Students entering a mortuary science degree program (opens in a new window) have the singular chance to make a first impression with their fellow students, professors, and other professionals they’ll meet in the coming semesters. While you want to be relaxed and comfortable, you should also keep in mind that how you carry yourself in class will be remembered by the people around you.
In most degree programs, mortuary science included, your first professional network is made up of the instructors, clinical supervisors, classmates, and industry contacts you meet before graduation. And the people in this network are often the very ones who open the first doors to your career.
Your Instructors Are Your First Industry Connections
Faculty in a mortuary science program are rarely career academics. Many are licensed funeral directors or embalmers who still consult for funeral homes, sit on state licensing boards, or maintain an active practice alongside teaching.
That involvement gives them a first-hand look at the industry, including job openings and apprenticeships, often before the positions are made public.
Building a genuine relationship with an instructor does not mean flattering them or being a perfectionist. It’s showing up prepared for lab work and following through when an instructor offers feedback. It’s being involved in class, asking smart questions and not being afraid to admit a technique or regulation has genuinely confused you.
When a funeral home owner later calls that instructor, asking if they know anyone ready to start, the student who comes to mind is usually the one who asked good questions and took the coursework seriously.
Clinical Placements Are Where Reputations Start
Clinical and internship hours are often the first time a student is evaluated in the same way a future employer would evaluate them, and the funeral home where a student completes those hours is frequently the same one that hires them for the supervised apprenticeship most states require before full licensure. In practice, a clinical placement is often a monthslong interview.
Supervisors notice whether a student is reliable and handle every part of the work with the same care. Asking a supervisor permission, for example, to sit in on an arrangement conference with a grieving family says a great deal about a person’s interest even in the emotionally challenging parts of the work.
A short follow-up note after a rotation ends, updating a supervisor on licensure progress, is a small habit that both shows appreciation for the time that’s been invested in you, and also keeps that relationship active long after the placement is over.
Professional Associations Open Doors
The National Funeral Directors Association runs programs built to connect recent graduates and students with experienced professionals in the field.
Meet the Mentors (opens in a new window) pairs emerging funeral professionals and recent graduates with those with more experience, helping to create relationships that can shape a career. The National Emerging Leaders Program (opens in a new window) combines in-person training with mentorship for people a few years into their careers.
The International Convention & Expo (opens in a new window) brings thousands of funeral professionals together each year, and attending as a student member can put you in front of people who hire and mentor long before a diploma is in hand.
The Classmate Sitting Next to You Is a Future Colleague
Funeral service is a relatively small field, and people move between funeral homes, serve together on state association boards, and rely on each other for local support throughout a career.
The classmate you share a restorative art bench with today may be the colleague you call when you need a favor or advice, or the one who years later recommends an apprentice to you when you’re looking to hire.
Treating classmates in group labs and study sessions as future colleagues helps to build professional relationships that can span careers. Staying in touch after graduation (a short message when someone passes their board exam or starts a new position, for example) keeps that network healthy.
Presenting Yourself as a Professional From Day One
Especially during a clinical training, dressing to the standard of the funeral home sends a signal. So does speaking plainly with families without resorting to clinical jargon and asking permission before stepping into any part of a service. Together, these habits tell future colleagues that a student understands the emotional weight of the work.
The value of these impressions cannot be overstated. A funeral home director who appreciates a student’s conduct during a placement may be a reference for that student when a colleague asks about hiring.
A Program Built Around Relationships
As a profession, funeral services have begun to lean toward the arts and social sciences, grief support, family communication, and service planning. A curriculum like AAMI’s, that balances academic rigor in the sciences with relationship-focused training, prepares students to handle the technical aspects of the job while building the trust with families and colleagues that becomes an impressive professional reputation.
In a small field, networks are important and reputation matters. A funeral home owner hiring one or two new graduates isn’t blindly sorting resumes. They’re comparing applicants and will often call a program director directly before scheduling an interview.
Standing out in the market comes down to the relationships built during school and clinical training. Finishing the coursework well helps build a student’s reputation, while handling themselves professionally in both routine and emotionally difficult situations builds on a great first impression.
Start Building These Connections at AAMI
Your degree will be an essential credential to your career. But the relationships built while earning it are often what turn that credential into a first job and a professional network that lasts.
AAMI’s associate degree in funeral service gives students access to instructors with active industry ties, meaningful clinical placements, and a curriculum built around where the profession is headed.
If you’re interested in a meaningful career in funeral service, apply at AAMI today (opens in a new window) and start building the connections that will help shape you professionally.
American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service (AAMI) and the Funeral Service associate degree program offered by AAMI are accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097 (816) 233-3747. Web: www.abfse.org.