How to Get a Florist Job With No Experience
You do not need a job to start learning flowers, and you probably should not start with one. Here is what I would tell a friend who wants to work with flowers but has never worked in a shop, based on my own start from zero.
Start With a Class, Not a Job
Flower arrangement from my first courses
Everyone assumes the first step is getting hired. I do not think it is. Take a class first and find out whether you actually want to do this. Even now, I am still learning things from my Level 1 and 2 courses. Focal flowers, form flowers and colour theory are not second nature to me yet, and that is normal.
Then do your own research and practise on your own. If you have a knack for it, find a mentor. I kept working with my teacher from Mount Royal. I hired her to teach me a class on funeral flowers, because I wanted more experience with those pieces.
Test Yourself Before You Spend Money
Before you pay for anything big, find out whether flowers are right for you. This is how I would spend the first month:
Take one class
Borrow books from the library
Buy flowers at Safeway or Costco and mess around
Watch YouTube tutorials
Send photos of your work to someone experienced and ask for pointers
Grocery store flower stand
You might find out you do not like it. It might be too much work, too expensive, or you might be allergic. It is much better to learn that from $30 of grocery store flowers than from $2,000 of courses.
I was a bit obsessive at the start. Every spare moment went to YouTube, courses or practising with real flowers. You do not need to do that. But if your interest lasts, that is a good sign. Mine has, and I still love it. I wrote more about practising in my post on the skills you need to work at a flower shop.
Expect to Feel Uncomfortable
An early effort
In coaching, we call it conscious incompetence. You know you are not good at certain things, and you can see that the people around you are far better. It was one of the hardest parts of working in a shop. You have to sit in that discomfort without quitting. Everyone who is good now was once the least skilled person in the room.
Do Not Sound Naive
When people walked into the shop saying they love the smell or the look of flowers, it sounded naive to me. A resume with no flowers on it and a line about loving to play with flowers does not tell a shop owner anything. What helps is showing that you understand the job.
It is physical work. You will be bending and twisting, standing for long stretches, and your back will hurt. There is also a lot of math, from pricing to costing out arrangements, which most people never think about. Read my post on the skills you need to work at a flower shop and be honest with yourself about whether you are ready for that. Then say so when you apply, whether it is a flower shop or a grocery store floral department.
How Shops Decide Who to Take Seriously
I watched several people walk into the shop with resumes and no flower experience. Most were turned away quickly. I got my chance because I came prepared with a portfolio and coursework, and we had a conversation as two adults. My boss also knew my teacher, so some trust was already there. You can build a version of that. Take a class, get to know your teacher, and bring photos of your own work.
A page from my portfolio
Shops also care about what sells. Competition-style designs can look beautiful on Instagram, but a shop needs arrangements that customers will buy.
Speed matters too. My contract said I had to build an arrangement within a set time limit. I am a perfectionist, so I was slow, and my boss noticed. Practise working quickly.
What I Would Look For in a Beginner
While I have not hired as a florist yet, in my work as an educator and in running a leadership program, I have hired people. Here is what I would want to see in someone new to flowers:
They have done their own research
They know what kind of floristry interests them, such as weddings, installations or wearables
They can tell me what they are good at and where they need support
They improve at a steady pace and work at a good speed
I would not hire anyone full-time until I had worked with them part-time or casually for a long while. I want to see that they are who they say they are.
Other Ways In
A shop job is not the only way. If you have no experience, try these:
Work in a grocery store floral department to see whether you like it
Get customer service experience, which goes a long way when paired with flower arranging
Find a mentor who will give you honest feedback
Are Certificates Worth It?
My Mount Royal courses are not an official floristry certificate. Official certificates take longer and cost much more, and some mean travelling and staying away for weeks. I looked at one traditional online program at close to $2,000, and its style was not mine. I have a hard time convincing myself I need to pay that. Choose training that fits the work you want to do. And remember what my boss told me: people want to know you have experience.
My Bottom Line
Do not rush to get hired. Learn, practise, test whether you love it, and look for the kind of work that means something to you. For me, that is learning about a person and making something that reflects who they were, whether it is a funeral tribute or a wearable piece for a wedding. Those small, personal pieces are why I do this.
Two floral cuffs and brooch
I would love to help young women enter the floristry space. If you are just starting out, I hope this gives you a place to begin.