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Route
to Job: Life
as a florist is not all roses, says Ian, who runs the Flower
Shop in Northwich, as well as the society. Hours can be long,
the work tiring and messy.
He took over the family business a few years ago, but did
his share of van driving and cleaning. He also notched up
City & Guilds in floristry in the mid-1980s.
A society of Floristry Diploma followed while a National Vocational
Qualification level three and BTEC diploma went into his professional
portfolio. He now does flower demonstrations around the world.
As president, he ensures his 1,000 members don't miss out
on training.
Typical
day: "I'm in the shop at 8am
making
orders and phone calls. As well as
ensuring our displays look good, I
have to move a mountain of paperwork fo Customs & Excise.
"At the same time, I keep an eye on the
training
needs of my eight staff, who need NVQs and National Diplomas.
Work in the shop usually ends at 6pm, but in some ways mine
is just begining. I jump into my car and take off.
"It's easy to clock up the milage each week driving to
demonstrations. Demos range from tutorials to an event in
front of 500 people.
"My working week is 80 hours and florists are like chefs.
Many work very hard for a minimum wage. Others are high fliers
earning hundreds of thousands of pounds. Qualifications widen
your prospects and some people end up on television, others
go overseas and a few land
jobs on cruise ships."
Best
aspect of the job: The
beauty of a product that symbolises the full range of emotions
from romance to bereavement and birth to death."
Worst
aspect:
"The hours, low pay and sometimes the cold - flowers
need to be fresh and the shop temperature must be controlled."
Ambition:
"To keep learning because this industryalways re-invents
itself in changing styles, trends and colours."
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