Funerary service: How to break into an old family business?

April 15, 2008 6:52 PM

How do you get into funerary services if you're not in the family business? My friend is currently going to mortuary and school and could use some tips as to landing apprenticeships and such.

Really just looking for any info.

My girlfriend (and art major) is in mortuary school and studying to be a mortician (tho she's interested in various aspects of the the service). There are possibilities for her to take internships, but they're few and far between, and travel and expenses are a major factor. Coming from outside the business, how picky can she be? What can she do to improve her chances with potential apprenticeships?

If anyone here works in the funerary business, some advice would be greatly appreciated. Anecdotal info about folks who got into the business welcome. Thankyou!

posted by es_de_bah to work & money (2 comments total)

Paging ColdChef.
posted by RavinDave at 5:52 AM on April 16, 2008

Hey, don't ask me. I was born into it!

There are two basic kinds of funeral homes: corporate funeral homes and family funeral homes. I work for my family. Third generation funeral director. My sisters and my brother are also morticians. As are both my parents, my uncle, my grandfather, and my great-uncle. I did many other things before I went into the family business, but...as family businesses tend to do, I got pulled in kicking and screaming. It's still a strange fit for me.

As a profession it's (pardon the phrasing) growing every day. As baby boomers age, the need for death care grows. As someone in a family business, here's what would appeal to me for an internship: someone who's willing to do just about anything, from digging graves to keeping chapels, to making coffee, to filing death certificates, to conducting funerals. There's a trend these days to specialization (embalmers only embalm, funeral directors don't get their hands dirty, only drivers drive the funeral coach), and it think it leads to problems in the industry. I'd prefer someone who wants to do anything and everything. A lot of the job is learned by doing it.

For corporate funeral homes, it's like applying for any other job. They tend to be more into specialization than family homes. I know corporate funeral directors who've never touched a shovel. It works for them, but I like keeping with the old traditions. YMMV.

She can be as picky as she'd like to be. No reason she can't work for a few different funeral homes. We've got a guy who does trasportation for us who works for a variety of homes in the area.

How do you approach funeral homes? I'd prefer a direct approach. "Hi, I'm a student looking to learn about your trade. Are there any jobs that I could do for you?" There are a lot of things we do that anyone can do (like keeping a chapel), and it's a good way to learn your way around.

As I said, I kind of fell into this. I've been around it all of my life, but I never went to mortuary school. I'm a funeral director, not an embalmer. I took a state licensing exam and I'll take continuing education for the remainder of my career.

Feel free to email me with any more specific questions.
posted by ColdChef at 9:38 AM on April 16, 2008