Workplace

As a former student who has been actively involved in this industry, I would like to share my own personal experiences on education versus practical experience in facility management when it comes to finding employment for recent college graduates.

First and foremost, I wholeheartedly agree with Gil Fried’s article in the April/May 2005 issue when he suggested that “more ‘pure’ facility management opportunities be available to reward passion and book knowledge … The industry has to realize that it will take a number of years for these trained students to hit the job market with solid facility management experience.”

Today’s work culture of heavy workloads, longer days at the office, less time spent at home and fewer vacation days taken is causing rampant job burnout. In fact, 68 percent of workers report feeling burned out at the office, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey.

So what are some symptoms you’re suffering from job burnout? Mary Rose Remington, author of Career Quest, a Practical and Spiritual Guide To Finding Your Life’s Passion (Heartwood Publishing), says there are 10 signs that it’s close to quitting time -- concrete indicators that you are “crispy.”

1. Sunday evenings depress you.
2. The quality of your work has suffered, but you don't care.
3. You arrive consistently late to work.
4. You call in sick when healthy.
5. You’ve become emotionally distant from your co-workers.
6. Your job has taken a toll on your mental and/or physical health to the point where friends and family have expressed concern.
7. Upon hearing rumors of layoffs, you pray, “Please, God, take me!”
8. You don’t have enough work to keep busy, but lack motivation to seek new assignments.
9. Time drags and you constantly watch the clock.
10. The lights around your desk or workspace burn out frequently.

There are at least 50 ways to fight burnout, adds Remington. They include:

It’s summer, so take a vacation. Ideally two weeks, but one will help. Sometimes distancing yourself from your job will help you discern what you can do differently when you return. When you do start back, try and identify specifically what is causing you the most stress: Impossible deadlines? Difficult clients? Constant interruptions? The drudgery of the work?

Then schedule a heart-to-heart with your manager and present a couple of solutions to try. This can be delegating more work to others, a reduced work week, work from home one day a week, or different assignments.

If there is not much support or change on the horizon, start your soul searching process. Write down what you like about your job (if anything) and what you dislike. Consider the help of an employment counselor who can help you update your resume and job hunting skills, focus and get more of what you love in your next position.

Crunch your personal budget numbers and see how long you could float.

Always take a lunch break, even if it’s just a 20-minute walk around the parking lot.

Focus on things you can control, such as getting enough sleep, eating right, exercising and connecting with friends in your support network.

This is absolutely true. A student can only learn so much in a classroom setting. Undergraduate curriculums teach students the fundamentals of business – management theories and budgeting and marketing strategies. However, for students pursuing facility management as a career, most college curriculums offer little facility-related classes in one particular area of study. While most professors have a thorough knowledge in their respective field, only a select few have actually worked in this profession. Aside from internships and practicum courses, I only recall two specific facility/event management related courses throughout both my undergraduate and graduate studies. One was a graduate facilities course partially taught by IAAM member Lynda Reinhart, and the second was a practical event management class taught by Dr. Gregg Bennett, associate professor at Texas A&M University.

Consequently, it is an arduous challenge for students to break into this industry. Students must be encouraged to make the most out of their college days by working at their university’s venues and getting involved with organizations such as IAAM. Likewise, professors should consider restructuring their programs to require students to complete a full-time, semester-long internship prior to graduation. Not only does an internship provide students with an opportunity to get his or her foot in the door, but it also provides the student with valuable real-world experience.

As Fried suggested, it is imperative that the industry realize it will take students a few years to gain solid facility management experience. Most students enter college without truly knowing what they want to do in life. By the time graduation approaches, most graduates know that they have little experience. Thus, the probability of them landing their “dream job” is slim. Think about this for a moment: if a recent college graduate who only has one year of part-time experience applied for an event coordinator position at your facility, would you hire him or her?

With that said, I encourage everyone to look at their facility’s various employment qualifications as well as other facilities’. For most event coordinator job qualifications that I have read, the common theme is that facilities want someone with a minimum of a high school diploma (some state bachelor’s degree preferred), and two to three years of experience. Some facilities even offered prospective employees to trade two years of experience for one year of education. Yes, I stated that correctly. Education is important, but experience is paramount. Facility executives should explore the methods Fried suggested to “reward passionate and book knowledgeable” students.

I would like to close with these two thoughts. First, offer internships. If you already are, be sure to actively advertise these opportunities with your local universities. Second, if an entry-level position becomes available at your venue and you see a handful of college students applying for the position, consider calling a few of them in for an interview. Granted, we may not meet all your job requirements and may need training (who doesn’t?), but you may be pleasantly surprised after speaking with us that we have a passion of wanting to learn the industry. All we need is a chance.

Eric Staufer received his Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management in 2001 and his Master of Science degree in 2004 from the University of Florida. He personally wishes to thank IAAM members Lionel Dubay (Stephen C. O’Connell Center), Bill Senn (New York Jets), Alex Diaz (AmericanAirlines Arena), Allen Johnson (Orlando Centroplex), the entire Lakeland Center staff, IAAM, Florida Facility Managers Association, and the Sport Marketing Association for taking a chance on him. He is currently employed as a client services coordinator at The Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Florida. He may be contacted at ericstaufer@hyperocity.com.