Indigo - Funeral Arranger

Tell us a little about yourself. 
My name is Indigo Smith, I have been working in the funeral industry for two years now at the East of England Co-op Funeral Services as a Funeral Arranger. 

What do you love most about your job?
The thing I love the most about my job has to be helping a family in the hardest of times, helping guide them and reassure them through the arranging process and seeing it all come together for them on the day of their loved one's funeral.

It is so rewarding when the families come back to you after the service and thank you for everything you did and tells you how grateful they were to have you there by their side and that they don't know how they could have managed without you. 

What is it like working for a Co-op?
The Co-op is a supportive and encouraging place to work; there is plenty of opportunity to grow and progress within the society. I myself have been put on a funeral apprenticeship in arranging, allowing me to gain a qualification alongside my working role. It is very much a team-oriented business. Everyone will go out of their way to help and support another colleague when needed. We are all in it together. 

What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in the funeral industry?

To take a leap and go for it, coming into the funeral industry, I had no previous experience, but there is so much support, training and guidance for you to be able to learn everything you wish to. 

Any worries I had about working in the industry mainly had to do with how I would handle watching a family grieving and dealing with the loss of a loved one. I quickly realised there is so much support that I can offer, to help the family through one of the most challenging times.

The job is so rewarding. It is a privilege to do it; you learn their grief is not your grief and to be able to offer guidance and support when someone needs it the most.