“When I talk about what I do, it always arouses astonishment. They tell me “I won’t be able to”. » She swapped the swimsuit for a dark and elegant work outfit. And feels “no regrets” about this surprising development. Laura Tessier, 30, is a funeral advisor. A little-known profession that she exercises within a funeral agency located between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. “I receive the families, I explain to them how it will happen, I help them in their choice, I manage the funeral home, I officiate on the ground as master of ceremonies, I do administrative work to request authorizations, preparing documents… In short, it’s extremely varied, very human. »
However, nothing predestined this dynamic young woman to embrace a career in the world of death. Her thing, initially, was swimming. A sport that she practiced competitively, personally, and which she taught the rest of the time as a qualified lifeguard. A “passionate profession” that she had nevertheless put on hold, for the first time, at only 23 years old. “I had the opportunity to manage a team of 20 people in a campsite in Vendée. It only lasted two years, I missed the pools. »
A two-week course during vacation
Hired in a thalassotherapy center in Pornichet (Loire-Atlantique), Laura Tessier continued swimming lessons for three years before having “the impression of going a little in circles”, also disappointed “by the working conditions and the salary “. She then trained in the principles of Ayurvedic medicine and discreetly began a skills assessment. The death of his father, in March 2021, gave him the opportunity to “discover funeral companies and their support”. A revelation, despite the mourning.
“I did a two-week course during my vacation, just to observe. And I liked it. I asked myself, “Could I see myself doing this for an indefinite amount of time? Is there anything I can contribute?” I talked to my loved ones about it, they were obviously surprised, but not reluctant. All I had to do was take action. » Taking her “courage in both hands”, Laura Tessier mentions her retraining project to her employer and embarks on a four-month training course, supported by the organization Pro Transitionswhich allows him to maintain his salary.
“Once I obtained my diploma, because I couldn’t find work right away, I had to come back and give aquagym lessons,” remembers the young thirty-year-old. It was a complicated moment. I applied everywhere but I had the impression that it wasn’t working. The profession hasn’t encouraged me much, I think. And then, one day, a company contacted me. I didn’t think about it for long, even if it meant moving. »
“We laugh a lot among colleagues anyway! »
Fully “fulfilled” in her new job despite a slight loss of salary (she earns around 1,500 euros per month for the moment), Laura has adapted to the sensitive context of her activity. “The families who arrive are disturbed, they are in pain. They need listening and clear answers to ensure that this painful moment goes as smoothly as possible. Our role is important, we are often their only interlocutor. » Criticisms aimed at the sometimes too commercial nature of funeral directors? She knows them but refutes them. “I’m not here just to sell coffins. Besides, I don’t have any sales targets. There is an enormous amount of invisible work, procedures, complex regulations that we must master with our fingertips. »
Flexible hours and weekend on-call duties are a constraint, but the satisfaction of “relationships” and the “feeling of being useful” prevail, assures Laura. As for the supposed austerity of people working daily with death, that is a legend. “We laugh a lot among colleagues anyway! It also helps evacuate. Our job requires empathy but we cannot be sponges. You have to find an outlet. For me, it’s sport. »
In the medium term, Laura Tessier would like to “evolve” in her field, “take responsibilities”. She also maintains a kind view of people undergoing retraining. “If I can give advice, I will do so with great pleasure. You have to think carefully, be well aware of the difficulties, because there will be some. But, at some point, you also have to dare to take action. My journey shows that it is possible. It’s worth it. »