Skills
Facilities Manager Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in facilities managers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do facilities managers need?
Facilities Managers need technical skills such as building systems, maintenance planning, and budgeting, plus people skills like problem-solving and leadership. They also use tools such as CMMS software and Building automation systems.
Technical (hard) skills
- Building systems
- Maintenance planning
- Budgeting
- Contractor management
- Code compliance
- Energy management
People (soft) skills
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
- Communication
- Calm under pressure
Tools, equipment and technology
- CMMS software
- Building automation systems
- Work order systems
- CAD floor plans
- Energy dashboards
- Spreadsheets
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how facilities managers put their skills to work:
- How to build a preventive maintenance plan
- How to cut a building’s energy bill
- How to prioritize a capital repair list
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Building systems” and “Maintenance planning.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “problem-solving,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Certified Facility Manager (CFM) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our facilities manager glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Facilities Manager training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.