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Careers & Qualifications
Discover what it takes to work in the many roles on offer within floristry as well as exploring the various types of qualifications you need to work in the industry. You can even get CV writing and job search advice to help you to take your next step.
Becoming a Florist
There are a variety of ways you can work in Floristry. Formal qualifications are not crucial however there are a number of floristry training courses & qualification routes you can take. For those florists wanting to set themselves apart, there is also the Professional Florist accreditation offered by the
Floristry Industry
The Floristry Industry
The industry features a wide range of areas including floral arrangements, cut flowers, potted plants, weddings, funerals, corporate events and shows. The constant theme of the industry is floral design and working with customers.
Depending on which report you read, it is estimated that in the UK there are almost 10,000 floristry businesses employing 15,000 people. The industry is valued at £1.5 billion.
Floristry is a part of every local community; florist shops sit alongside the butcher, the baker, the deli and the coffee shop. Not all floristry takes place on the high-street and can be found in studios, garden centres, hotels, supermarkets, green grocers and online.
Floristry involves making big beautiful things, delivering beautiful moments and bringing happiness and joy to people.
Jobs in Floristry
Jobs in Floristry
Most people in the industry will tell you that working in floristry is more of a lifestyle than a job.
It isn't always a bed of roses, there are early mornings, long shifts and busy periods that are matched by quiet times.
BUT no two days are the same, you will meet new people and make long lasting friendships. You can show off your craftmanship and creativity, enlighten and inform customers about flowers, deliver doorstep WOWs and be the floral service for every one of life's special moments.
The key roles in floristry include Owner, Manager, Florist (Designer, Senior & Junior) and Delivery Driver.
Owner/Manager
Running a floristry business involves hard work but lots of rewards.
It usually involves early mornings at the Flower Market meeting growers, wholesalers and other florists.
You will be involved in stock management, day to day running of the shop, keeping financial records, keeping your staff healthy & safe, recruiting staff and managing employment issues.
Owners are often florists themselves and can be seen creating floral masterpieces, providing customer service, sometimes making deliveries and keeping the delivery vans loaded and on the road.
Fran Bailey, owner of a stylish and successful flower shop in East Dulwich - The Fresh Flower Company - talks about her passion for the trade and the realities of everyday floristry.
Florist (from Junior through to Designer)
For most florists, the day starts with washing the vases and buckets from the flower display, unloading the new fresh stock, cutting and conditioning the flowers and looking through the order needs.
You will be surrounded by lots of beautiful fresh flowers, vases, colourful wrap and miles of ribbon to play with. Florists are artisans, skilful and knowledgeable in their craft and will often be seen at the front of the shop talking to customers about their floral need.
It is lots of hard work and being a florist is physically demanding. But it is also incredibly rewarding. You will be creating floristry masterpieces that bring joy to every one of life's major milestones from births, graduations, engagements to weddings and funerals.
Depending on your level of experience, you may start out in floristry cleaning the equipment and sweeping the floor of all the daily floral debris (broken heads, stems, foliage, extra bits of wrap and ribbon).
Junior florists will help prepare and assemble floral displays, maintain display areas and sell flowers to customers.
Those at the top of their floristry career will be creating and designing customised floral arrangements for customers, hotels, corporate businesses and even Royalty. They will also compete amongst the best florists across the globe.
Keeping abreast of emerging styles and trends in floral design, a floral designer should also have excellent organisational skills, pulling all the stock, design and floristry together for those big events.
North London-based florist Alys, talks about her dream come true career of floristry and starting her business after becoming a new mum.
See how artisan florists go that extra mile to create beautiful moments.
Floral Delivery Driver
Floral Delivery drivers bring the creativity to the customer's door.
They are more than just a 'driver', they take care of the craftmanship they load into their van and hand deliver that special gift.
Drivers have been know to sing Happy Birthday on the doorstep, help put flowers in vases for recipients, walk through snow and sleet to get to your door and are the last point of service to the customer.
For most drivers, they also collect fresh flower and sundry stock visiting the local cash and carry when a florist runs out of crucial items. They check the orders before they leave the shop making sure that everything is as it should be.
Most of the day is spent out on the road, enjoying the local countryside. They know the local area like the back of their hand, know where the traffic jams will be and how to avoid them.
The job can be physically demanding because it requires heavy lifting, carrying, walking and bending.
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