Understanding FMP Certification
The Facility Management Professional (FMP) certification, alongside the Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP) and Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credentials, represents a comprehensive training and examination pathway. This certification is designed to affirm a professional’s expertise in facility management, laying the groundwork for advanced certifications and offering an in-depth understanding of facility management principles.
The Value of FMP Certification
Although not always mandatory, obtaining an FMP certification can significantly benefit your career in facilities management. This field often requires interaction with a diverse range of departments and professionals across various sectors, including government and real estate.
Certification equips you with a broad knowledge base, ensuring you stay abreast of industry trends and standards. It can enhance your job prospects, as some employers prioritize hiring certified professionals.
In the context of coworking or hybrid offices, understanding facilities management through FMP certification can be invaluable, whether you’re directly managing the space or setting benchmarks for your team.
Why Pursue FMP Certification?
- Comprehensive Knowledge: Gain a solid foundation in core facility management concepts.
- Confidence: Enhance your job performance with increased confidence.
- Industry Best Practices: Stay updated with continuing education on the latest practices.
- Career Advancement: Certification is a standout addition to your résumé, potentially leading to higher salaries and job positions.
- Professional Development: FMP certification is a key to career growth, offering opportunities for higher roles and accreditations.
Benefits of FMP Certification?
While certification is not usually required for a profession in facilities management, there are some advantages to doing so. As a facilities manager, you may deal with a wide spectrum of people in a variety of departments and corporate environments, including government and real estate. As a result, certifications offer you a broader knowledge foundation that can help you succeed in your work. It also aids in keeping you up to date on industry trends, patterns, and requirements. Some people may prefer qualified facilities managers, thus possessing a certification may help you more.
In the coworking or hybrid office context, facilities management is a great way to truly understand and learn how to operate your space, or to set the standard for the person you will be hiring to operate your space.
From an employment standpoint, there are many reasons to pursue FMP certification—whether you’re just starting out in the field or are keeping up with the industry as it evolves.
Some of the top reasons to consider FMP certification include:
- Better fundamental understanding of core facility concepts
- Professionals gain more confidence in their job performance
- Continuing education demands keep FMPs attuned to industry best practices
- FMP certification (and other accreditations) stands out on résumés
- FMPs can command a higher salary due to their formalized education
- Certification opens the door to upward mobility, including higher accreditations
FMP certification, at its core, is a form of professional development, which can result in career advancement in different ways. It can result in unlocking a promotion or pay, bringing a new level of success to their current position, making it easier to find a new role or establishing more trust and credibility if you work as an independent consultant.
So is it worth it?
In our opinion yes, it is worth the investment (both financial and in terms of time allocated to it) if you are looking at staying in the facility management industry in the long run. The fact that this certification never expires makes it very attractive for professionals that will then be able to hold it for their entire careers.
FMP vs CFM
The CFM (Certified Facility Manager) is designed for individuals with more work experience looking to advance in managerial or leadership roles.
In a way, you could look at FMP as a more entry-level certification, although there are also some core differences in terms of what the modules focus on. FMP is about foundational knowledge, while CFM is more focused on specific competences.
Also the CFM must be renewed every 3 years, as opposed to the FMP which does not expire. So to sum it up:
FMP
- No expiration
- No entry requirements
- Foundational knowledge
CFM
- 3 years validity
- Work experience and education requirements
- Advanced knowledge
Where and how can you get an FMP Certification?
There are no prerequisites to gaining an FMP certification, not in terms of professional experience, nor when it comes to educational background. Of course it is advisable to have some experience in the field (starting from zero might not only be challenging, but also would give limited value to the certification if not combined with relevant experience) or a relevant higher education. Please note that while the FMP has no prerequisites, other certifications like the CFM (Certified Facility Manager) do require a minimum of 5 years work experience, or a minimum of 3 years work experience for candidates holding a Bacherlor or Masters degree in FM.
1. Get a bachelor's degree
While not required for the FMP, as mention above other certification may indeed require a bachelor’s degree. Though facilities managers have diverse job responsibilities, there are focus areas that encompass most of their work. Some facilities managers work more on management-related tasks, while others work closely with sales departments or safety standards. Consider a degree that can help prepare you for your chosen focus.
Aside from facility management, other degree programs that may be helpful toward your career include:
- Business administration
- Accounting
- Information systems management
- Operations management
2. Consider training modules
The training you receive to become a facility manager also depends on your area of specialization. There are many institutions that provide courses on different aspects of facilities management. These include general issues, business stability and current metrics. Depending on your current knowledge, industry entities, such as the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) and similar organizations, offer continuing education programs. The IFMA has over 50 training modules for aspiring facility managers. Depending on what certification you plan on pursuing, you may need to take part in more than one training module. You often can purchase modules individually or as a bundle.
3. Select a certification type
There are many certifications you can earn. Focus areas include sustainability within the workplace, becoming an overall management facilitator or efficiency processes. Here are some facility manager certifications you can choose from:
1. The Certified Facility Manager Credential
The Certified Facility Manager Credential is one of the most well-known certification programs in the industry. Earning this certification allows professionals to bring well-rounded, industry-standard experiences to facility manager positions. In this program, participants assess candidates’ competency in the field through work experience and coursework. The program ends with a comprehensive exam, which reviews 11 core facility management competencies. These include federal law, general management techniques and risk management. After completing this certification, you receive both physical and digital evidence of your accomplishment, and you have the option to use digital badges to represent your certification on job forums.
When pursuing this certification, consider becoming a member of the IFMA. All association members pay a significantly reduced fee to take the exam—$550 as opposed to the nonmember fee of $815. There are also several prerequisites, including at least three years of professional experience, a formal degree and ethics training.
2. The Facility Management Professional Certificate Program
The Facility Management Professional Certificate Program, also offered by the IFMA, is a highly academic program for aspiring facilities managers who want to improve their knowledge of facilities-related topics. Getting this certificate can give you credibility among both employers and peers. It shows you have extensive, up-to-date facilities knowledge that you can apply to a range of issues and improvement tactics. Participants in other programs, such as safety engineering, architecture or other related industries, can use this certificate to show their skills can apply to facilities management responsibilities.
The IFMA designed the Facility Management Professional Certificate Program so both novice and experienced facilities professionals can benefit from it, and they can review and learn core management concepts. There are no prerequisites to join the program. Fees for the program depend on professional background, IFMA membership and copy status. They range between $515 and $1,850.
3. The Sustainability Facility Professional Certificate Program
The Sustainability Facility Professional Certificate Program is another IFMA certification that focuses on maintaining sustainability within a work environment. Earning this credential allows facilities professionals to showcase their expertise in building sustainable management tactics and practices. These managers affect their organization’s environmental, social and economic well-being and continuously plan to improve metrics in these areas.
Study materials and other products for the program vary depending on your IFMA membership status. Pricing for materials and testing privileges ranges from $695 to $2,095. The entire course preparation product kit includes preparatory books, online courses and options for receiving physical study material upon request.
Conclusion
FMP certification is more than just a credential; it’s a pathway to professional growth and development in the field of facility management. Whether you’re aiming for career advancement, seeking to update your skills, or looking to stand out in the job market, FMP certification offers the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve your goals.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information on the CFM certification process, including application fees, study materials, and exam scheduling, please visit the IFMA website directly at https://www.ifma.org/
