Facility management was not a particularly prestigious professional option until recently. Facility managers were used by large firms and international companies, although they were more of a specialized necessity than a standard role. It’s not like that anymore.
By 2023, the facility management sector is expected to be worth approximately $60 billion.
The advantages of well-managed facilities are recognized by businesses of all sizes. As a result, the roles are quite competitive.
To reach estimates, the number of competent facility managers must increase at a rapid rate. And it’s already taking place.
Hiring for facility managers is expanding, attracting a new generation of workplace experts.
The issue is that pursuing a profession in facilities management is not always straightforward. The next paragraphs summarize some things to keep in mind:
Who Are Facilities Managers?
A facilities manager is responsible for directing, planning, estimating, and coordinating facility and staff budgets.
To guarantee that the facility satisfies the demands of multiple distinct projects and the department, you must monitor maintenance and purchase.
As an aspiring facility manager, you should also watch the facility’s usage and the operator and equipment.
FM must also create a program for regular facility evaluations, ensuring that all equipment is properly maintained and keep an exact record of all accessible equipment.
A Career in Facility Management
Detecting difficulties early on can be quite beneficial when developing a monitoring system to detect such issues.
Facility Managers are expected to intervene when a problem emerges to resolve facility issues.
You’ll also get involved formulation and implementation of policies and procedures that affect supply and facilities.
The facilities manager must be strategic and have leadership qualities. You must also be able to maintain and sustain facilities while minimizing risks.
More importantly, you must be able to assess performance for quality. A facilities manager’s annual salary is $60,000 on average.
A bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, facility management, or another related field is sufficient for this position.
What Kind of Education Should I Get To Become A Facility Manager?
To be a qualified FM, you must possess different kinds of education, certifications, and qualifications.
Below is a walkthrough of some things you need to note:
Institutional Education
A bachelor’s degree is required for a facility management qualification. Although a general business degree may frequently suffice, increasing firms are looking for facilities managers with more specific fields of study.
Business administration and information systems management, and operations management are excellent choices for this position.
It’s advisable to have a business degree that focuses on macro concepts and broad business principles.
Do not stress if you think you don’t know much about facilities management when you finish university.
The purpose of institutional education is to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and address operational issues in the workplace.
Facilities management degrees are available at some schools and universities. As of this writing, these degrees are not widely available, and industry governing groups like IFMA have been unable to acknowledge them.
Continuing Education For Facilities
Continuing education for facility managers improves on business fundamentals gained in school and focuses specifically on facilities.
Industries, organizations and accrediting bodies such as the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) and others provide facilities management-specific continuing education and accreditation.
For prospective facility managers, IFMA offers more than 50 training programs. It is necessary to take many of them, depending on the certification you want to get anyway.
If you pass, you’ll be on your way to earning a facilities management certificate to go along with your business bachelor’s degree.
Certification And Training in Facilities Management
The focus of facility management training is unique to each individual. Various certifications are available that focus on various aspects of facility management, such as general concerns, sustainability, and analytics.
IFMA is the source of almost all significant FM certificates, including some of the top ones:
- Facility Management Professional (FMP)
- Certified Facility Manager (CFM)
- Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP)
- RICS Chartered Qualification (MRICS)
- RICS Associate Qualification (AssocRICS)
Also, Eliezer Group has a robust facility management training program in Lagos that incorporates IFMA’s criteria.
Just to add, most industry professionals choose CFM or FMP certification since they are the most useful while pursuing a career in facility management.
Some industries require SFP certification based on business objectives. Extensions of CFM and FMP certification are MRICS and AssocRICS.
What Is The Role Of A Facilities Manager?
Many facilities managers require specific abilities to fulfil their tasks and duties. Having reviewed a series of resumes, it became of essence that this career requires leadership skills, communication skills, and attention to detail.
Having all these three generic skills, you have a great chance to succeed as a Facility Manager.
Trends and Insights In The industry
Aside from formal education and certification from established authority, it’s also beneficial for aspiring professionals to gain a thorough understanding of the field they’re entering.
It is as simple as subscribing to related blogs and newsletters. Joining business associations can also help you learn how future colleagues and peers communicate.
To be a facilities manager, attending one or two conferences, particularly significant events like IFMA, World Workplace and the yearly CoreNet Global Summit, is also a brilliant idea to start with.
These acts will make you gain an insight into the industry. Nevertheless, your network will also become broadened.
Facilities management is undergoing a revolution, and it will continue to evolve as workplace technology advances. Any aspiring facility manager and any existing professional should keep up with industry trends and insights.
What Does It Take To Become A Facilities Manager?
One of the first things you should consider if you want to work as a facilities manager is how much schooling you’ll need.
According to statistics, 44.7 per cent of facilities managers have a bachelor’s degree.
In terms of higher education, we discovered that 6.6 per cent of facility managers had earned a master’s degree.
Even though most facilities managers have a college degree, anyone with a high school diploma can work as one.
When looking into how to become a facilities manager, picking the right major is critical.
When we looked into the most frequent majors for facilities managers, we discovered that they mostly earned bachelor’s or associate’s degrees.
High school diplomas and master’s degrees are two other degrees that we have frequently seen on facilities manager resumes.
You might find that previous work experience will assist you in becoming a facilities manager.
Many facilities management jobs necessitate prior expertise in a capacity such as operations manager.
On the other hand, many facilities managers have prior expertise in roles such as project manager or director.
Recognize Opportunities To Apply Your Skills on Managing Facilities
Tobe a facility manager, aside from pursuing the appropriate degree and career path, it’s critical to establish professional skills appropriate for a facilities manager.
The ability to solve problems and analyze macro and micro trends are at the top of the list. Analytical and organizational abilities aren’t far behind.
It’s also crucial to have solid communication skills—facility managers are frequently trailblazers for workplace change and improvement, which necessitates effectively explaining benefits to various groups (C-suite, managers, employees, etc.).
These abilities, together with suitable education and training, pave the way for innovative facility management.
Facility managers who can make a big difference in their workplaces can look forward to a long career doing what they love: fixing problems.
What Employers Work With Facilities Managers?
Facilities managers work in many different industries, including the governmental, private, and non-profit spheres.
The variety of job titles reflects the diversity of the work. For example, you can work as an operations manager, estates manager, technical services manager, asset or property manager.
A facilities manager having a strategic overview of various tasks and supporting services is more likely to require larger organizations.
How Can Facilities Managers Manage Stress At Work?
Facility management may be a challenging job, with its many and sometimes unanticipated daily obstacles, often diminishing resources and ever-increasing demands.
These difficulties, on the other hand, are not always unwanted. Many a facility manager has boasted about being an “adrenaline junkie” and the advantages of owning no two days like same.
Many respondents to a survey claimed they loved the stress of the work when asked if job-related stress directly impacted their performance, either positively or negatively.
“I enjoy a good challenge,” one said. “I enjoy proving others incorrect when they think it can’t be done.” “It’s part of the ‘fun’ of the job,” said another.
Many others just stated that stress is an unavoidable component of their jobs.
Knowing that the work demands will never be simpler, facility managers must be conscious of their stress levels and create strategies to cope with, and even harness, job-related stress, both for their benefit and the interest of the groups they oversee.
The Phases of Stress As A Facility Manager
“I’m so stressed out” has nearly become a catchphrase in our daily life. Just because we are virtually all members of this club doesn’t mean it’s a natural and healthy way to live.
The tough thing about stress is that it has a lot of different faces. Stress is practically as diverse and different as the people who experience it in its intensity, length, impact, and perception.
When considering stress, keep the following characteristics in mind.
The Level of Stress
Our bodies have evolved strategies to deal with acute stress or stress that requires rapid response.
As a Facility Manager, you need to recognize this to have a smooth and stress-free life.
Stress Perception
As previously said, facility managers have been known to enjoy the stress of their jobs.
One of the top FM notes, “Stress is beneficial if you know how to manage it. It focuses you like a laser.”
Stress Physiology
Different people react to stress differently for various reasons, including variances in brain chemistry, particularly dopamine.
People are divided into two groups: those that rapidly eliminate dopamine from their brain and those who do not.
For optimum performance of their work, fast dopamine clearers require excitement.
The stress of a deadline, in a sense, injects dopamine into their brain, which they swiftly remove, leaving them in a productive, focused state.
When presented with too many deadlines or demands, slow dopamine clearers become unable to focus. They become paralyzed by fear.
On the stress spectrum, there is also a sweet spot. People often believe that the best place is somewhere with very little stress, preferably sipping something on the beach under a small umbrella.
However, science has discovered that the happiest times in our lives are when we are faced with significant obstacles and can meet them.
Suppose a facility manager deals with a really difficult scenario right on the edge of their abilities. They become entirely absorbed in the task, where everything is clicking, and a sense of time begins to vanish. In that case, that is referred to as being in a state of flow.
Conclusion
As a new facilities manager, you want to make sure that everything operates well in your organization.
You can get caught up in the urge to run a facility efficiently for a long time. Stressed employees have a harder time concentrating and are more prone to acquire chronic health problems.
For assistance with facility management training, call +2348144000052 or email info@eliezergroup.com. Our team is ready and willing to offer assistance.