Career Development

The BIFM is committed to the development of facilities management as a career of choice. We support all individuals, including those who have no formal FM qualifications, as they progress through their careers, from those who are joining the profession, to facilities managers with years of valuable experience.

Facilities Management is one of the fastest growing professions in the UK and is vital to the success of any organisation.

A facilities manager is responsible for many different activities around the building itself and the services which support the business. These include looking after and maintaining the property and its infrastructure, planning how the space in property is best utilised and managing a wide range of support services for example: catering, security, cleaning, mailroom and often health and safety.

All of these activities generally have a big impact upon the company, its people and the workplace so the role of the FM is a very important one.

FM as a career choice offers many opportunities and an interesting and diverse working life where no two days are ever the same. It is challenging, interesting and has a vital importance in keeping the company operating effectively on a day to day level and providing a safe, enjoyable and efficient working environment for the employees. View some of our member profiles to see what it is like working in FM.

FM provides opportunities and career paths which could include working for an in-house FM department, perhaps for a large corporate organisation, a specialist FM contractor or a large multi-service company.

A range of opportunities to develop a career in FM are now available:

The Diploma "Construction and the Built Environment" aimed at 14-19 year olds (Level 2) (click here for more information)
Apprenticeship scheme(Level 3) (click here for more information)
ILM Level 3 Qualifications in Facilities Management (click here for more information
BIFM Levels 4, 5 and 6 Qualifications in Facilities Management - learners should read the Learner Handbook which is available below to find out which BIFM qualification is right for them and in choosing the right centre. Click here for more information about the qualifications or watch the latest interview with Valerie Everitt, Professional Standards and Education Director
Foundation degrees (Level 5) in FM
Postgraduate qualifications (Level 7) in FM offered by a number of universities and colleges, some of which have been accredited by BIFM. Click here for details

Opportunities for career development through BIFM include:

A suite of facilities management qualifications starting at Level 3 for new entrants (which has been developed jointly with the Institute of Leadership & Management) through to the new suite of BIFM facilities management qualifications at Levels 4, 5 and 6 which offer a development path for operational managers through to strategic senior practitioners
Intensive and interactive short training courses provided by BIFM Training
Participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through opportunities offered by the BIFM i.e. Regional CPD events and the ability to record such CPD activity with an online CPD recording framework
The prestigious annual conference, Good Practice Guides and updates on key FM issues through our twice-monthly magazine FM World

The latest jobs in facilities management can be searched on FM World Jobs – the recruitment website for FM World magazine.

As well as viewing the latest jobs, you can also receive email alerts, upload a CV, access career advice and register as a jobseeker via the new site.

Find facilities management jobs