A rather unorthodox occupational question...
Although I'm quite settled in my current job and won't be looking for a new one for a few years yet (I'm on contract), I have pretty much come to the conclusion that it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life. Thus, I've been doing research on what I want do be when I 'grow up,' and am in the meantime looking at volunteer work to explore my horizons a bit. I feel a distinct calling into a public service industry, and one in particular is sticking out at me: end-of-life care and natural (or 'green') funeral services.
However, most of the (otherwise very useful) information on the internet is primarily directed at consumers, not wanna-bes - and I've found little indication of what the best career training or degree path is, or even, really, the stability and suitability of this as a calling. I gather that traditional mortuary science programs are probably right-out, with their emphasis on industry standards and embalming. Also, having looked into it in the past, I have quite a few moral qualms with the 'standard' funerary industry both ecologically and socially, so I don't know how well I could stomach trying to change it from within. What then might be a more appropriate field of study? My gut says Social Work, though I'm slightly uncomfortable without a particular certification track. Then, how does one go about getting work? Do you find a geographically appropriate natural cemetery/funeral home and hope they're hiring, or is it a more inherently entrepreneurial enterprise? What about 'death midwifery' and home funeral counseling? (Let's pretend, for the sake of argument, that individual state laws are non applicable; I've a few states I'd consider working in, and can research the laws on my own.)
Does anyone here work or have experience in either the traditional or 'green' funerary industries? (Primarily in the USA, but I'll take advice from anybody.) Can anyone else's google-fu find better information? There's a lot about traditional mortician training and apprenticeships, and a lot of consumer information about green/alternative burials, but not, as I can find, the vice versa. Thanks!
However, most of the (otherwise very useful) information on the internet is primarily directed at consumers, not wanna-bes - and I've found little indication of what the best career training or degree path is, or even, really, the stability and suitability of this as a calling. I gather that traditional mortuary science programs are probably right-out, with their emphasis on industry standards and embalming. Also, having looked into it in the past, I have quite a few moral qualms with the 'standard' funerary industry both ecologically and socially, so I don't know how well I could stomach trying to change it from within. What then might be a more appropriate field of study? My gut says Social Work, though I'm slightly uncomfortable without a particular certification track. Then, how does one go about getting work? Do you find a geographically appropriate natural cemetery/funeral home and hope they're hiring, or is it a more inherently entrepreneurial enterprise? What about 'death midwifery' and home funeral counseling? (Let's pretend, for the sake of argument, that individual state laws are non applicable; I've a few states I'd consider working in, and can research the laws on my own.)
Does anyone here work or have experience in either the traditional or 'green' funerary industries? (Primarily in the USA, but I'll take advice from anybody.) Can anyone else's google-fu find better information? There's a lot about traditional mortician training and apprenticeships, and a lot of consumer information about green/alternative burials, but not, as I can find, the vice versa. Thanks!