If you’re a funeral professional new to the field, this blog is for you.

First of all, welcome to this ever changing, wildly changing world of being a funeral professional!

It’s an exciting time to join this profession. 

Just don’t get too comfortable, because the funeral profession you see now may not be what it is in 5, 3 or even 1 year from now.

We’re excited you’re here though. We trust you’ll make a meaningful contribution and mark in whatever way you can. 

To help ease your way into the field, we asked our audience of 20k funeral professionals for their advice for new funeral pros like you. Here’s what they shared:

 

#1: Know how to go with the flow 

“If something goes wrong and it isn’t catastrophic (casket lid breaks and falls off…), it’s likely nobody realizes. Act like it was meant to happen. Did you accidentally go down the wrong aisle at church? You meant to do that. Flag draped backward? On purpose. You’re the expert. People follow your expertise even if you have no clue.”

– Brian N.

 

#2: Take all criticism with a grain of salt

“Relax and take comments from families and bosses with a grain of salt! Do not beat yourself up [about it]”.

– Andrew I.

 

#3: Learn the art of “calm” 

“Your families will feel it and trust you.”

– Sandy Z. 

 

#4: Never take a moment for granted

“Sleep when you can, enjoy every second you have with family and never ever ever procrastinate because you never know the next time you’ll have a chance to do something.”

– Michael K.

 

#5: Remember, money isn’t evil (or everything)

“Don’t be afraid to collect the money. Single most awkward and hardest ‘business’ side to the job that I had to learn.”

– Constance P.

 

#6: Stick to the core of service and everything else will fall into place

“All you have to offer is service. The sales will be the final result of good quality service. Don’t sell.”

– Vincent

 

#7: Respect is everything

“Treat [every] person as if it were your [own] mom!”

– Michael R. 

 

#8: Find the the right people and places to help you learn

“[Have a lot of] patience and persistence in [finding] an excellent establishment to learn your way.”

– John E. 

 

#9: Don’t forget the most important thing…

“Breathe!”

– Karl B.

 

#10: Stick to strong core principles

“Be passionate about helping people and your community.”

– Chris H.

 

#11: Compassion or die!!! (pun intended)

“Have a compassionate heart or get out [of the industry].”

– Ed H.

 

#12: A death pun a day keeps the doctor away

“Don’t worry…everyone will be dying to see you!”

– Sunshine M.

 

#13: Boundaries for yourself are key

“Make time for yourself.”

– Adam G. 

 

#14: Don’t be scared away by the pessimists who encourage you to…

“Find another career”

– John T. 

 

#15: Get excited because the industry is changing a lot and you get to be a part of it!

“There are tons of opportunities coming very soon.”

– Billy T.

 

What advice would you give a new funeral pro entering the profession? Tell us in the comments below!