When a loved one passes away, it can be understandably difficult for grieving family members to go through all of the complications of arranging a proper funeral service. A lot of planning, paper work, and preparation goes into a funeral ceremony, and that is where funeral directors step in and give the families some much needed guidance. If you are a very compassionate person, who would like to help grieving families say good bye to their loved ones, a funeral director training program could lead you to a very important and worthwhile career.
Funeral directors play three major roles. They are business managers, event planners, and grief counselors. They must run every aspect of the funeral home or mortuary. Funeral directors comfort and communicate with the families of the departed, take care of all of the logistics of the funeral ceremony, and maintain business records to ensure the funeral home is profitable. Basically, a funeral director takes care of all of the hassles so that the families do not have additional stresses during this unhappy time in their lives.
A funeral director is responsible for getting the deceased to the mortuary, and preparing the body for the ceremony. The director is then responsible for preparing for and performing a ceremony that honors the deceased. The funeral service itself can vary drastically from person to person depending upon religious and cultural beliefs. As the funeral director, you must be prepared to fulfill the spiritual wishes of the deceased as well as the family. Directors must handle all of the logistics of the funeral, including arranging transportation to and from the gravesite if necessary. Funeral directors are also responsible for handling any paperwork that may need to be filed in order to receive the death certificate from the state.
As there are so many important responsibilities a funeral director must assume, it is required by every state that all funeral directors be licensed. In most cases, this means two years of education, one year of apprenticeship, and an examination. Most funeral director programs are two years, but some colleges offer four year programs. The curriculum typically includes anatomy, pathology, restorative art, accounting, business management, grief counseling, communication, and ethics. All of this knowledge are crucial to providing excellent services to your clients and running a successful business.
If you believe that you could perform a comforting and reliable service to families during a time a loss, you should certainly consider a career as a funeral director. It is a very important and rewarding career, providing you with plenty of benefits, flexibility and independence. With the proper education and training, you can begin a new career, providing an extremely meaningful service for others, in as little as two years. Find a funeral director school below to get started in reaching your career goals.