Those who enter the funeral services profession may not be first time students. Many professionals begin in other careers before switching to one of the many branches of funeral service. Those who began in education, customer service, business, or healthcare fields bring diverse skills and knowledge to the field of funeral service as they search for greater purpose, stability, or opportunity.
Those who have made the switch or plan to should consider these five lessons learned from those who successfully began careers in funeral service later in life. This field can be technically and emotionally demanding but also highly rewarding for those who embrace its distinct challenges and opportunities.
Lesson #1: Compassion is a Necessary Artform in Funeral Services
Compassion is much more than a suggested job trait in funeral services. It is a required skill and even an artform, one that requires a solid educational foundation and devoted practice routine to perfect. Funeral services professionals must function as logisticians and counselors who use compassion to succeed in their work, but without letting personal emotions cloud their judgment.
In other words, successful funeral services require a balance of professional distance and emotional compassion. Not everyone can get legal documents notarized for a burial one hour, and in the next, offer condolences to the grieving family. However, this is an occupational skill requirement for many funeral services fields, including funeral home directing.
Key Takeaway
Compassion is not a passive trait, a job perk, or a suggestion in funeral services. It is an active discipline that requires practice, especially for career changers. Those coming from healthcare or education backgrounds may have an advantage in this area over those more experienced in business.
Lesson #2: Funerals Serve Families & Loved Ones
Funerals are sometimes called “services for the deceased,” but this is not entirely accurate to the nuances of the field. In a practical sense, this is true; funerals are services that respect the deceased and provide them with the necessary human right to a burial. However, the service itself, including the ceremony, documentation, and emotional care, provide a benefit to those who are grieving. Funeral service professionals are there to serve the family and loved ones.
This suggests that compassion, timeliness, and respect are more than simply job recommendations to maintain professionalism. Instead, they are required services that must be rendered to the family and loved ones of the deceased.
Key Takeaway
Success in funeral service requires recognizing that the loved ones of the deceased are in need of clear and compassionate services. Those who switch careers must learn the true focus of their services.
Lesson #3: Honest Services Are Legally & Ethically Required
Clear communication is a necessary tool of the trade in funeral services. Families and loved ones come to funeral homes, crematoriums, and embalmers to find necessary care and closure during an often compromised emotional state. The professional’s ability to listen, communicate, and remain transparent is a legal requirement. The FTC Funeral Rule, among other safeguards, prevents professionals from forcing sales or misrepresenting their services.
Key Takeaway
Ethical services begin with clear and compassionate communication. Technical ability in funeral service is not enough to provide dignity, honesty, and respect to the deceased’s family. These require cognizance, dedication, and practice.
Lesson #4: Adaptation Is a Necessary Part Of Successful Funeral Services
Funeral services are consistently changing with industry trends and new needs. For example, green funeral services have been more often requested in recent years as sustainable alternatives to traditional methods. Cremations also continue to be more popular, with nearly 62% of funeral services now preferring them over traditional burials.
Key Takeaway
Funeral service is not a static discipline. Career changers need to be prepared for the reality that the information they have may not be completely current. Adaptation is needed to give families and loved ones the respectful and timely services they deserve.
Lesson #5: Funeral Service Education Is Never Over
Education in funeral service never ends, especially for career changers, who often enter the field with a need for education, licensure, mentorships, and other professional connections. Even after settling into a job in funeral service, the industry changes as the needs of families change and adapt to new expectations for funeral care.
Key Takeaway
Just as it is never too late to join the field of funeral service, it is also necessary to continue educating oneself on trends, making professional connections with potential mentors and colleagues, and taking advantage of educational resources provided by the state and teaching institutions in your area.
Accredited Mortuary Science Institutions Help Career Switchers Find Their Way
A successful career in funeral services requires compassionate care, an attention to the trends of the industry, an ability to communicate and make professional connections, and an endless willingness to learn and grow. Those who change careers to funeral services quickly learn that the field requires discipline and skill yet prioritizes compassion in how services are communicated, offered, and rendered. These five lessons can go a long way toward helping career changers make the transition with grace and professionalism.
At AAMI, we help young students and career changers alike receive the skills and knowledge in funeral services they need to flourish in their new careers. Our classes can be taken online, in-person, or in a hybrid model to accommodate the needs of all students, with the goal of providing career-focused academic experience that fosters professional connections and emphasizes student success in every step of their funeral services careers, from education to licensure and employment.
Contact the AAMI team to apply for enrollment in funeral services with a success-oriented institution. Learn more about the opportunities that await you in this challenging yet rewarding field.