23-year-old lands childhood dream job as funeral arranger and says it is either a ‘conversation starter or killer’

A 23-year-old funeral arranger who had been dreaming of a role in the industry since the age of nine has said her job is often either a conversation “starter” or “killer” with strangers.

Karma Vardy, from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, lost two grandparents in the space of around a year, at ages six and seven, with the professionalism of the funeral directors making her realise she wanted to work in the industry at age nine.

Karma remained committed to her passion, studying health and social care at college to prepare for a career in funeral care.

She struggled to get into the industry straight away – when she finished her studies, in July 2019, she worked as a cleaner in a school and babysat, but in August 2022, at age 21, she secured a job at Luton Co-op Funeralcare.

Her loved ones are “very proud” of her achievements, though she admits that strangers can either be fascinated by her career or instantly want to change the topic of conversation, while she admitted she is “nervous” about telling prospective partners about her job.

Karma told PA Real Life: “It’s so funny, I always say my job is either a conversation starter or a conversation killer.

“Either people will ask questions and be so interested, or they’ll go straight off topic.

“The question I get the most is, ‘How do you deal with those grieving families?’”

“I was around death a lot as a child and when my family were grieving, I always wondered how I could make that experience as nice as it could possibly be,” Karma explained.

“And, obviously, going to a lot of funerals as well, I often just thought everyone working looked so professional and I just thought how nice it is to give somebody that final goodbye.”

At the time, Karma shared her interest with her family, though they assumed she would “grow out of it” as she “didn’t really understand it too much” at such a young age.

However, her ambition remained strong – in college, Karma pursued a health and social care course, while her classmates aimed for careers in midwifery or social work.

“I was the only one that wanted to go into the funeral care industry,” she said.

When she finished college, in July 2019, she struggled to find a job in the funeral industry at first – instead, she worked as a cleaner in a school and babysat.

To prepare for her dream role, Karma sought work experience at a local funeral directors, but the pandemic restrictions at the time made that impossible.

But in August 2022, a job advert for Luton Co-op Funeralcare appeared, and she eagerly applied.

Despite being “really worried” due to her lack of hands-on experience, Karma was thrilled to land the role after an interview.

“When they told me I had the job, I couldn’t quite believe it,” Karma recalled.

She spent a month in training, learning best practices for supporting the bereaved, conducting chapel visits, and observing her colleagues.

Now, her day-to-day responsibilities include administrative tasks, contacting churches and crematoriums, speaking with families, and ensuring the bodies continue to look presentable.

She said: “It’s hard to explain how seeing the deceased feels – you definitely have to look at that person as if you know that it was someone’s loved one, but it can be difficult.

“Sometimes families ask me to attend the funeral so I make sure I’m there for them.”

Most funerals Karma arranges are traditional, but she once organised a Land Rover hearse for a customer, which she said was “pretty cool and the family really appreciated it”.

“I feel so welcome by the community and the people I’ve worked with, and I think the main misconception about this job is that you have to be of an older generation to do it, which to me, is untrue,” Karma added.

Over time, Karma has built resilience to working closely with death and grieving families every day.

She explained: “Sometimes, you’ll be sitting with families, and something they say will strike a nerve, but it’s just about being their shoulder to cry on.

“And obviously, everyone’s human, so there will be times that you’ll get upset, and there are times that I’ve been upset, but it’s about having that connection with the family.”

Outside of work, Karma often surprises people when she mentions her job, especially with strangers.

Karma, who has recently gotten out of a relationship and is yet to fully start dating, is slightly “nervous” to tell prospective partners about her job, but thinks it “depends on the person” and the right one “will understand”.

Looking ahead, Karma dreams of becoming a funeral director.

“A funeral arranger does all the planning of the funeral, guides the family through what’s available to them, and the funeral director is the person that goes out there on the day to support the family,” Karma explained.

“I’d love to be closer to the families.”

For more information, visit: coop.co.uk/funeralcare.