You would take details of important events in people’s lives, like getting married or the birth of a baby, for the official records.

You would collect and record information for all births, marriages and civil partnerships in the local area. You’d also take details of deaths and stillbirths. All this information is then kept by the National Records of Scotland.

You would:

• talk to parents after their baby is born

• speak to relatives after a death

• fill in computerised and paper records

• issue birth or death certificates

• notify the legal authorities if there are suspicious circumstances in a death

• collect statistics to send to the National Records of Scotland

• take payment for copies of certificates

• keep accurate records

You’d need to be able to relate to people from all backgrounds and cultures.

Some registrars conduct civil ceremonies. You could perform marriage, civil partnership, citizenship and naming ceremonies at register offices and other venues.

Many of these events are emotional times for people. Sometimes, when recording a death or stillbirth, people may be very upset. Patience and empathy is very important in this job.

You could also work as a celebrant, which means you would conduct civil ceremonies such as marriages, civil partnerships and civil funerals but wouldn’t work on registering births and deaths. As a celebrant you might be employed by a local council, or you could work independently.

If you share humanist beliefs, you could become an officiant or celebrant.

• Association of Independent Celebrants – Support and resources for professional celebrants