Changing career to be a florist...

[HarrietJones]

How? What are best/most respected qualifications?
Should you get work experience in one?

Any tips please!

I'm in the process of doing this too!

Opinion is divided on whether you need formal training. Some of sort of experience would help though as you really to learn how to condition flowers, etc.

I have a little bit of experience in a couple of shops and am going to do a career course with a florist which starts shortly. Am sooooo excited!

What's you plan?

It's actually for dh. He applied for a job as an assistant in a florist ( mainly shop work but helping on flower stuff) and we looked at various courses. He's not heard anything so assuming he didnt get it but still fancies it (in the long term owning a shop) but isn't sure where to go next.

There's a HND course about 1-11/4 hours away and seen some residential stuff. I was also going to suggest work experience when he's got official rejection.

Does he have any experience at all?

Best approach in my experience is to approach florists directly and ask if they have any work going. If he doesn't have any experience then emphasise the fact that he is willing to do anything and wants to learn. It's a chicken and egg syndrome though as they generally want people who can just get on with it, however, even if you've done a course it doesn't necessarily mean that you have the confidence and speed to do a handtied in front of a customer. You can only do that with practise!

Times are tough at the moment and florists have been feeling it. Reality also is that it doesn't pay particularly well and it's bloody hard dirty work. It's not poncing about playing with flowers. You either love it or you hate it.

I would tell him to get a job in a florist, see if he likes it, then look at training. The Flowers & Plants Association website is a good starting point:-

www.flowers.org.uk/industry/training.php

Thanks.
He's not bothered about the customer side as he's spent years dealing with awkward people & is confident enough in skills but no specific floristry skills beyond what he does at home. He's currently gardening so dirty/hard work isn't an issue And he's got a pretty good knowledge of plants/flowers/seasonal stuff.
So what he needs is specific skills & somewhere to practise them! Will get him to go through yellow pages for work experience

if he's happy to spend all day with his hands in buckets of cold water, handling wires, ribbons, flowers etc.....

expect the run up to key days to be particularly hectic and not to be home much for mothers day, valentines, Easter, the wedding season etc

Then there's the emotional side of things when you are dealing with people who are bereaved.....

It's a minefield of a job

terrible low wages too iirc

My dh and his brother have 4 flower shops.
His initial reaction is 'don't bother' lol.
He says it's hard to get a job without nvq level 2 in floristry.
He takes people on who are doing day release at college for their nvq2.

Good idea to build some basic floristry skills either at night class or do weeks residential course (costly)so you have some experience to offer.

His previous job was much worse regarding being at home & dealing with bereaved people! Tbh we don't do any of the 'key' events either so that's not an issue.

Saw the residential courses which looked good as we are rural & not a lot in terms of courses

I think he needs to get into a florist and get some work experience. Only then will he know if it's right for him. Also, unless he starts his own business he will struggle to support a family on a florist's wage. Most jobs are fairly poorly paid (especially in the sticks) and it's not that easy to come across full-time jobs.

Without meaning to sound judgemental, going from gardening to floristry is an unusual option for a heterosexual male!

He's not a gardener by 'trade' that's a stop gap job while I works out what to do next.

I'm the main wage earner so I'm not depending on his wages to support the family

Oh & he only wants p/t as we are roughly splitting the week between us.

Ah right, could be perfect then!

Keep us posted.