By: The Ground Floor Desk | ThrvyX Journal
Certificates are useful.
But they don’t replace reliability.
You can walk into an interview with five shiny papers — and still lose out to someone who shows up with confidence, field logic, and examples of real responsibility.
That’s especially true in Facility Management, where employers don’t just ask, “What do you know?”
They ask:
“How do you respond when things go wrong?”
The Reality of Hiring in FM
Facility Managers aren’t hired based on English fluency or perfect resumes.
They’re hired based on:
- Presence of mind during emergencies
- Clarity in reporting and escalation
- Comfort in handling vendors or residents
- Whether they’ve actually worked with checklists, audits, and complaints
You can’t fake these things in an interview.
And managers know it.
That’s why the most successful candidates aren’t the ones with fancy backgrounds — they’re the ones who’ve handled a tough site, even if it was small.
What Employers Really Look For
Here’s what a hiring manager in FM truly values:
- Someone who has walked the pump room
- Someone who knows when to switch to DG power
- Someone who has spoken to residents without fear
- Someone who’s had a tough day — and handled it
- Someone who knows what to document and when
They want someone who doesn’t just say “I know FM” — but shows they’ve lived it, even for a short time.
Why Promotions Come to the Quiet Observers
If you’re already working on-site in any role — technician, cleaner, security, supervisor — here’s the truth:
People are watching how you carry yourself.
The team lead sees who:
- Takes initiative to follow up on a fault
- Notices things before they break
- Doesn’t panic during complaints
- Communicates well with vendors or residents
These are the things that get you promoted — sometimes even before you ask.
You don’t need to be loud. You need to be present and professional.
So, Are Certificates Useless?
Not at all.
The right course or certification can open doors faster, help you speak the language of systems, and make you interview-ready.
But it only works if you apply what you’ve learned.
A certificate is your start.
Your actions decide the journey.
Final Word: If You Want to Grow, Focus on What You Do — Not Just What You Have
The buildings won’t ask if you passed a test.
They’ll ask if:
- You responded when the lift got stuck
- You knew who to call when the water stopped
- You logged the complaint correctly
- You prevented the next breakdown
These are the invisible marks of a good FM.
And the world needs more of them.
So start where you are. Watch. Act. Ask.
Because in this field, the one who learns on the ground… rises the fastest.