You're considering a career in FM. What are the top five skills you need to succeed?

1 Planning and organization

One of the core skills of an FM professional is planning and organization. You need to be able to plan and coordinate the delivery of various FM services, such as cleaning, security, landscaping, catering, and waste management. You also need to organize and manage the resources, staff, and contractors involved in these services. To showcase your planning and organization skills, you can highlight examples of how you have developed and implemented FM strategies, policies, and procedures, how you have managed multiple projects and deadlines, and how you have used tools and software to optimize your workflow and efficiency.

3 Safety and compliance

A key skill of an FM professional is safety and compliance. You need to be able to ensure that the facilities you manage comply with the relevant laws, regulations, standards, and codes of practice. You also need to be able to promote and maintain a safe and healthy working environment for the occupants and users of the facilities. To prove your safety and compliance skills, you can show examples of how you have conducted and documented risk assessments, audits, and inspections, how you have implemented and enforced safety policies and procedures, and how you have trained and supervised staff and contractors on safety matters.

4 Sustainability and innovation

A valuable skill of an FM professional is sustainability and innovation. You need to be able to incorporate sustainability principles and practices into your FM services, such as reducing energy consumption, water usage, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions. You also need to be able to adopt and apply innovative solutions and technologies that improve the performance, efficiency, and quality of your FM services. To display your sustainability and innovation skills, you can share examples of how you have implemented or initiated green or smart FM initiatives, how you have measured and reported on the environmental and social impacts of your FM services, and how you have kept abreast of the latest trends and developments in the FM industry.

5 Communication and leadership

A crucial skill of an FM professional is communication and leadership. You need to be able to communicate effectively with various internal and external parties, such as clients, stakeholders, staff, contractors, suppliers, and regulators. You also need to be able to lead and motivate your team, delegate tasks, resolve conflicts, and manage change. To illustrate your communication and leadership skills, you can give examples of how you have communicated and collaborated with different groups and individuals, how you have managed and developed your team, and how you have handled challenging or complex situations in your FM role.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?