Jobs at a funeral home are not for the faint of heart. While it may be less than romantic, working in a funeral home is highly rewarding. There are many opportunities to help make money in the industry and to share in the grief of those that have lost a loved one.
Job openings can be posted on bulletin boards, social media, and in community groups. An important part of getting hired is networking and being referred by others. Being involved in the community you wish to work in is also key as there will be people you want to refer people to.
There are two main things that you need to do for get hired into a job at a funeral home: 1) Be persistent, and 2) Be good at what you do.
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Call and ask about openings
While most jobs at a funeral home are non-commissioned, they can be difficult and sordid-looking jobs are still present. Being asked to join the family planning their funeral program is a sign that the funeral director wants you in!
Non-commissioned positions such as embalmer, casket installer, and mortician may have openings, too. As a funeral plan agent, you would work as an intermediary between the families and the office of the mortician to prepare for your loved one’s wake and burial.
Many offices offer pre-assessments where you discuss your needs with the staff to see if they can help. If not, you can go into a vacant position! It is important to call ahead of time to see if any openings exist, or if someone has filled one out for them.
Have experience
Being hired at a funeral home means you have experience in the funeral industry. You must have worked in a funeral home before to be able to get a jobette.
So, how do you have experience?
By being employed at a funeral home. You may have worked as a staff member or helper, or perhaps you have held an operating position such as event coordinator or director.
The role of director is typically leading the company and hiring and firing of their staff. A successful way to start your career as director is by getting hired by one of the families that use the facility weekly forfuneralhome-related events.
If you are looking for work, having some kind of job-related experience can help get you into the door at some companies.
Be familiar with the culture of death
A funeral home is a place for death. Visiting a funeral home is an excellent way to learn more about death and how to help someone in need of assistance.
Many people are curious about the culture of death. You can leverage this knowledge by working at a funeral home as awrapper salesperson or visiters. As a visitor, you can learn about services offered as well as work as a pallbearer or burial plot provider.
Work at a funeral home can be an enthralling experience that involves working with families, patients, and colleagues to help provide the best care possible.
Prepare for emotional situations
Before you go to a job interview, you should prepare for certain situations where you can help someone get through an emotional situation.
These situations include meeting the person’s family, being around the person when they are not well, or being a positive influence on them. Being a positive influence is something that job interviewees can use.
If you think you could help someone get through an emotional situation at the job interview, you should be there to help. Practice how to respond to questions and emotions for at least half an hour before the job interview.
During the interview, stay calm and answer questions properly. If the interviewer asks if something is wrong, answer that yes, something is wrong but they can’t see it because they are so busy dealing with it.
When they ask what you were doing before this job, answer with what this position requires of me and how helpful I can be.
Come prepared with questions for the interviewer
Job interviews are designed to make you question yourself and your skillsets, not force them out of you. So, even though it may be challenging to be prepared for an interview by having a job lined up, it will help you to feel more prepared for the interview and in turn show your potential employer that you’re serious about applying.
If you’re currently looking for a job, start preparing now by becoming familiar with the fields that funeral homes work with and their needs. For example, if the company is responsible for funeral arrangements, then they need to be familiar with funerals and funeral arrangements.
If the company is responsible for making memorial arrangements, then you need to know what kind of arrangement that might be. And finally, if the company manages your personal affairs, then they need to have that covered.
Don’t be scared of the work environment
There is a job for everyone at a funeral home.
Check out the facility
Once a funeral home has an interest in you, they will continue to contact you to see if they can hire you. It is important for the family member or friend of the deceased to call the facility and inquire about whether or not they would be interested in having you work for them.
This is called a referral from a previous job. It is common for many jobs, especially administrative ones. You will need to check with the owner about whether or not he or she would recommend you to the public, but it seems like a small price to pay.
Check out their website to see if there are any testimonials from previous employees about them and whether or not they feel comfortable referring people to them.
Dress well for the interview
You want to look and feel put-together during the job interview. You want to feel organized, know what items are required, and be able to point to items in your personal belongings that they represent the job you are applying for.
That is why you will want to dress well for the funeral home interview.