Becoming a Mortician

Six Feet Under, the hit HBO show about a family who runs a Southern California funeral home, gave many an inside look at what life as a mortician could look like.  The show demystified the profession, turning many onto the idea of getting into the business. The number of prospective morticians grew in leaps and bounds as the show rose in popularity, turning the once misunderstood job into a sought-after and competitive career. Beyond all the TV hype, the job is rewarding - the services funeral homes provide to the deceased and the deceased’s family can comfort them at their time of great need. If you’re interested in getting into the profession, there are a number of training options available to get your career started.

Before making the decision to become a mortician, you will want to learn more about what funeral directors do.

Make several phone calls to local morticians to talk to them about their job. Most are willing to tell you about some of their experiences, and will let you know exactly what is involved with being a funeral director. You will also want to take some basic classes like chemistry and public speaking to help you with the education side of being a mortician. Observing an embalming and going along with the undertaker for a body removal will help you determine if you can handle the physical part of being a funeral director. Assisting at a funeral will help you see what all is involved with the emotional and grief side of becoming a licensed funeral director.

Apprenticing yourself with a mortician will help you in two ways. First, you will be able to see what goes along with being a funeral director. Funeral directors remove bodies from places of death, prepare the body for burial, work with the families of the dead to plan a funeral, help families through their grief, and embalming dead bodies. You will also learn about some of the necessary administrative things that need to be done at a funeral home. Secondly, to become a licensed mortician you must complete a yearlong apprenticeship with a licensed mortician to obtain your funeral directors license. In addition to the yearlong apprenticeship, you must also be 21 years old, you must have completed 2 years of college, and pass a state licensing examination to be a mortician. All 50 states have different requirements for becoming a licensed mortician, so you will want to research the requirements of your state.

Once you have your mortician’s license, you will need to find a job in the mortuary field. Getting a job in the mortuary field is not very competitive, due to the nature of the job. Filling out applications and submitting your resume should land you a job as a mortician fairly easy.