director

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Are you sick and tired of doing what every other person is doing? Are you bored with the endless talk about white-collar jobs in fashion, banking, and the rest of them? Are you poised for a change in career? Would you be comfortable being confronted with a corpse? Have you considered a career working with the dead?

More than half a million funerals are conducted in the UK every year. With only 5,278 funeral homes catering to a teeming population, it is easy to understand why there are untapped opportunities in the funeral industry. The funeral industry might just be the career boost you need right now. After all, people need extra support during these unprecedented times. 

Who is a funeral director?

A funeral director is a person who arranges funeral services. When people turn to a business like exithere.com, they can have piece of mind that everything will be dealt with. This role includes the provision of adequate support, guidance, and advice for families of the deceased. Funeral directors can accept donations on their client’s behalf, which can be given to a designated charity. They can prepare cards that clients can offer to guests as a token of their appreciation.

How can you get into this job?

Broadly speaking, you can become a funeral director by going through either of two routes:

1. By becoming an apprentice

2. By taking up support roles

You can begin an intermediate apprenticeship role by becoming part of a funeral team. After having at least one-year experience in the industry, you can be qualified to take up an advanced apprenticeship role. Your basic academic qualifications (GCSEs) will be useful in both instances. 

As an alternative to the apprenticeship route, you could take up support roles and climb up the ladder as you gain experience. You can be enlisted with a trustworthy, fully licensed funeral service providers. A strict academic background is not necessarily required. It would be helpful to have good customer service skills and the ability to make use of simple gadgets and accessories. In the course of the job, you could enroll for a diploma or certificate course in disciplines related to funeral service. More academic qualifications may be required as you come up through the ranks.

What places can you work?

As a funeral director, there are a variety of places you can work. You can work indoors or outdoors. You can work in an office, at a cemetery, or at a funeral home. You can also work at a crematory or at the home of your client.  

Do you need to wear a uniform?

It is not compulsory to have a uniform as a funeral director.

What is the salary like?

Funeral directors typically earn between £16,000 to £30,000 per year.

Are there opportunities for promotion?

An organized system is in place, and as such funeral directors have opportunities for career growth. You can rise up the ranks and become a manager of a funeral service organization at the local, regional, or national level. You can also teach students who enroll for a number of training opportunities and qualifications at the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), the umbrella body regulating the practice of funeral directors.

With lucrative job offers, opportunities for career progression, and the particularly deep inner satisfaction that comes with supporting bereaved families during these uncertain times, becoming a funeral director is worth considering.