I am a relatively young facilities management professional and student who is very interested in building a long-term career within the oil and energy sector, particularly on the facilities, operations, and asset management side.
From what I observe, oil and gas facilities tend to demand a higher standard for safety systems, asset reliability, energy performance, compliance, and data discipline than many commercial portfolios. That is exactly the kind of operating environment I am hoping to grow into.
For those who have experience in this space, I would appreciate perspectives on a few practical points:
• What entry-level or early-career FM roles typically act as the best on-ramps into oil and energy facilities
• Which certifications, courses, or technical foundations actually matter in practice, beyond general FM credentials
• How younger professionals can build credibility in environments where risk, uptime, and safety are critical
• What skills do you wish you had developed earlier when moving into energy or industrial portfolios
I am particularly interested in how modern tools and approaches intersect with this space. This includes energy analytics, condition-based maintenance, workflow automation, and the responsible use of AI for decision support, reporting, and asset lifecycle planning. My longer-term goal is to grow at the intersection of facilities management, energy systems, automation, and data-driven operations.
Any guidance, lessons learned, or recommended learning paths would be greatly appreciated. I am keen to learn how others have successfully made this transition and what sets high-performing FM professionals in the oil and energy environment apart.
Looking forward to the discussion.
-------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Ayomide Babatunde
Honors Grad Student
Florida A & M University (Tallahassee FL)
8+ years working at the intersection of Tech and Marketing.
------------------------------