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Funeral directors must handle customer service, on-call responsibilities, and death and grief. They may perform tasks such as arrangements, embalming, pickups, and paperwork. Interpersonal skills are important, and the job can be rewarding despite dealing with death and trauma.
Life as a funeral director can be busy and stressful, as this job requires a mix of customer service, on-call responsibilities, and the ability to deal with death and grief. Job responsibilities can vary based on the size and organization of a funeral home. In some cases, a funeral director may be a primary operator, handling arrangements, embalming, pickups and other tasks. Others focus on helping clients and managing paperwork, leaving embalming and preparation to assistants and specialist staff.
One aspect of this job that can be difficult is the unpredictable hours. Historically, funeral directors used to live in the funeral home so they could be available at all times, although the advent of cell phones has made it more possible to maintain some distance from work. Customers can call at any time for a pickup, or a hospital, medical examiner or similar entity can call to request the service. The funeral director needs to be prepared to pick up bodies and put them away quickly.
If the job includes embalming and related services, the funeral director prepares the bodies, a process that includes washing them, applying makeup, and consulting with families to ensure the deceased appears as expected. Otherwise, it may be necessary to supervise assistants while they perform these tasks. In addition, funeral directors handle paperwork, ordering supplies, payroll, and other business aspects to keep the facility running smoothly and functionally. They may also need to attend continuing education workshops, seminars and related events to keep up with the field.
Interpersonal skills are an important part of life as a funeral director. Clients are served at a very difficult time in their lives, and sensitivity is required along with knowledge of different cultural traditions and communities. Having connections and a respected reputation is key; therefore, life as a funeral director can include participating in civic events, supporting community endeavors and sponsoring organizations that need assistance.
Although funeral directors work with death, the work is not necessarily sad, although working with individual clients can be difficult; life as a funeral director can involve dealing with child deaths, for example, which can be traumatic for parents and family. Many people in this career enjoy the ability to provide services in a time of need, especially when it involves unusual or special arrangements to honor the deceased. Working with multiple employees can help spread out the stress caused by high workloads and long hours on call, ensuring people have time to decompress. Life as a funeral director can be rewarding for people who are suited to the job.
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