Embalmer to hearse driver
An embalmer already meets 21% of what the hearse driver role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
68/ 100
1 How much of what a hearse driver is expected to do is already part of an embalmer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the hearse driver role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A hearse driver role treats 1 of its required skills as things an embalmer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- lift heavy weights
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A hearse driver role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an embalmer background worth leading with.
- already held prepare ceremonial locations communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held transfer coffins handling and moving
- already held provide directions to guests assisting and caring
- already held clean rooms handling and moving
- already held lift heavy weights handling and moving
- already held work ergonomically assisting and caring
All 6 carried skills, including the 1 the hearse driver role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn control the performance of the vehicle required
- still to learn drive vehicles in processions required
- still to learn drive vehicles required
- still to learn park vehicles required
- optional, not held ensure vehicle operability optional
- still to learn interpret traffic signals required
- optional, not held provide emotional support to the bereaved optional
- optional, not held greet guests optional
- still to learn road traffic laws required
- still to learn maintain vehicle appearance required
- still to learn maintain personal hygiene standards required
- optional, not held clean vehicle interiors optional
- optional, not held manage funeral equipment optional
- optional, not held execute vehicle maintenance optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a hearse driver role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 control the performance of the vehicle practise this
- 02 drive vehicles in processions practise this
- 03 maintain vehicle appearance practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 6 skills that carry over
- already held lift heavy weights skill
- already held clean rooms skill
- already held prepare ceremonial locations skill
- already held provide directions to guests skill
- already held transfer coffins skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held transport topography optional
7 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held clean vehicle interiors optional
- optional, not held ensure vehicle operability optional
- optional, not held manage funeral equipment optional
- optional, not held provide emotional support to the bereaved optional
- optional, not held execute vehicle maintenance optional
- optional, not held greet guests optional
- optional, not held transport topography optional
21 held skills the hearse driver role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role administer appointments skill
- not needed by the target role advise on funeral services skill
- not needed by the target role apply health and safety standards skill
- not needed by the target role apply organisational techniques skill
- not needed by the target role assist police investigations skill
- not needed by the target role assist with funeral planning skill
- not needed by the target role biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role cooperate with funeral directors skill
- not needed by the target role cosmetics knowledge
- not needed by the target role dermasurgery techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role dress bodies skill
- not needed by the target role embalm bodies skill
- not needed by the target role handle chemical cleaning agents skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with local authorities skill
- not needed by the target role maintain inventory of tools skill
- not needed by the target role maintain professional administration skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role move bodies of deceased persons skill
- not needed by the target role promote human rights skill
- not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
- not needed by the target role work with chemicals skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn road traffic laws required
- optional, not held transport topography optional
Common questions about this move
Can an embalmer become a hearse driver?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An embalmer already covers 21% of what a hearse driver is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 1 of which the hearse driver role treats as required.
What skills does an embalmer need to become a hearse driver?
8 required skills are missing, plus 7 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is control the performance of the vehicle.
How hard is the move from embalmer to hearse driver?
Its learning distance is 68 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.