The average facilities manager earns over $93K annually. Not only is this job lucrative, but it's also challenging and rewarding. Part manager, part manager, part engineer, a facilities manager is charged with keeping everything looking and function properly.
Here are some tips to help you earn the training you need at one of the many trade schools offering facility maintenance training and certification.
CFM
A Certified Facility Manager (CFM) certificate is recognized by employers 32 countries. Earning a CFM is often a requirement of some of the industry's top paying facilities manager positions.
- Test: to earn your CFM you must pass a competency-based exam. This exam assesses 11 competencies and has a failure rate comparable to many other professional certification exams.
- Experience: another requisite of earning a CFM is on the job experience. Some trade schools offer their students the chance to gain this experience while attending school. These positions can also roll into full-time employment once you've passed the exam.
- Application: the last step to earning your CFM is to complete an application. Because this application requires healthy amount of paperwork and verification of your test results, job training, and schooling, it's critical to keep accurate records.
Trade School Options
Because facilities management positions are diverse, the trade schools offering the training offer a variety of specializations.
- Health Care: one of the fastest growing segments of the facilities management industry is maintaining health care facilities. From hospitals to medical research facilities, trade schools offering training of these facilities can expand your employment opportunities when you graduate.
- Property Management: the rise of the short-term rental has led to an increased demand for facility management of multiple properties. If you have previous experience with carpentry, electrical, or plumbing work, you can often parlay these skills when you learn how to manage multiple investment properties.
- Manufacturing: the tech revolution has changed how things are built. The facilities used to build these new gadgets still require facilities management. If you love the technical aspect of facility management and are interested in learning how to use automation and computers, you many want to attend a trade school that will teach you to use the technology of the future.
In today's competitive economy having a niche and an education can help you adapt to an evolving job market. Trade schools offering facilities management skills might just be the path to the career of your future.
