Thinking of Becoming a Funeral Director
A funeral director is a professional who guides and assists families through the process of planning and conducting funeral and memorial services.
The Role of a Funeral Director
A funeral director supports families during difficult moments of grief and helps them to make decisions about the type and details of the service.
Funeral directors play an important role in facilitating the honouring of the deceased’s final wishes and provide comfort to grieving families, which ensures that the entire process continues with care and professionalism.
Are you thinking of becoming a funeral director? In this article, we’ll share insights about this profession.
How to become a Funeral Director?
If you’re considering a career as a funeral director, it is a path that requires a unique blend of skills, qualities and a deep understanding of the nature of this profession. Here are some of the key points to take into account:
Ideal Skills and Qualities
This job requires a specific set of skills and qualities.
- You will need to be caring, compassionate and have a can-do attitude considering the variety of tasks that are involved.
- You’ll often work with people who are grieving and are at a delicate and stressful stage of their lives. Therefore, compassion, emotional intelligence and a resilient nature are attributes that would stand you in good stead.
You will need to be a problem solver, given that a ‘funeral service’ is very much a ‘performance’ and constitutes a number of working parts that require succinct co-ordination. The more working parts, the more opportunity for things to go awry.
Performance – the show must go on!
Education and Training
There are a number of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) that provide training for various levels of diplomas and certificates for: funeral operations; funeral services – cemetery and crematoria operations; funeral services – coffin or casket manufacture and embalming.
While the funeral industry in Australia is unregulated, and no specific license or registration is required, the above-mentioned education courses and certificates will assist you on your path to becoming a funeral director.
Whilst education courses with RTO’s will assist a career path as a funeral director, we do recommend on-the-job training as the best way to consolidate your overall education within the funeral industry, and to pick up a whole host of additional skills that you can only learn ‘on the job’.
Gaining Practical Experience
As stated previously, gaining work experience at a funeral home, preferably under the guidance of an experienced funeral director, is considered essential.
A mentor can provide the required knowledge and expertise before venturing out on your own as a Funeral Director.
Advice for Aspiring Funeral Directors
If you believe you have what it takes to provide caring and professional funeral services (as discussed above), consider applying for a position with a funeral home, crematory operator or cemetery operation to start your career in the funeral industry.
Obtaining a certificate or diploma from an RTO will go a long way to show any potential employer that you are keen and should assist in gaining employment and give you a good base from which to start that employment.
Becoming a Member of the National Funeral Directors Association of Australia
Not only do funerals celebrate the life of your loved one, it is the coming together of families and friends that make the difference. This specifically created support network is a source of comfort and strength both during the funeral and immediately afterwards.
Funerals can be emotionally difficult, but a good funeral will provide the opportunity to share memories. A funeral service is the customary way to recognise death and provide an element of closure on the life of a loved one. Simply put, a funeral service is a community ritual that allows us to honour and show respect for the dead and to help those left behind begin the process of grief recovery.
The funeral ceremony helps to publicly acknowledge the reality of the death, and when shared with friends and family it encourages the expression of grief. Being surrounded by family and friends and learning how their lives were touched may bring great comfort.
