Floristry as a Career

Floristry as a Career

I can tell you that becoming and taking Floristry as a Career can be an exciting and challenging career. Like any other industry, it welcomes all ages and backgrounds and consists of people primarily passionate about being around flowers and willing to explore all aspects of the profession.

Besides being able to make a beautiful arrangement, you must be a reasonably quick worker, be sociable and have a pleasant and helpful manner because you’re constantly dealing with the public.

As we know, flowers touch people’s emotions. For example, customers who order funeral tributes are the relatives or friends of the deceased and since they’re emotionally vulnerable, as a florist, you will need to be sympathetic and understanding.

But we also have the privilege of sharing people’s most intimate moments of joy, such as when a bride-to-be selects her bouquet for the most important day of her life or when a proud father comes in to order an arrangement for his wife to celebrate their newest addition.

However, taking floristry as a career is not all glamorous. There is a lot of hard work and long hours involved and our duties of maintaining a flower shop includes:

  • Unpacking stock as it comes in
  • Conditioning flowers and watering plants
  • Pricing merchandise and displaying it attractively
  • Attending to customers
  • Answering the phone
  • Completing orders and creating designs
  • Ensuring the shop is constantly tidy & presentable
  • Keeping book work up to date

And the list continues…

Working in a Florist Shop

Because of how busy it gets, you will need to be able to work efficiently. A typical day could include creating ten wreaths, several arrangements and posies. Sometimes these will need to be created, along with other customer’s demands while they wait.

Basic run-down of a good employee:

  • Has common sense
  • Positive attitude
  • Honest
  • Willing to help run the business
  • Takes initiative
  • Trustworthy
  • Has the employer’s interest at hand

Applying for a position in a Florist Shop

You must:

  • Be well groomed
  • Polite
  • Enthusiastic
  • Have references/report cards from previous positions
  • Bring samples/photographs of your own floral designs

Commonly, the florist will ask you to make up an arrangement, posy or sheaf. For that, you must:

  • Choose suitable flowers and foliage
  • Create a design in approximately 15-20 minutes

Don’t worry if you’re feeling nervous.

By nature, florists are understanding individuals. It’s better to be nervous than have an undesirable “know it all” attitude.

A few years ago, a position was open in a florist shop in Perth for a junior and a young woman out of 40 applicants got the job because she was the most capable of creating attractive floral designs in the quickest amount of time. The young woman also was kind and during the interview said, “I am very impressed with your shop and I would love to have the opportunity to work for you”.

An employer would much rather a person who shows that they want the position in preference to someone who is indifferent.

This is something we discuss in our Industry Ready courses.

Owning your own shop

 

The idea of creating your own shop and business can be tempting, however you should be fully aware of all the facts before making it a reality.

How to decide if you are the right type of person to create a floristry business and taking Floristry as a Career

Advantages

  • You will feel fulfilment in being involved in such a creative industry
  • If you run it successfully, it’s more financially rewarding than working for wages.
  • Feeling secure
  • Never a dull moment
  • Meet new, interesting people through directly dealing with the public and that can lead into lasting friendships
  • Can become a secure life-long career.

Disadvantages (You will find it helpful to do this questionnaire)

Because running a shop is a lot of hard work and involves long hours, do you have the time and energy to run it? Yes No
Do you have enough funds to start it? Yes No
Are you self-motivated and disciplined to organise and prioritise? Yes No
Are you a reasonably quick worker? Yes No
When problems arise, do you quickly come up with solutions? Yes No
If you have family, do you have someone you can rely on to look after the kids? Yes No


To stand a good chance in the floristry business, you should honestly be able to answer “yes” to most of the questions.

Have you got what it takes to consider Floristry as a Career?

When you decide to give it a fair shot, do remember this: How successful you are in Floristry, like anything in life, will depend on how much time and effort you’re prepared to put in.

If you’re passionate about floristry and you want to learn the core skills to be ready to tackle floristry as a career, in a workplace or in your own business we recommend you check out our Industry Ready courses or contact during normal office hours.

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