Facilities Management is a role that can be directly transferred from the military to a commercial setting. Military buildings and their services – just like the civilian equivalent – need managing, whether they are in the UK, abroad or in a hostile environment. In the military there are many buildings and facilities that need to be managed. Camps need to run smoothly, buildings need to be maintained and garages or units housing military vehicles and equipment must kept in good condition. Challenges faced by military personnel in facilities and management roles are similar to those faced by any other organisation.
Their quick problem solving and unmatchable drive to meet the highest standards, make veterans ideal candidates for a position in Facilities Management. In this article we’ll explore the skills that make them the perfect fit for the role.
WHAT IS FACILITIES MANAGEMENT?
Facilities Managers oversees the upkeep and operations commercial buildings and grounds to ensure they are run smoothly and are properly cared for. Facilities managers supervise everything from building and renovation works to budgeting, cleaning, landscaping and maintaining health and safety measures.
What sets military professionals apart from their civilian counterparts is their experience in extreme and highly pressurised environments on land, at sea and in the air. For example, Facility Managers in the military will have fixed air conditioning units for camps in the desert; they will have procured water for the troops in areas where water is scarce and they will have ensured troops have enough fresh food to eat while the unit is under attack.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU NEED TO BE A FACILITIES MANAGER?
Facilities Management is a job that relies on strong decision-making and management skills, so degrees and qualifications aren’t strictly necessary. However, like for any job, gaining some training will help to increase your employability.
If you don’t have strong building management experience from your time in the military it would be helpful to gain some basic maintenance skills, get health and safety certified, or to enrol on a training programme that will teach you more about heating, security systems and plumbing as you’ll need to be able to troubleshoot any property-related problems that arise. You’ll also need to be flexible, adaptable and resourceful – which is where your military experience and skills will come in useful.
MILITARY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Military personnel are able to solve problems in the toughest environments and possess a multitude of competencies including:
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Hard Facilities Management including heating, fire safety and building maintenance.
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Soft Facilities Management including security and waste management.
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Implementation of Health & Safety policies.
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Procurement and contract management.
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Managing contractors and suppliers.
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Project Management.
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IT and Microsoft Word.
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Facilities Management software packages.
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Report writing.
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Conducting briefings
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Budget Management.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
In addition to their military experience, veterans have a wide range of well-developed skills that will be valuable to Facilities Management. We’ve pulled together a list of skills that you may posses in order to help you identify them:
STARTING A CAREER IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
There is a huge variety of opportunity in Facilities Management as businesses and individuals across the public, private and non-profit sectors require their services. You could be working in a school, for a hotel or running an estate for an individual. This variety is reflected in the range of Facilities Management job titles. For example, you could be know as any of the following:
Thanks to the breadth of possibilities within Facilities Management there is also an enormous choice of organisations to work for. We’ve pulled together a short list of some of the top Forces-Friendly employers to help you identify a few who are looking for ex-military Facilities Managers:
Though ex-military personnel may not have all the relevant qualifications on paper, what they lack in qualifications they make up for in experience. Remember that you can undergo online training if a specific qualification is needed for you to transition into the role. Or, if you are looking to recruit ex-military candidates for a role in Facilities Management then please get in touch.