Stupid question but...

[TiarasTimeOutsAndTantrums]

How would I find out how people died or jobs etc? I'm on ancestry but would I have to buy certificates?

Jobs should appear in the censuses, but it certificates are indeed your best bet for how people died.

Unless they happen to appear in that big index of newspaper obituaries which has now been put on Ancestry (can't remember what it's called, but should come up when you search names and start restricting your search by collections down the LH side).