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By Heather McLean Wiederhoeft

FMsFEATURE

Ryan Penland Abigail Buchin, FMP

RISEon the

During times of economic turmoil, the news is rarely positive when it comes to the job market. Many people just feel lucky to have a job and a salary, and they’re not

thinking too far into the future about their career.

Talk to a person who’s starting out in his or her career in facility management and the attitude is refreshingly upbeat. Recently, Facility Management Journal reached out to FM professionals who have not been working in the industry for a signifi cant amount of time (the most experienced practitioner was just out of college for 10 years) to identify those who are enthused about facility management, where their career is today and where they envision being in the future. Th e career path seems bright for these rising stars of the facility management profession.

Preparing for an FM career While there are thousands of people whose profession is facility management, the number of universities that off er FM degree programs is still on the small side—accounting for why not one of the practitioners interviewed for this article started off in college planning to study facility management. However, there were several who found their way into amazing facility management degree programs through a variety of routes.

An interest in architecture is a popular launching spot for some future facility managers. “I started in a two-year architecture program that branched into a two-year bachelor of FM degree,” explained Ryan Penland, a graduate of Ferris State who work for URS Energy & Construction as a planning and scheduling analyst. “My interest in FM was ignited by the expansive variety of

FEATURE www.fmjonline.com 45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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anagement Journal

September/October 2012

career paths possible within the fi eld and the blend of architecture, construction and engineering aspect that originally fuelled my passion for architecture.”

“I started my college career studying residential architectural design,” said Abigail Buchin, FMP, a FM systems specialist for the National Park Service at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and Little Bighorn Battlefi eld National Monument in Montana. “I had planned on continuing in architectural design, but one year before I was to graduate, the housing market crashed so I changed my plans. Th e head of the FM department at Ferris State at the time spoke with the architecture students about facility management. I had never heard of it before but became interested in it. Not only would allow me to continue to

work with the built environment but also branch out into other aspects of the fi eld.”

Th e wide array of responsibilities and interactivity within the areas of a facility also attracted John Came, a facility manager currently working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, who had past career aspirations in architecture. “I started off studying architecture and after I graduated with my associate’s degree in architectural technology, I moved into majoring in facility management. My interest was in building systems and I enjoyed design and discovering how thing were engineered and built. When I found out that all of these disciplines or interests were in one major, I pursued it.”

Colorado State University-Pueblo alum John Peavler, CFM, CPMM, manager of facility operations for Arapahoe County, Colo., USA, was studying business management when an alumnus of the school’s facility management program introduced him to the profession. “I researched the profession and felt that it would be a perfect fi t for me; I fell in love with it then and still in love with it now!”

For Candice Bullard Goldsmith, FMP, an associate consultant with Paladino and Company, her introduction to FM didn’t start until graduate school after earning her bachelor’s degree in environmental science. “I started taking classes in architecture at Georgia Tech, because that was the only degree I knew of that had anything to do with buildings,” said Goldsmith. “After a year of architecture

Candice Bullard Goldsmith, FMP John Peavler, CFM, CPMM Andrew Hulbert

Like many facility managers who have been in the profession for a long time, not all rising stars studied FM in school.

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classes, I began to learn more about other options with buildings, including facility management. I felt drawn to the people aspect of the profession, as facility managers deal largely with keeping people in buildings happy. To me, with my passion for sustainability, keeping people happy means promoting employee health by operating healthy buildings.”

Not finding FM in college Like many facility managers who have been in the profession for a long time, not all rising stars studied facility management in school. “I joined Rollright for an eight week internship during the fi nal summer of my university degree,” said Andrew Hulbert, an account manager with Rollright Facilities Ltd. in the United Kingdom. “In that time I worked closely with the commercial director of the business and completed a competitor analyses on the industry. Th is enabled me to get a broad view on what FM was and trends within the market. Whilst doing my research the industry caught my attention because it was very apparent that there was so much opportunity.”

After graduating from the University of Akron with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Phil Dague, is currently the Jones Lang LaSalle FM director for the Apollo Group account. “I wasn’t actively pursing a job in FM, I accepted a temporary job with the company, but found the profession to be a natural fi t for me as it off ered daily variety, required immense organization and a broad career path within the industry.”

Expectations vs. realityLike many elements of life, the reality of a situation often is diff erent than the expectations. For many—including these practitioners—working in facility management is not exactly how they

imagined it to be. “My career in facility management so far is not what I had expected but this is probably due to the fact that I work for the government,” said Buchin. “Th e government defi nitely does not do

things on a small scale, like some private-sector jobs in FM might. In school, we focused more on single buildings, not the vast and varied assets the government, and, in my case, the National Park Service deals with.”

For Damon Gonzales, CFM, and John Came, the unexpected element of their fi rst FM jobs was not related to the facility structure. “Th e biggest surprise has been the attention and focus on managing people,” said Gonzales, a real estate and facility manager with Haworth. “Graduates coming out of FM degree programs have the tools and basic skill sets to begin managing projects and buildings, but your ability to work with and manage people is one of those things that is hard to prepare for in the classroom.”

“I am surprised at how important written and verbal communication is,” added Came. “Th e most challenging part of my job has been improving my communication skills and dealing with people. I do enjoy doing both of these things, which adds to why I fi nd this fi eld of work so intriguing.”

As a facility planner at Domino’s Pizza world corporate headquarters, Mark Yager, FMP, feels lucky to all that he has been exposed to in working for a global organization. “We frequently shoot our national TV commercials in and around my building, featuring the employees who work in the building. As for the challenging aspect of my job, it is keeping everyone happy. Our organization goes above and

Damon Gonzales, CFMPhil Dague Mark Yager, FMP

The fact is the effectiveness of managing a facility has a direct impact on the profitability and effectiveness of the client organization—that alone makes FM a strategic concern.

FireClass and any other product names listed above are marks and/or registered marks. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.Copyright © 2012 Tyco Fire Products LP. All rights reserved.

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beyond to meet the needs of our employees and that means a lot is expected from my department in relation to building needs.”

As he is not an in-house FM, Envision Realty Services LEED Consultant Jason McIntyre, FMP, had to learn about multiple facilities with unique systems from the start. “One thing that is a challenge, but it’s not a bad one, is aligning the goals and priorities of property owners/managers and that of the building engineers/FMs. As a consultant who is representing the owner/manager and also has a background in facility management, it has been rewarding to provide solutions that really increase the value and operation of the asset in question.”

For account manager Hulbert, his move to the operational side of Rollright Facilities really opened up his thinking of the profession. “I was amazed at just how much eff ort, time, resource and cost it took to run a physical infrastructure. More importantly, I was delighted at how much of a strategic impact this had on the client organization. Th e fact is the eff ectiveness of managing a facility has a direct impact on the profi tability and eff ectiveness of the client organization—that alone makes FM a strategic concern.”

Moving upTh e future of the FM profession will be in the hands of those recent grads and new professionals who are actively moving forward in their careers and not letting opportunities pass them by. From managing

the LEED® certifi cation of the fi rst LEED EB: O&M MLB stadium in the United States to having responsibility for 32 buildings encompassing 1.3 million square feet, these facility management professionals are making a real impact on their companies.

Even though he’s been out of school for less than two years, Penland has been able to increase his FM responsibility at URS Energy & Construction. “During my fi rst few months on the job, I worked in the fi eld turning wrenches to earn an appreciation of how our company does business and the people who are responsible for our success. Since then, I’ve assisted in various parts of the business, including fi nance, project

controls, project management, business development, operations, site startup and human resources. I’ve really had the opportunity to become more deeply involved with all aspects of the business.”

In just his fi rst year with Domino’s, Yager was name the supply chain “Rookie of the Year.” “My biggest contribution to Domino’s, however, was cutting the facility budget by US$60,000 annually which led to the company creating a new position for me as well as adding an FM internship to the department.”

In refl ecting on his positive ascension in the ranks of his young career, Gonzales feels that stepping out of his comfort zone and continually developing his professional skills has been key. “I also have been served well by networking, surrounding myself with a great pool of resources in peers (and competitors) and having a great mentor to assist me in my development.”

Advice for the next generationHow many people would tell a high school senior or college freshman to consider their chosen career as a potential major? If the question was asked to one of these rising FMs, the answer would be a defi nite, “Consider a career in facility management.”

For Craig K. Davis, FMP, an FMSS specialist at Big Cypress National Preserve, one of the pluses for earning a degree in facility management is the vast array of opportunities graduates have. “With this

Craig K. Davis, FMPFaci

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Jason McIntyre, FMP Zach McIntosh

The future of the FM profession will be in the hands of those recent grads and new professionals who are actively moving forward in their careers.

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degree you can really do so much it is exciting to even think about. In doing research on diff erent colleges that off er facility management you can see the vast range in what it is capable of doing in this fi eld.”

What excites Hulbert about the profession is the potential it has for young, enthusiastic talent. “Th e industry off ers genuine responsibility, decision making and accountability for the impact of the way you do work. It teaches you about people management, task management, client relationships, expectations of diff erent organizations, how fi nances are run and much more.”

For McIntyre, there are many reasons why FM is a great career choice. “I love this industry and think it’s challenging, rewarding, pays well (for the most part) and with the increase in technology and cutting-edge best practices, there defi nitely is room for young new professionals to enter this profession.”

A key benefi t of facility management is an opportunity to combine your passion for a subject with your profession. A great example of this for potential facility managers is Goldsmith’s taking an interest in buildings and the environment to focus on sustainability in FM. “Because of aging infrastructure, new demand for green buildings and new technologies, there are many opportunities for educated, passionate professionals. Facility management will continue to play a larger role in improving the sustainability of companies, and will have a large impact on the health of our planet. I love being able to focus on my passion for sustainability and applying it to the built environment as I use my FM background to communicate on the same level with my clients.”

Th e enthusiasm these younger FM professionals have for their careers can be contagious to both future facility managers as well as those who have been practitioners for much longer. Perhaps Zach McIntosh, coordinator of facilities information services for Spectrum Health, sums it up best in description of FM as a career choice: “If you want to be in a profession that is exciting, always changing, and involves all aspects of buildings and their operation, then this profession is for you. In terms of an industry with great job security, I have always had the notion that buildings are not always going to be built, but they will always need to be maintained. Just remember to always ask questions and never stop learning.” FMJ

FMJ

Heather McLean Wiederhoeft is a writer for Facility Management Journal as well as a freelance writer/editor. She spent eight years working for IFMA in the 1990s. She can be reached at heather@hmwcommunications.com.

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