The UK chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has published a global outlook report featuring interviews exploring the trends, opportunities and challenges faced by 12 facilities managers from around the world to mark World FM day.
The 12 countries include the UK, US, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Nigeria, South Africa and Australia.
As part of the report that looks at the role of FM in an ever-changing world, a key question was: “If you had to sell FM as a career choice, what would be your sales pitch?”
Martin Pickard, President of the IFMA UK chapter, answered: “A career in facility management is one of the most diverse and interesting pathways you can follow. If you are people focused, a great problem solver, a terrific communicator and excited by the opportunities brought by change then you’re halfway there in an international profession that can take you from the mailroom to the boardroom.”
Zack Farrar, CFM at Jacobs, Milwaukee, United States, said: “I love not having to do the same thing every day. FM roles are so diverse and give the opportunity to learn and do more and more, as you move through the roles, locations and organisations. At the end of the day I’m a project manager with many hats and a lot of knowledge on a lot of things. It’s a fantastic way to become a well-rounded professional and make a good living.”
Andrew Mason, Owner of Workplacefund in South Africa, explained: “As a young FM, new to the industry, you can expect to lead a small team of cleaners, security guards and receptionists in the facility that you look after. To do this, you will need leadership skills, so I would sell facility management as one of the quickest routes for our youngest talent to get onto the leadership ladder.”
To find out how the other interviewees responded to this, and several other questions, you can download the report from the link below.
