Thursday, January 21, 2010

Skills And Personal Qualities Required For Undertakers

By Jerry Wong

Undertakers, also known as Funeral Directors, are professionals who organize activities and services associated with funerals. To achieve success in this profession the person performing these duties should possess certain important and unique skills and qualities.

As his services may be required at any hour of the day, an undertaker should be ready to work at odd hours also. He must be prepared to spend most of his time outdoors because of the nature of the job.

The undertaker should be able to respect the sentiments of clients, listen and understand their requirements and interact lucidly. People from various cultures, sects and ethnicities as well as those of different ages will have to be handled with aplomb by him. He must be compassionate and must understand others' feelings. But he will have to provide support to the bereaved family and should remain strong and mentally detached so that he can perform his functions well.

Undertakers should be dignified by nature and practise seriousness, but must not look sad or morose, as this may intensify the grief of the family members of the deceased person.

Undertakers should have extensive knowledge and deep respect for the religious beliefs and sentiments of different cultures and communities. As various people follow different funeral rites and rituals, it is advantageous to have knowledge of these.

A successful undertaker will naturally possess good organizational skills and managerial abilities. Making preparations for critical services like flowers, ceremonies etc will entail coordination with many providers and will need leadership and guidance skills.

As the undertaker will shoulder the responsibility of getting all clearances and following all regulations with respect to the ceremony, he will need to thoroughly know such procedures and legal formalities. He must also be aware of the administrative procedures to be followed for obtaining insurance claims, death certificates etc.

Lastly, an undertaker must ensure that his driver's licence is updated and that he can drive the hearse or funeral limousines during the service.

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