Daniel Cravens – Career pivot to a new role with BSc (Hons) in Facilities and Workplace Management

Daniel Cravens is an Estate Services Manager with extensive experience in facilities management (FM) who gained his BSc (Hons) in Workplace and Facilities Management at Portobello Institute.

Daniel has been working in FM services in varying roles for 13 years. He has worked with some big players in the industry in sectors like tech, pharmaceutical, banking and law.

He says that while there was a lot of training and on-the-job-learning helped his career, he wanted to educate himself in the foundations of FM with modern theories and fundamentals in FM Business operations.

This led him to Portobello Institute, where he gained his IWFM Level 5 Diploma and BSc (Hons) in Workplace and Facilities Management.

“On-the-job learning will get you so far. Understanding the basic principles of your profession through studying and researching can elevate your method and approach and give you the confidence to deliver,” he said.

Since gaining his degree, Daniel has pivoted his career slightly from Facilities Manager for JLL at Facebook to the commercial side of real estate, finding the career that is right for him.

“This year I have changed direction and moved into the commercial real estate side of the business, running operations for the Windmill Quarter buildings that are owned and managed by Hibernia.

“Having the qualification with real-world experience has opened a lot more doors to opportunities to develop and get the right role in the industry.

“While having experience is great, having the qualification shows potential employers your commitment to personal growth and understanding of the professional environment you are working in,” he said.

Daniel describes some of what his new role involves.

“Everything from occupier engagement to reactive tasks, PPM management, vendor review, auditing, people management, financial reconciliation and minor works or projects. Building management and FM operatives need to be adaptable and able to change swiftly from one to the next.

“I have had great success implementing strategies and workflow processes that would have derived from the learnings and study completed at Portobello,” he said.

Completing his degree as a mature student while working and balancing other life commitments was a big decision to make, but one that was made easier with Portobello Institute’s blended learning online delivery.

“Coming in as a mature student, it has been some time being in this type of environment. However, I was immediately put at ease as many of the students were in the same boat as myself and met some great study partners who are now great friends.

“The best elements were the lectures and being involved in the conversation with the lecturers and my classmates on the interesting modules throughout the course.

“Also with the blended learning, lectures were recorded, so it was great to go back and re-visit these when preparing your assignments and exams. In fact, I might not have done as well as I did if this was not a feature, and I enjoyed being in my own home whilst studying.

“I would recommend Portobello Institute and I have! Again, the knowledgeable lecturers are the engine room and guide us to unlock any potential as we make our way through the course modules. Their aftercare support was also excellent if any follow-up or clarification was needed,” he said.

Portobello Institute offers a BSc (Hons) in Facilities & Workplace Management, Level 9 PGC Innovation for Sustainability in the Workplace, Postgraduate Certificate in Facilities Management and an MSc in Facilities & Workplace Management and more. 

If you are interested in any of our Facilities Management degrees or qualifications, you can book a consultation call with our expert FM advisor Brandon McLean, email [email protected] or call 01 892 0035. Visit our Facilities Management department here.