What is the Job Outlook for Funeral Directors and Mortuaries?

Funeral Industry News February 7, 2012
CDFuneralNews

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What is the Job Outlook for Funeral Directors and Mortuaries?

Like many other industries, the funeral industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds. This is one of the industries that will always thrive because death is a natural part of life. For this reason, the job outlook for funeral directors and morticians continues to be favorable. Particularly as more educational institutions recognize the need for proper education in this industry and offer mortuary science programs, people will have the opportunity to ingratiate themselves into this professional and become solid funeral professionals.

In fact, the industry and jobs within it are expected to grow more than 12 percent over the next ten years. This means that jobs will continue to become available, as larger and more elaborate funeral home operations crop up around the country. In fact, funeral homes now offer a one-stop-shop option, allowing clients to get all of the necessary services in one place, instead of the need to go to several vendors to put a funeral service together. For example, funeral home directors often contract with florists, stylists, cosmetologists, musicians, religious figureheads and others so that clients can list their wishes through the funeral home and the funeral director can coordinate the rest. As such a valuable member of the process, funeral home directors have better job security than just about anyone else in the industry as he is the orchestrator of a complex and often painful process. This requires a certain level of discretion and know-how in terms of customer service.

Moreover, as professionals in the industry get older and begin to retire, there will be a need to replace these directors. Other industries have similar problems in this area, including nursing and many other aspects of healthcare. As technology invades this industry as well, younger funeral directors are finding ways to become more efficient in their work, digitizing the process where possible to ensure a smooth service for grieving clients.

Funeral directors and morticians have a positive job outlook, but the industry is becoming increasingly competitive. As education in this profession becomes more widespread, it becomes more necessary to be sharp, educated and savvy on the ins and outs of the industry. There are numerous benefits to becoming a funeral director but the work is hard and the hours can be grueling, which is something to consider when getting involved in this profession despite the positive job outlook.

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