Embalmer resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what embalmers actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most embalmers should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Compassionate embalmer with a strong commitment to respectful, hygienic body preparation and restoration. Skilled in embalming procedures, cosmetic reconstruction and infection control, with a focus on supporting families and funeral directors through sensitive care. Works calmly under pressure and maintains meticulous records and equipment.
Key skills
- Embalming procedures (vascular injection, trocar use)
- Infection control and hygiene
- Cosmetic restoration and facial reconstruction
- Regulatory compliance (public health, WHS)
- Embalming machine operation and maintenance
- Formaldehyde-based preservatives handling
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Empathy and interpersonal care
- Attention to detail
- Physical stamina and dexterity
- Customer service and family liaison
- Documentation and record keeping
Experience: example bullet points
- Performed embalming and disinfection on an average of 12 to 15 cases per week, ensuring bodies were respectfully prepared for viewing or burial.
- Reconstructed facial features and applied cosmetics to restore natural appearance, helping families find comfort during viewings.
- Maintained embalming equipment and records in line with state health regulations, reducing equipment downtime and ensuring audit readiness.
- Liaised with funeral directors and families to accommodate cultural and religious practices, receiving consistent positive feedback for sensitivity and professionalism.
- Trained new team members in infection control and safe handling of formaldehyde-based preservatives, improving workplace safety compliance.
- Managed inventory of embalming supplies and PPE, preventing stock shortages during peak periods.
Education
Certificate III or IV in Embalming (or Funeral Services) is the typical entry pathway, with some embalmers holding a Diploma of Funeral Services. Entry without formal qualifications is possible with on-the-job training.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Certificate III in Embalming
- Funeral services
- Mortuary
- Infection control
- Work Health and Safety (WHS)
- Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA)
- Public health regulations
- Formaldehyde
- Cosmetic restoration
- Body preparation
- Embalming machine
- Trocar
- Cannula
- Personal protective equipment
- Coronial services
- Bereavement support
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.