Does a facility manager need a professional designation to advance their career?

When people are recruiting new facility managers, there is a preference for candidates with a Certified Facility Manager (CFM) and/or Facility Management Professional (FMP) credential (both International Facility Management Association (IFMA) designations), or a post-graduate facility management education. When people have these credentials and they have taken other steps toward professional development, it shows a commitment to facility management and bettering themselves. Their desire to learn and increased knowledge can help expedite the achievement of a company’s goals.

The IFMA credentials provide a way to level the field since there are so many diverse professional backgrounds involved in facility management. The industry is constantly evolving and the knowledge that comes with having a CFM or FMP designation adds to a facility manager’s value. For more ‘sage’ or seasoned facility management professionals, continuous development is encouraged so they can learn and adapt to changing best practices in their operations. Overall, it’s important for facility managers to keep building on their knowledge throughout their careers, whether that’s with the CFM or FMP designation, or other professional development opportunities.

Marcia O’Connor is vice-president of Arcori Inc., the lead facility management instructor at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies’ facility management certificate program and founder of AMFM Education Services.