Spec me a course!

[Diddums]

I'm trying to pick a course which will help my career in facilities management. Most of the ones I find are related mainly to how electrical systems work and whatnot, but that is my bread & butter, where I need to focus is more the H&S aspect of things, like contractor RAMS assessment, H&S procedures, that kind of thing.

Any of you lovely lot able to suggest anything? I'm as flexible as it gets so whether it's one course or a few smaller ones doesn't really matter, as long as I am able to fill in the gaps in my knowledge and hopefully learn some new stuff too.

Cheers!

 

[Diddums]

Moved to correct forum

Where it has now gone to die

@thegreysquirrel posted some interesting stuff though, thanks

 

[Diddums]

Hi @Diddums,

Would you mind if I picked your brain a little regarding Facilities Management? I feel like that is the most possible and likely progression in my career, but I am unsure how to get involved etc. A lot of the job offers I am looking at require NEBOSH and IOSH certification etc.

My career has gone:
- Started as an Apprentice (NVQ 2 & 3 Electrical/Electronic Engineering + AutoCAD 2D)
- After 6 years or so, I went to Canada and during my time I worked at a hotel as Maintenance Rep. I was then promoted to Maintenance Manager (where I have picked up my love of Facilities Management ).
- After 2 years in Canada, I returned to the UK and returned to the same company as I started with. Now working as a Contracts Manager.

I really enjoyed my time at the hotel, and took pride in keeping the place operating at 100%.

Or maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick of what Facilities Management actually is?

Any advice or tidbits you have for me from your time in FM would be great

Sorry to take over your thread

Haha no worries mate, I'll type out a decent reply tomorrow

 

[Diddums]

Awesome! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it

Hi Marky, haven’t forgotten about you mate, just been a crazy week and yesterday I was tasked with putting together a PPM planner for my boss’ house by Monday

If I get time today I’ll put something together, but I have no intention of just cramming something out for the sake of it, hence why I need a bit of time

 

[Diddums]

Just chilling on the bench waiting for @Diddums

Just kidding, but giving you a gentle reminder. Any advice you have to start in FM would be awesome dude

FINE! Jeez you're so needy


Ok, so first off my job is as vague as they come. I am responsible for an office with 400 people in it, and report to the head honcho of a multi-billion dollar company with over 50k employees worldwide. Due to this my job is all over the place. One day I'll be carrying out a new risk assessment, the next I'll be showing a cleaner how to unblock a toilet. It's crazy. For me the most important thing in facilities is being able to keep everyone happy. When people are satisfied with the service you provide, your life will be a lot easier. When they're put off you, life will become hell.

All this whilst making sure you keep the basstids alive and safe, so keeping on top of your health and safety, maintenance, and in my case security, catering, cleaning, etc.

I got lucky with my job, I started off 13 years ago as a maintenance plumber, did a tonne of crap jobs (literally, you ever unblocked khazis in a prison?), but I'm now reaping the rewards with a job many can only dream of. My team are amazing, I can buy anything I want with no hassle about finances or budgets, I have free reign over my building apart from the art and decor, I have some of the hottest chicks under the sun in my building, we have free unlimited booze in our own bar every Thursday and Friday, our parties are absolutely legendary, I can come and go as I please, work at home if I want, etc. It's amazeballs.

I got lucky with mine, I have known some recruiters for the full 13 years and I've treated them well, getting them tons of commission in the process, so they knew my profile well and knew what my limitations and expectations were. this job came up, they recommended me, I went for a few interviews and a proper pissup with them (the social aspect of my job is huge) and was offered the job at the max they were offering, no questions asked.

If I had to give you one tip, it's to make sure your H&S is in top form. Risk assessments, permits, inductions, first aid, fire safety, etc.

Then reach out to some agencies and tell them what you want. They might have your dream job on the books, it might take a year, but cast the net as wide as you can and send your CV to as many as you can find. Many recruitment companies are fly-by-night jobbies but a few I can recommend personally are Randstad, PRS and Hays. I've got another one but I need his permission to share it as he's just started up hos own gig, this is the guy who found me the most jobs including the one I'm in.

Any questions, ask away

 

[Diddums]

Thank you so much bud, I really appreciate that

It definitely sounds up my street and something I would enjoy doing. Did you have to get any certification before starting you FM role?

Would you recommend anything else that I should at least brush up on? Is there a system/software that FM's generally work with or can it be different at every site? At the hotel, we worked with a lot of trackers in excel and budgeting/finances in Quickbooks. Apart from that it was just that I had to learn how to use the hotel management software to book out rooms etc.

Thanks again for your thoughts, I have been changing my CV to point towards a career in FM and I will definitely be contacting the recruiters that you recommended.

I have no qualifications to speak of. I have about 60% of an NVQ as an HVAC installer, a level 2 in Leadership and Management from the ILM peeps (widely known in this industry and very highly regarded, google it), and loads of other little filler things like PASMA, IPAF, L8, etc. All of these were paid for by employers. I have no degree, nothing. Like I said it's all about attitude and resourcefulness. I am fortunate enough to be able to lean on this very forum now and then and gain some great insight, suggestion and ideas, honestly that is worth more than money can buy and is very much appreciated.

My biggest asset is my ability to put logbooks together. As someone who's been audited on my various sites (at one point 16 sites!) I know exactly what a logbook should look like and how to build them. People often overlook logbooks, forgetting that when the auditors come, that's where they start, they're your first impression. Missing data, incorrectly filed documents, out of date certs, etc, all look crap and make the auditors wonder what the rest of your site is like, so I keep on top of them at all times. My last boss was a moron, no jokes a contractor could email him to tell him he's going for a dump and that email would be printed and stuck in his logbooks. It was a joke.

Innovation is key too. I have started playing with all sorts of tech and gadgets and am putting QR codes all over my building and plant because people are so useless at keeping records that to make life easier they can simply get a QR code now which will take them directly to a site with all the consumables, risk assessments, procedures, requirements, extra notes, etc.

Sadly the most important thing I can tell you is that the facilities game is full of idiots, morons, rejects and lazy *****. Work around them and don't tolerate them. One lesson I learned in life is that when you need staff, look for staff who need the job. The kind of people that will be on the street if they get sacked. Those who have a mum & dad to fall back on don't tend to care as much about their job.

Basically what I'm saying is that most English are lazy AF. Eastern europeans tend to work hard, so do South Americans, most notably Brazil. Aussies and Kiwis make the best sparkies, particularly those with experience on the mines, Saffers are generally good at everything but are mouthy AF so keep them away from tenants and clients. Europeans are always a lottery and for mechanical guys you want some from countries where bush mechanics are a thing, so most African countries, Middle Eastern countries, etc. It's blatant stereotyping but it is what it is.