subject: Essential Skills And Qualities Required For Undertakers [print this page] Undertakers, also called Funeral Directors, are experts who organize activities and services related to funerals. To be successful in this profession the person carrying out these tasks should possess certain essential and unique skills and attributes.
Since an undertaker's services may be needed at any time of the day, the person venturing into this profession must be willing to be on call at all hours. This is essentially an outdoors job, which will need him to be outside the office for long hours.
The undertaker should be able to understand the feelings of clients, listen and comprehend their requirements and interact lucidly. With clients hailing from many religions, traditions and cultures, he must be able to interact with and manage each one of them efficiently. Understanding and sympathy will be of great importance as he performs his job. However, he must be emotionally strong and not get carried away by other people's grief, so that he can provide emotional support to others.
Undertakers must be serious and dignified by nature, but should not look sad or morose, as this may intensify the grief of the family members of the deceased.
By nature, undertakers should not be narrow minded. They should be ready to honour the traditions and beliefs of all communities and must be learned in this field. As various people follow various funeral rites and methods, it is better to have understanding of these.
Good management and the ability to organize affairs are essential skills for an undertaker. He must also have leadership skills and should be able to coordinate with a wide range of people - from the church priests to the flower seller.
Legalities and other official formalities to be followed in the event of a death should be known to the undertaker who will have to receive required approvals etc for the funeral proceedings and other related matters. He should also be conscious of the official procedures to be followed for obtaining insurance claims, death certificates etc.
Lastly, an undertaker should know how to drive and must possess a valid driving license, as he may be required to drive vehicles to transport the deceased.
