It is estimated that there will be a 10% growth rate in the facilities profession between 2016 and 2026 so this is a great time to join the profession or apply to move up the ranks. The main goal of any facilities professional is to have facilities that serve the company the best. To do this you may assist in the development of the facilities, continually ensure that all safety measures are maintained, work to fix any structural or operational problems at facilities, and more.
Your resume needs to reflect the tasks you will be in charge of completing in the facilities profession. For example, a facilities manager needs to include their managerial experience and qualifications, while a facilities engineer will need to highlight their technical engineering experience and qualifications. This resume guide includes resume samples handpicked by recruiters, a list of useful skills you can include, effective action verbs to frame your experience section, and specialized resume tips.
Jump to a template:
Jump to a resource:
Get advice on each section of your resume:
A facilities director is in charge of the company’s facilities in every aspect. In this position, you may be involved with the facilities’ design, construction, and operation. Once operational, you will ensure that the facilities are safe and effective to use and that they are well maintained. You will be in charge of overseeing and managing staff, ensuring facilities follow all safety and health law and regulations, managing budgets for the construction and operations of facilities, etc.
Your resume needs to show your experience in facilities management as well as evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills. A degree in facilities management, property management, or a related field would be highly preferred and, in some cases, may be required. Take a look at this successful resume sample.
Facilities director is a multifunctional job. Using the right action verbs is a great way to indicate your experience in various functions. This resume uses some useful action verbs, including ‘negotiated’, ‘designed’, and ‘managed’.
Metrics are a great way to give recruiters a better idea of your capabilities and highlight your achievements. For this position, it would be beneficial to use metrics to highlight the kinds of budgets you have worked with or the size of the team you have led. Look at this candidate's use of metrics to elevate their resume.
Director of Facilities roles are responsible for the overall maintenance and operation of a company's buildings and grounds. Not just a handyman job, it's an executive role that requires a complex mix of technical knowledge, managerial acumen, and financial insight. In recent times, companies are looking for leaders who can strategize, analyze, and forecast facility-related costs and processes. Highlighting this on a resume is tricky but essential. The resume for a Director of Facilities has to prove your ability to lead teams, manage large budgets, and maintain facilities while perhaps also demonstrating experience with energy-saving initiatives or LEED certification.
Having a certification from a recognized organization like BOMI International or International Facilities Management Association can give you an edge. You should showcase these prominently on your resume, detailing the specific skills or knowledge you gained from them.
As a Director of Facilities, you'll likely manage large projects, whether it's repair work or new construction. Highlight your experience with these projects on your resume, especially if you can quantify the impact they had on costs, efficiency, or employee satisfaction.
A director of facilities coordinates teams to create effective and inviting spaces for a company. You will make sure facilities are built efficiently and impressively, manage the staff and contractors assigned to a facility, handle any major problems that may arise at a facility, etc.
You need to be an excellent project manager, know all relevant laws and regulations and have years of experience working in facilities, especially in a management position. Take a look at this strong resume for inspiration.
Show recruiters that you are a hardworking and successful facilities professional by showing upward moves in your career. It will also show recruiters your dedication to your profession. This applicant started as a building supervisor and moved their way up to a director of facilities position.
Show recruiters that you have an in-depth knowledge of the way facility operations work by listing any facilities-related certification you may have. This is an easy way to differentiate yourself from your competitors, This applicant has 3 listed certifications.
A facilities technician, sometimes known as a maintenance (wo)man, is in charge of making sure all machinery and systems are working, and fixing equipment, water systems, electrical problems, etc. This is a flexible job but you need to be easily contactable and must be a problem solver. Your resume should also show qualifications in maintenance and great communication skills. This resume has been approved by a top recruiter in the industry. Take a look for inspiration.
Grab recruiters’ attention from the very beginning of your resume. Because they may not have time to scrutinize the hundreds of resumes they get, it’s advantageous to include impressive achievements and metrics in the introduction section as this applicant has done.
Showing that you are skilled at maintaining most or all equipment you will be in charge of is highly beneficial. You can use your experience section to show the equipment you have handled in the past. Focus on showing as much variety as possible.
Being a Facilities Coordinator is all about managing the physical workspace. You're the behind-the-scenes hero making sure everything runs smoothly, from general upkeep to safety procedures. Having a resume that showcases your problem-solving abilities and detail-oriented mindset will put you a step ahead. Recently, more companies are recognizing the influence of a well-maintained working environment on employees' productivity. Therefore, demonstrating cognizance of sustainable practices and new technologies in facility management will make your resume stand out.
Writing a resume for a Facilities Coordinator role requires emphasizing the breadth and depth of your practical experience. This includes not just the tasks you have completed, but also the improvements you've brought about and the impact you've made. Mention how you've ensured the smooth running of facilities, managed costs effectively, or maintained health and safety standards.
If you have certifications related to facilities management, like the CFM (Certified Facility Manager) or FMP (Facility Management Professional), make sure to list them. These show that you're committed to keeping up with industry best practices and have the skills to execute your job efficiently.
Facilities Coordinators often encounter unexpected issues, from sudden equipment breakdowns to emergency safety situations. Highlight instances where you've effectively solved these problems, emphasizing your ability to think on your feet and maintain a cool head under pressure.
A facilities coordinator works with a facilities manager to coordinate activities at a facility and ensure the facility is running efficiently. Tasks you can expect include inspecting the facility’s internal systems, restocking supplies, selecting vendors, coordinating any repairs, etc.
Recruiters will be looking at your resume to see previous experience in a facility coordinator’s role and expert knowledge of facility operations and management. You also need to know all safety regulations and be experienced with the tools you will be using. Here is a strong resume sample.
If you do not have years of experience in facilities management, include previous positions that have many transferable skills essential to being a facilities coordinator. This candidate has included their experience as a buyer and administrative assistant. Dealing with vendors and doing administrative tasks are part of a facilities coordinator's job, making these two positions a good choice for inclusion in their resume.
Technology is always coming out with new more efficient tools to coordinate facilities. Your tools list must reflect the most current technologies, so keep updating it when necessary. We have included some tools in the skills section of this guide.
A facilities engineer is a professional who carries out the maintenance of facilities. You could be hired as a general engineer in charge of the maintenance of utilities, the physical structure of the facility, and whatever needs maintenance, or you could specialize. You are more likely to get room to specialize in a larger company with multiple facilities or a very large facility that requires a team of facilities engineers.
When looking at your resume recruiters would prefer to see a mechanical engineer degree or similar qualifications. Long-term experience in facilities engineering is also preferred and in some cases required. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume sample.
Show the recruiter your dedication to the facilities engineering field by including any certifications you may have gained. These certifications also indicate your increased competence in the field. Both will impress recruiters. Certifications might also be a requirement for certain companies so make sure you know to include all your certifications to avoid being filtered out by ATS filters.
Recruiters will want to see your journey to the facilities engineer position. By showing them that you have had hands-on experience in facilities, you can show them that you are intimately knowledgeable in the field and are a valuable asset. This candidate started as a construction foreman and has grown to the facilities engineer position.
The job of a facilities manager is to make sure the facilities you are in charge of meet all the needs of a company and that its employees can use the facilities effectively to get their work done. You will ensure health and safety standards are upheld, that the facilities abide by any relevant codes or laws, that the engineers and other facilities staff are working efficiently, etc.
You need to be a strong project manager to succeed at this job. You also need to be an excellent communicator and problem-solver, as many stakeholders will look to you should anything go wrong. This candidate has done a great job at letting these and other skills shine in their resume. Take a look.
In this job, you will have many functions so the tools you list must be tools you use to perform multiple functions. For example, you could list a tool you use for budgeting, and also a tool you use for scheduling staff or scheduling maintenance.
Putting numbers and metrics in your experience section makes it easier to read and helps recruiters better understand your experience. For this position, it would be useful for recruiters to know the size of the teams you have managed or the size of the facilities you have been in charge of. Look at how this candidate uses metrics efficiently.
We spoke with hiring managers from companies like Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, and JLL who routinely hire facilities managers. They shared their best tips on what they look for in resumes from top candidates. If you are applying for a facilities management role, use the following tips to make your resume stand out.
Facilities managers need a wide range of technical skills to succeed in their roles. Highlight your technical expertise in your resume, such as:
Quantify your experience where possible. Instead of simply listing 'HVAC systems', say something like:
Managed HVAC systems for a 500,000 sq. ft. commercial property, reducing energy costs by 15% through strategic upgrades and preventive maintenance.
A resume summary for facilities roles is an optional section at the top of your resume that provides a quick snapshot of your relevant experience, skills, and achievements. While a summary isn't required, it can be particularly useful if you're a career changer or have extensive experience and want to provide context upfront.
However, avoid using an objective statement, which is an outdated approach that focuses on what you want from an employer. Instead, a summary should emphasize what value you can bring to the organization. It's also important to avoid repeating information that's already covered in your work history.
Your work experience section is the most crucial part of your facilities resume. It's where you show hiring managers how you've applied your skills to make an impact in your previous roles. In this section, we'll break down step-by-step how to write an effective work experience section that will grab the attention of recruiters and increase your chances of landing an interview.
Your education section is an important part of your facilities resume. It shows hiring managers that you have the necessary knowledge and training to succeed in the role. In this section, we'll cover how to write an effective education section that showcases your qualifications.
Action verbs are effectively used to highlight the functions you have had experience in. For this position, you need to show your experience in developing, maintaining, and operating facilities.
This list of action verbs is focused on the technical and multi-functional tasks of the position of a facilities professional. Using the right action verbs is an easy way to spotlight yourself and help showcase your most relevant skills in a few words.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When looking at the skills section of a facilities professional’s resume, recruiters will need to see the relevant technical skills and organizational skills. It is a multifaceted position, and the skills list should reflect the numerous tasks under the purview of a facilities professional.
Here is a list of recruiter-approved skills you would expect to see in a facilities resume. Add those that you are experienced with to your resume to impress recruiters and secure an interview.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Facilities job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
