Are you building and evolving in your career?

I remember my first job in property management, it was a leasing role with a boutique agency in Brisbane. I had no idea what the job entailed however, like many reading this blog, I worked hard and learnt quickly, on the job. I have spoken to many other people who also ‘fell’ into property management, but now genuinely enjoy what they do. I truly wanted to turn property management into a career, but where was the career path? No one had ever really defined one.

We call the skills that we learn in property management competencies, the greater the competencies that we learn the greater the skills that we have. There are many roles in property management, and all have a different level of skill. Leasing, reception and junior property manager roles are generally considered to be entry level roles, while property manager, business developer and administration may be considered mid level roles, where most of the heavy lifting is done. At the top of the tier we have experienced property managers, team leaders, growth leaders and business managers. At the higher level these people have defined and developed competencies outside of property management. These may include leadership and mentoring, motivating peers, troubleshooting, risk management and client services.

Each member of the team must be empowered to build and drive their own career. In regular 1-on-1’s with your leader, you should be assessing which competencies you have completed and are proficient in, and which you should be working on, over the next period of time, to build out the competencies for your current role. Once you have done this, you are ready to start working on competencies for the next role in your career path. This process formalises your career development, ensuring that both you and your leader are constantly focusing on your career development.

Ben White has published a book called building blocks. This book defines the property management organisational chart, but more importantly, it defines the different roles in property management and the competencies that make up each role. I have attached a PDF of the property management career workbook to the bottom of this blog. There are three other career workbooks for each team in the property management organisational chart. The Leadership Team, Administration Team and the Business Development Team.

While this book takes all the hard work out defining and measuring a career plan, it is by no means the only way to plan your career. Each individual business may have a different set of competencies and different roles that pave the road for your career. What I would encourage though, is that you have documented and planned the building blocks that make up your career path. It is this path that will be the key to a successful and enjoyable property management career.