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Florist
A love for flowers and and some artisitic skill can lead towards a very rewarding career in flower arranging. Florists make beautiful floral displays for special occasions and public venues.
Using their knowledge of plants and flowers together with creative flair, Florists design and make up flower arrangements, bouquets and wreaths. Working with a variety of flowers and display materials which include cut flowers, pot plants, dried & artificial flowers, gifts & decorations, Florists create magnificent displays.
Florists:
- help customers to choose suitable flowers and plants
- make up bouquets and arrangements based on your own ideas, design books and your customers' requirements
- prepare and wire flowers for formal displays
- advise customers on how to look after the flowers or plants they buy
- set up displays, for example at conferences or exhibitions
- deliver orders to customers.
Some Florists run their own businesses. They need to have some business knowledge to keep accounts and carry out other administrative tasks.
The most common way to become a florist is to work in a Florist or Flower Market and receive training from the people around you. However, Intec College do offer a course in Flower Arranging and on completion you will receive a certificate. It is important that when looking for work you show that your are interested in floristry and have the potential to be good at it.
Some ways of doing this are:
- attending courses in flower arranging or basic floristry at a college or adult education centre
- joining a local flower arranging club
- looking for opportunities to help out at a florist's on a voluntary basis.
As a Florist you can expect to work hard and often long hours. Someone employed in a florist shop would be responsible for duties such as:
- Unpacking stock as it comes into the florist shop
- Conditioning flowers and watering plants
- Pricing merchandise and displaying it attractively
- Attending to customers
- Answering the telephone
- Completing orders and making up designs for the shop
- Making sure the florist shop is clean and tidy
- Keeping book work up to date
- Changing the shop window display
It is important that you are able to work efficiently as a typical day in a florist could include ten wreaths for an early morning funeral, then be required to make up several arrangements and posies for delivery to customers who are having birthdays or celebrating occasions. Often a posy or a sheaf of flowers will need to be made up while the customer waits.
A good employee has common sense, a positive attitude, is honest and a willing worker who sees what needs doing and does it in a cheerful and efficient manner. An employer will appreciate a capable employee who has the employer's interest at heart and ill co-operate and help with any duties involved in the running of the floristry business.
When applying for a job you should present yourself favourably, be well groomed, polite and have an enthusiastic manner. If you have any references from previous positions, report cards or personal references, take these with you. You may like to take samples or photographs of your floral designs with you. Naturally, any photographs or samples should be of a high standard with the flowers arranged attractively and colours blended tastefully. Any wiring and taping should be neatly done.
Useful Information
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Career Snapshot Florist |
In Demand
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Qualification Required |
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Work Outdoors |
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Maths Required |
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Science Required |
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This is a general guide - it is important to check admission requirements with the various training institutions first because entry requirements may vary.
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