Stefanie Driscoll, Vice President, Client Relations, Ferrandino & Son, Inc., is the first Connex member to earn the prestigious ProFM Certification. The foundation of the ProFM® credential is the ProFM Body of Knowledge, which defines the 19 functional FM knowledge areas and five cross-functional competencies required of today’s facility professionals.
Driscoll learned about the ProFM certification while attending the 2019 Connex Road Show, secured approval to pursue the credential in July, 2019, and began studying for the ProFM exam. “This program allowed me to study when I had the time while maintaining my very busy schedule. I am married and have a 9 year-old daughter and almost 8 year-old son who are very active in sports. So, my schedule is packed every day. I am extremely dedicated to my career and felt this would be a great addition to my resume”, she said.
It took Driscoll five months to study the five modules, complete the online quizzes and the final two ProFM assessments. “While I had to study a lot, the program is well designed for working FMs, and capitalizes on what you already know while helping you focus on areas where you may need to learn more.” The first test is a knowledge exam, which is based upon the materials presented in the study modules. The second test is the application exam, which assesses an FM’s ability to apply what you have learned in real-life scenarios.
When asked about the difficulty of the exams, Driscoll said, “Everyone’s FM experience is different. I needed to study to gain knowledge in FM areas where I had not had significant experience. Some FMs may be able to pass the exam without studying too much. However, less experienced FMs may need to study a lot more. The program is very flexible. I was easily able to study anywhere, anytime by using the mobile app on my phone.”
Four members of Ferrandino & Son’s leadership team are now completing the ProFM study course and Driscoll has plans to continue her FM education. “ProFM requires me to participate in 45 hours of continuing education during the next three years. ProFM is very reasonable about how you secure these hours. I can acquire credits as a Taskforce leader on the Connex Women in Action Committee, by helping my colleagues study for the exam, attending educational sessions during CONNEX2020 National Conference and taking online or in-person classes, or other seminars or workshops. I also get credit as a mentor, coach, speaker, for reading books, articles, blogs and other FM educational experiences.”
Driscoll is now an advocate for the ProFM credential. “I would absolutely recommend other FMs complete the ProFM study course and testing,” Driscoll said. “While all of the content does not apply to my current role at Ferrandino & Son, there is a lot that does. Plus, you will discover what you don’t know and that is often more valuable in advancing your career.”
Kevin Smith, COO, Ferrandino & Son, also endorses the ProFM certification program. “We are extremely proud of Stefanie becoming the first Connex member to earn the ProFM credential. It is easy to support high quality FM education programs that advance the FM profession in totality and help our teams excel. Plus, ProFM is recognized across a wide spectrum of experienced industry experts and proven educators,” Smith concluded.
