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Career in Funeral Direction
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A career in funeral direction may sound strange but it has ample scope. Candidates who completed a graduate degree in mortuary science can get into this field. A funeral director is licensed to execute responsibilities by the state in which he/she practice. A funeral director needs the ability to communicate effectively and empathetically and to make people comfortable in a time of sorrow.
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Nature of Work
Funeral rites and practices differ generally among religions and cultures. Nonetheless, funeral practices generally share few common elements such as removing the dead to a mortuary, carrying out the ceremony, which honors the deceased and addresses the religious needs of the family of deceased, preparing the remains, performing the final disposition of the deceased. A funeral director plans, arranges and directs these tasks for mournful families.
A funeral director is also called undertaker or mortician. This occupation may or may not appeal to everyone. But, those who work as funeral directors feel proud of having these abilities to offers appropriate and comforting services. A funeral director deals with arrangement of ritual activities and arranges logistics of funeral. They interact with the family to know their wishes about the funeral, the final disposition of the remains, people or clergy who will officiate, etc. At times, a deceased leaves complete instruction for his/her own funeral. A funeral director discusses with the family to decide dates, locations, times of wakes, burials time and memorial services. They manage a hearse to carry the deceased to the mortuary. They also try to make the friends and family of the deceased feel comfortable.
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Responsibilities of a Funeral Director
- Order materials required for funeral and prepare for final rituals
- Arrange placement of caskets at funeral sites, adjust and place lights, floral and fixtures displays
- Inform pallbearers, arrange pallbearers, report to honorary groups of their duties
- Receive and accompany people to their seats for services
- Schedule, plan and coordinate burials, funerals and cremations, organizing details such as the time, place and other services
- Attain information required to complete legal documents like burial permits and death certificate
- Supervise the preparation and take care of the remains of deceased people
- Contact cemeteries to know the opening and closing schedule of graves
- Provide information about funeral service option(s), merchandise, products and maintain a casket display area
- Arrange funeral activities at home, which includes funeral attendants, employing and overseeing embalmers and other staffs
- Offers comfort and counsel to bereaved friends and families
- Lead funeral corteege and close caskets to burial sites or churches
- Hire, arrange and oversee clergy members to execute needed services
- Plan, arrange and provide transport between sites for mourners, remains, clergy, pallbearers and flowers
- Carry out embalming duties as required
- Handle shipment of bodies and direct preparation for out of state burial
- Confer and talk about pre-arranged funeral with clients
- Discuss with friends and family of the deceased to manage funeral details like casket selection, obituary notice, plans for services, etc.
Required Education and Training
A person interested to start a career as a funeral director, needs to have studied some subjects, which are beneficial while performing funeral activities. Courses in biology, science, bookkeeping, sociology, art, speech and business subjects are useful. Candidates who completed graduation in Psychology may find this profession as a good career option. Psychology courses provide thorough understanding of why and how people act and react as they go under the stress caused by death of a closed person.
A funeral director ought to have the ability to stay calm in traumatic situations and be able to deal with repulsive tasks such as removal of decomposed and burned bodies. Some of the private schools offer special programs in funeral management. A course called Mortuary Science Program offers thorough understanding of ritual activities. The course duration varies from nine months to three years.
Some of the colleges also offer a program in funeral service that varies from two to four years. Furthermore, people who are willing to become funeral director ought to have completed an apprenticeship program. Many states require funeral director to be licensed. Requirements may differ; however, a person should have exceeded twenty-one years of age. A funeral director can get an embalming license.
How to Get a Job
An individual can apply for a job to funeral homes directly. Some of the people are in this field as funeral direction is their family business. However, some expert professionals accepted this occupation as a career even though they do not have funeral direction as a family business. Prominent schools/colleges offer good courses with internship programs. These schools also offer placement assistance to candidates. Members of clergy can introduce a funeral director to the deceased family. Apart from above-discussed job opportunities, a funeral director may work for newspaper classifieds, professional associations, websites, etc.
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