JPD Job Video on Funeral Directors:

https://jobspeopledo.com/job-videos/?What=funeral+director&x=0&y=0

Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’ve read the words ‘funeral directors’ and thought that—while a little morbid—it could still be interesting. The truth is that the job of a funeral director is so important to those who are suffering from loss. If this is the career you choose, you will be doing some really important work. It is important to approach this job with sensitivity, innate peacefulness and supportive hard work.

The most important skills to process are communication and a keen sense of organization. However, the key thing to remember about the career of a funeral director is that there will always be intense emotion involved. You will require compassion and an ability to deal with constant tragedy. While funeral directors have to be business savvy—something that may be misunderstood as greed by clients from time to time—they must also possess sincerity and a peacemaking quality. Many families will be going through some tough arguments. While it is sad, the funeral business is still a business. If you are going to take on this career you must be incredibly sensitive to the strife of your clients while still managing a successful professional life. Clients will have a lot of emotional needs, grief and stress. It would be your job to unburden them a bit and complete all the logistical parts of a loss in the family. If you want to help people during rough times and are able to deal with tragedy calmly, this is the job for you.

Duties

Duties include meeting with families, helping families plan for the funerals of their lost ones, sometimes embalming and preparing bodies (this becomes easier with practice), and organizing memorial services and wakes. On the paperwork side, funeral directors are often in charge of posting obituary notices in newspapers. Being in charge of a funeral home also means that you will be handling a lot of paperwork—depending on the size of the funeral home (whether it’s a chain or a privately-run business), you may be in charge of hiring and paying staff. These are basic business ins and out that come with any manager level position. Funeral directors carry out whatever the client pays to have done. This also includes arranging transportation for bodies and making plans with crematories, embalmers, reverends and cemetery staff. Anything to tie up the loose ends of a difficult time.

Requirements

You will need a high school diploma and an associate degree in funeral service education. Once you’ve acquired the education you need, the next step is an apprenticeship (an internship)—these generally last for a year or two. Once the apprenticeship is completed the last step is to pass the national board examination. Then you have your license!

Salary

Funeral Directors can earn from $34,000 starting salary to $63,000 per year or more.

Source:

http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Funeral_Director/Salary