As part of your job, you could:

• wash and disinfect bodies to prevent deterioration and infection
• remove fluids and gases from the body and replace them with preservatives
• use plaster of Paris or wax to restore the appearance of bodies after injury
• wash and arrange hair and apply cosmetics

You will also:

• work with funeral arrangers to make sure the families' wishes are met
• keep the mortuary clean to meet health and safety regulations
• make sure the mortuary is fully stocked
• complete paperwork required by law

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work in a laboratory, at a funeral home or at a research facility.

Your working environment may be cool, physically demanding and you'll travel often.

With experience, you could become self-employed and work independently with several funeral directors.

You could go on to take further training and specialise in HIV or tuberculosis work, or join a team responding to disasters.

You could also become a funeral director.