Careers in Funeral Service

Funeral directors/embalmers need to be mature, tactful, patient, responsible and concerned for others. They also need to have an eye for detail and must be practical, punctual and able to keep information private.

Funeral directors/embalmers need to have a tidy appearance, and should be reasonably physically fit as they often have to transport bodies and caskets.

As funeral homes offer a 24 hour service 365 days a year, those in the profession are required to work on a roster.

Funeral directors/embalmers:

provide information over the phone to bereaved people
arrange for the removal of bodies from private homes, hospitals and sometimes from accident scenes
give advice on funeral arrangements
hygienically prepare and casket bodies for viewing and for burial or cremation
arrange and direct funerals, which may include booking the cemetery or crematoria, arranging for death notices in newspapers, printing the order of service sheets and organising the floral tributes
liaise with clergy or celebrants
attend the service and look after the family
organise the reception after the service, including the catering
transport the casket from the service to the burial or cremation
assist with legal details, such as Work and Income (WINZ) and Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claims
register the death

FUNERAL DIRECTOR OR EMBALMER?

There are two distinct career paths that can be followed:

You can train to be a Funeral Director, dealing with the bereaved family (i.e. arranging and directing a funeral in accordance with that family's wishes).

You can train to be an embalmer (treating the deceased human body for reasons of hygiene, sanitation and to prepare the deceased for family viewing - a factor which is accepted as an important part of the grieving process).

Naturally a person taking both career paths is of much greater value to a firm.

Qualifications

Qualifications in the New Zealand funeral service industry include:

Diploma in Funeral Directing.
Diploma in Embalming

Students learn how to carry out all the procedures necessary for the successful arrangement and direction of a funeral, as well as the administrative tasks related to a funeral. In addition, students learn about psychological, social and cultural behaviours related to death and dying and develop the interpersonal skills needed for dealing with the bereaved.

The training and education required to achieve these qualifications is normally through full-time employment in the industry, combined with formal study.

Entry Requirements
Must be a fulltime employee of a funeral/embalming company, with at least 1 year's suitable experience. Usually at least 20 years of age, mature, and confident of career choice.