From football to funeral parlour: Doncaster man, 22, opens up on dramatic career change

When Zachiah Waller finished school in 2015, he was convinced his true calling was to channel his passion for sports into a career as a football coach.

Enrolling in an apprenticeship programme specialising in coaching, he slowly realised that despite his active lifestyle and passion for football, what he had imagined to be his dream job ended up not being the right fit.

Little did he know that his career change would see him moving to Doncaster and joining Co-op Funeralcare, where he discovered his true calling whilst working as a funeral service crew member.

Having already been promoted from funeral service crew to care logistics lead within the Care Centre overseeing all Co-op funeral homes in his area, Zach admits his decision to pursue funeralcare following his career change had been influenced by his family’s experience in the sector.

He said: “Growing up, both my father and a few close family friends worked in funeralcare. I was always exposed to stories about their line of work and got a real understanding of how rewarding everyone found it.”

When he submitted his application in 2017, Zach was not yet ready to commit to full time work, but was pleasantly surprised to see, upon being offered the role of funeral service crew, just how flexible his schedule would be.

“It was a transitional period for me, so I first began working with Co-op Funeralcare in Doncaster as a 10-hour ceremonial crew member, but after I felt a bit more immersed in the role and the sector as a whole, I was able to pick up more work depending on where my colleagues needed support,” Zach recounted.

Over the next few years, Zach kept his options open, taking up every opportunity to advance in his career in funeralcare.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that despite being one of the youngest colleagues in his team, he was able to have open conversations with his manager and teams regarding his career progression.

It was due to these encouraging conversations with colleagues that Zach ultimately decided in 2019 to make his next big step, putting himself forward for a secondment for the role of care logistics lead, a title he has been proudly keeping ever since.

Reflecting on his decision to join the funeralcare sector before he even turned 20, Zach said: “I have always tried to be a caring person, so when I was reviewing my options following my football coaching apprenticeship, the prospect of helping others during their darkest days really stood out to me.

"Even as an outsider, I could tell I would be able to exercise my compassion whilst being able to openly discuss my aspirations for career progression within Co-op, which felt very motivating.

“Of course, at the beginning I was conscious of how emotionally demanding the role could be, however I very quickly realised how much I enjoyed being able to support my community in such a way. The sense of achievement I’ve been feeling since joining Co-op Funeralcare has made it clear that this was the correct career path for me.”

When asked about his friends’ opinions of his chosen career, Zach acknowledges there is still a stigma around death - particularly among young people, many of whom are too young to have experienced the death of a loved one.

Still, having been with Co-op Funeralcare in Doncaster for just over six years, Zach is motivated to encourage others like him to consider the prospect of working within the sector, and hopefully help to overcome misconceptions about what working in funeralcare is like.

“I think a lot of people my age believe it’s all doom and gloom, but actually you realise, coming into work every day, it’s a very uplifting job. Of course, it’s hard to see others grieve the death of a loved one, but that is when you can make the biggest impact, providing all the support you can to help them overcome this moment,” Zach explained.

Zach’s commitment to his work has not gone unnoticed, with members of the local community praising him for choosing funeralcare. “I have had experiences in the past where families would comment on how nice it was to see young people helping organise their loved ones’ funeral services.

"I think they appreciate the fact that we’re helping keep traditions alive, whilst also bringing fresh perspectives to funeralcare. I find it very motivating to think that young people can help make sure the sector continues evolving, catering to more beliefs, faiths, and personal preferences.”

To learn more about careers with Co-op Funeralcare, visit: https://jobs.coop.co.uk/funeralcare.