Just one word, "Funerals!"

Back in 1967, when we were watching The Graduate, the influential businessman, Mr. McGuire, gave Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) invaluable advice in the form of one word on which he should build his future: "Plastics."

Today the word is "Funerals:"

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Funeral directors worried about a baby boomer crunch in the years ahead are actively recruiting in high schools.

They fear they may not be able to handle the demand by 2025 when the number of people dying every year is expected to jump by more than 20 percent.

Two years ago, the National Funeral Directors Association prepared a recruiting guide. It features a video with funeral directors extolling their job, and suggests they avoid wearing black suits.

One funeral director in New York hands out a brochure to young people that asks, "Searching for a career that's six feet above the rest?"

People in the profession admit it can be a hard sell. For one thing, pay can be mediocre. Median earnings in 2002 were just over $43,000.

The times, they are a changin'!