Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors

• Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.
• Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
• Plan, schedule, or coordinate funerals, burials, or cremations, arranging details such as floral delivery or the time and place of services.
• Perform embalming duties as necessary.
• Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services.
• Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.
• Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise and maintain a casket display area.
• Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.
• Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
• Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible.
• Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
• Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.
• Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
• Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
• Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial.
• Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.
• Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.
• Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties.
• Receive or usher people to their seats for services.
• Participate in community activities for funeral home promotion or other purposes.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors.

• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors.