Funeral Employment

 

A Fulfilling Career of Community Service and Support

 

The Funeral Care Industry is full of interesting and sometimes lucrative funeral employment options. The variety of positions available are also very personally fulfilling careers, as they are truly service-oriented. You have to like working with people, and since you are usually dealing with families who are perhaps experiencing a devastating loss.  Given the strong need for things like grief counseling and bereavement support, some of the most sought-after professional requirements in the funeral care industry are  compassion, understanding, and selfless giving.  

The first career most people think about when considering funeral employment is becoming a Funeral Director, but there are many other career options in the field.  Many of the career paths involve selling – “soft” sales, really, as there are often laws prohibiting solicitation for funeral planning services – so you are generally working with people who are seeking you out.

If you are seeking funeral employment and believe you are best suited to work in a “sales” capacity, the sales aspect in the funeral industry often involve working with those who are interested in pre-planning a funeral.   Most people who decide to preplan their funeral arrangements usually choose to combine their end-of-life plans and preferences with life insurance.  These comprehensive funeral pre-planning options are most commonly referred to as Pre-Need Plans and Final Expense Plans, and  experience or licensure is not necessary – since there is usually on-the-job training.  As with any funeral employment position, professional and ethical behavior is expected, as well as knowledge of the products and services sold. With some of the larger companies, a good salesperson can expect to make a very comfortable income.

Then there are also the miscellaneous funeral employment positions – the receptionist or administrative assistant, groundskeeper, driver. Frequently these are part-time positions, though in some of the busier places, they are full-time, and even on-call, hours. Again, both the receptionist and driver positions will require patience, understanding and compassion, as well as excellent attention to detail.

The rewards of being in the funeral planning industry are often not monetary – it is particularly fulfilling to be there as a comfort in a time of need, to give aid and guidance and support. Families who have experienced a loss often show a range of emotions from anger to vulnerability, so it takes a special person to deal with often conflicting emotions and behavior from the bereaved.

Our Preferred Provider

FuneralJobs.com

How do you go about seeking funeral employment opportunities?  There are several industry-specific sites,  but our research has led us to confidently recommend www.FuneralJobs.com. They post jobs in the industry, from Funeral Director to Driver and everything in between. You can post a résumé online as well, and even sign up for an RSS feed to keep updated on any positions that match your interests. It might be a good idea to talk to your local Funeral Director – he or she may have some advice on the industry locally or even have or know of open positions in the area. You will also get a better idea of the true nature of the job at hand – the hours and pay you can expect, the perks and the downside.

For more information, simply click here to visit www.funeraljobs.com.