Florist
Sell flowers in a shop for people to give as gifts. Create beautiful bouquets and flower arrangements for people to enjoy at home or at special events.
About the job
What it's like
You would sell flowers and plants in shops for people to use to decorate their homes or give as gifts.
You’d create beautiful bouquets and flower arrangements for people to enjoy at home or at special events like weddings and conferences.
You’d combine your artistic flair with your knowledge of plants and flowers to design and assemble flower arrangements, bouquets and wreaths.
You would:
chat with customers to find out what they need
help people choose suitable flowers and plants
come up with suggestions for floral arrangements and explain your ideas to customers
make up bouquets and arrangements based on your ideas, design books and your customers' requirements
prepare flowers for formal displays, for example at weddings, conferences or exhibitions
set up displays
deliver orders to customers
advise customers on how to look after the flowers or plants they buy
You may also sell gifts, greetings cards and decorations. If you run your own business, you would keep accounts and carry out other administration tasks.
Hours
You would work shop hours, including Saturdays and possibly Sundays. You may need to start work very early in the mornings to buy stock, and work extra hours to make sure that orders are completed on time - especially at busy times such as Christmas and Valentine's Day.
Travel
You may need to travel to wholesalers, nurseries or to make deliveries to customers.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- inventory management
- market trend
- floral design
- product promotion
- customer inquiries
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- time management
- attention to detail
- respecting
- empathising
- working with numbers
- innovative
- designing
- creative
- verbal communication
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Art and Design
Skills for Work: Retailing
There are no formal qualifications for this role. An interest in floristry or retail and skills in English and maths would be useful.
Once in a job, you may be able to work towards qualifications such as a City & Guilds Floristry Diploma (SCQF Level 5).
Qualifications and experience that show retail and customer service skills, such as Skills for Work Retailing (SCQF Level 5) or previous work experience in a florist shop.
A driving licence.
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