How Do I Become a Facilities Maintenance Manager?

A facilities maintenance manager is a person who oversees a team of maintenance personnel responsible for the repair and upkeep of various types of facilities, from residential buildings to manufacturing plants or warehouses. In order to become a facilities maintenance manager, you will first need to complete a high school education, paying special attention to math and communications or language courses. Once you graduate, you have several options that will allow you to become a facilities maintenance manager. You can take an entry-level position and receive on the job training, or you can take part in more schooling that is geared specifically toward the skills necessary for this field.

If you choose to take an entry-level position in order to become a facilities maintenance manager, you can expect to spend several years working maintenance positions as you learn the skills necessary to become a manager. Job training is often sufficient to gain the skills necessary to become a facilities maintenance manager in the long term, though you can expedite the process by taking part in schooling that will boost your credentials for the position. Certificate programs, for example, generally take about six months to a year to complete, and they will give you stronger credentials for becoming a manager.

You can also take part in an associate's degree program, a bachelor's degree program, or a higher level program that will train you in facilities management or engineering. Doing so will qualify you for positions that offer more responsibility and complexity, as well as better pay and benefits. An associate's degree will take about two years to complete, and a bachelor's degree is likely to take about four years. Additional schooling beyond the bachelor's degree can range anywhere from two to five years or more, depending on the student's course of study and intended career path.

It will be necessary to write an effective resume in order to become a facilities maintenance manager, as you will need to present employers with your credentials that will make you stand out above other job candidates. If you have the writing and design skills necessary to do so, you can write your resume yourself. If you are not confident in your writing skills, you may want to consider hiring a professional resume writer to design a document that will present you in the best light possible when you apply for a position as a facilities maintenance manager.