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Facilities Management isn’t usually the career a fresh graduate or young professional sets out to build. For many, the industry is something they discover along the way, through a job opening, a course they happened to take, or an opportunity they had not planned for. What they often find once they are in it is an industry with far more responsibility, variety and human impact than they expected.

At CPG Facilities Management, that next generation is already on the ground, stepping into roles across technical operations, procurement, town council estates and digital transformation that shape how buildings run and how people experience the spaces around them.

This edition of Humans of CPG FM speaks to four of them: Bala Subramanian, Hamas Mansor, Natasha Ewe and Zachary Tan, about how they landed in FM, what surprised them, and why they’re glad they gave the industry a chance.

Four Paths into the Same Industry

Each arrived from a different starting point.

Bala Subramanian, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Chennai, spent his early career as a QC engineer in manufacturing before deciding he wanted real, hands-on exposure to problems rather than work confined to paper. That search led him to become an M&E Technician, and eventually to CPG FM, where he is now a Technical Officer overseeing a commercial building that houses NTUC, National Library Board, banks, Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Central Provident Fund (CPF), ServiceSG and several other public-facing tenants.

“I wanted more responsibility, to move beyond just executing tasks and take ownership of managing systems, coordinating contractors and being accountable for outcomes. CPG FM offered that next step.”

Hamas Mansor came in more directly, straight from National Service and a diploma in Sustainable Built Environment at Republic Polytechnic. As a Property Officer with Jalan Kayu Town Council, his days revolve around resident feedback, facility inspections and administrative follow-through.

“I felt that the organisation’s scope and operations closely aligned with what I had studied during my diploma. The opportunity to put what I had learnt into practice while gaining real-world experience was something I was genuinely excited about.”

Natasha Ewe took the more conventional academic route, studying Project & Facilities Management at NUS. As a recipient of the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS), of which CPG FM is one of the sponsoring organisations, her path was already linking to CPG FM before she even graduated. Now she is an Assistant Manager in CPG FM’s Office of Procurement & Tender Management, spending her days coordinating tender submissions and working closely with internal teams and contractors.

“I was interested in FM because it brings together different areas such as operations, people, and technical services.”

Zachary Tan had perhaps the most different entry point. With a background in technology and design and little prior knowledge of the industry, he joined CPG FM as an Experience Design Executive shortly after National Service, drawn by a role involving digitalisation and AI.

“What caught my attention was the opportunity to apply my background in technology and design to an industry with a very tangible, real-world impact. I began to see that Facility Management was much broader than maintaining buildings – it’s an industry where technology, operations and people come together.”

The Moment It Clicked

For each of them, there came a point where the job stopped feeling like just a job.

For Bala, it happened more than once. Early in his time at CPG FM, he traced a recurring CCTV fault to a CPU sitting on the floor that people kept accidentally kicking off – a fix that earned him a reputation as the go-to person for CCTV issues on site. But the moments that stay with him most are the ones where the job stops feeling technical altogether.

“Honestly, if you ask me, almost every day – that my work actually matters to this building and the people in it. One day it could be something simple, like a tenant complimenting how the building still looks new even though it’s over 20 years old, which tells me the cleaning and upkeep is being managed well. Moments like this remind me that this isn’t just a technical job – FM genuinely helps people, and that’s when I know I made the right career choice.”

For Hamas, it was a smaller but no less telling moment: noticing abandoned bicycles cluttering common corridors in his estate, and turning what could have been a simple clean-up into a longer-term fix by working on new bicycle racks alongside the removal exercise.

“This issue not only provided me with an opportunity to address and remove abandoned or damaged bicycles, but also allowed me to improve and optimise the facilities around the estate. This has sparked a sense of satisfaction in me, and from then on, I believe I have made the right choice.”

For Natasha, the realisation was less about a single incident and more about seeing her training put to use. “A meaningful part of my journey has been being able to apply what I have learned in a real working environment,” she shares, pointing to moments of catching discrepancies in tender information as proof that the details matter.

For Zachary, it was being trusted to lead the Operational Technology rollout at Dempsey – coordinating multiple vendors and stakeholders on a project of real scale, relatively early in his career.

“Being trusted to lead projects and seeing them gradually take shape showed me that there was a place for my skills within the industry. That was when an unexpected opportunity began to feel like the right career direction for me.”

Rewriting the First Impression

Ask any of them what they thought of Facility Management before joining, and the answer is some version of the same thing: they underestimated it.

“Before joining CPG FM, I knew very little about Facility Management,” Zachary admits. “Like many people, I associated it mainly with building maintenance and did not realise how broad the industry was.” He now points to digital transformation, sustainability and user experience as areas he never expected to find inside FM.

Hamas had a similar starting point. “Before joining CPG FM, I saw Facility Management mainly as maintaining buildings and handling day-to-day issues. After joining, I realised it is much more than that – it involves people management, problem-solving, coordination and continuous improvement.”

Bala was struck by how much the work touches everyday life. “What surprised me most is how much facility management impacts society, more than I expected. It’s not just about keeping a building running – it’s about making sure the building is kept safe and comfortable at all times. I didn’t realize how much responsibility comes with that until I was actually in the role.”

What Keeps Them Going

What keeps each of them in the industry is a sense that the work, and their part in it, genuinely matters.

For Zachary, it’s the problem-solving itself. “There is something very satisfying about taking an unfamiliar or unclear challenge, working through its complexities and eventually turning it into a practical solution.”

For Natasha, it’s the rhythm of the work itself. “Having clear deadlines helps me stay focused. There can be quite a lot to coordinate for each tender, so I am motivated by being able to work through everything and keep things on track.”

For Hamas, it’s the sense of purpose behind the daily grind, knowing the work translates into real peace of mind for the people he serves. “The most rewarding part of my job is being able to provide members of the public with a sense of assurance and peace of mind. I strive to ensure that the facilities and common areas around them are well-maintained, safe and ready for use, allowing them to go about their daily lives without unnecessary concerns.”

For Bala, it’s the constant learning curve – from energy audits to ISO audits, areas he had never touched before joining CPG FM. “That kind of progress, seeing myself go from someone who didn’t know energy audits to someone who is now involved in them, is what keeps me going.”

The Quiet Support System

Ask them how they got here, and the growth doesn’t sound like it happened alone.

Zachary points to being handed real stakes early – not just tasks, but ownership. “Despite being relatively early in my career, I have been given the space to lead digitalisation initiatives, manage an operational technology rollout and work with stakeholders across different functions and levels of the organisation.”

Natasha’s version of the same thing is quieter, more responsibility, but with someone still checking in. “I’ve had more opportunities to be involved in the pricing aspects of tenders. Having the chance to take on more while still receiving guidance has helped me build my confidence.”

For Hamas, it was the people surrounding him. “The guidance and experience shared by my colleagues and supervisors have been very valuable. Whenever I encounter something unfamiliar, I’m able to learn from the people around me.”

Different shapes of the same thing: CPG FM didn’t hand them the answers, but it made sure they weren’t figuring things out alone either. Greater responsibility came with guidance, feedback and colleagues they could turn to when they encountered something unfamiliar.

Advice for the Next Graduate Weighing Their Options

If there’s one thing all four agree on, it’s that Facility Management deserves a second look from young people who might otherwise pass it over.

“Please try it,” Bala adds simply. “It’s not the typical first choice for a lot of graduates, but once you get into it, it’s always teaching you something new – and at the end of the day, your work directly helps people. That’s a feeling not every job gives you.”

Zachary puts it in terms of range rather than certainty. “Your first job does not need to define your entire career, but it should give you opportunities to learn, take on meaningful responsibilities and discover where your strengths can create value. Facility Management can provide that exposure because the work is multidisciplinary and connected to real-world challenges.”

Building the Industry’s Next Chapter

Bala, Hamas, Natasha and Zachary didn’t set out to become “FM people.” They arrived from manufacturing, from national service, from technology background and lecture halls, and found an industry that gave them more responsibility, more variety and more impact than they expected.

They are not the only ones. Across CPG FM, there are many more young people like them, some who chose this path deliberately and others who found their way into it unexpectedly, building their experience as their responsibilities grow.

That’s the story CPG Facilities Management hopes more young people will hear: that the buildings people walk through every day, the systems that quietly keep them running, and the communities that depend on them are increasingly being shaped by a new generation choosing to build their careers here.

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Humans of CPG FM is an ongoing series spotlighting the people who make CPG Facilities Management what it is.

Author: APT.