5 minute read
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Four compelling reasons to be an association manager.
By Hamlet Vazquez, MCAM-HR
What do you want to be when you grow up? Such is the familiar question asked of every youngster. I can assure you that the response of 'An Association Manager' has yet to cross the lips of any such youngster.
Most respond with doctor, or firefighter or veterinarian or teacher. Why? What is it about these professions that makes them so attractive to a child? Adie from them being all very visible, they are also very easily understood. It's clear what they all do--they help sick people, put out fires, help sick pets, and ... teach. But when it comes to Association Management, what is it that we exactly do? And why would anyone want to do this for life, right?
As one ponders our profession though, there are actually four very compelling reasons for becoming an Association Manager:
First of all, there’s actually a significant way in which our profession overlaps that of a doctor, firefighter, veterinarian and teacher. I’m sure you know what that is–at the core of our profession is the fact that it’s about helping others. It’s about caring for people and for the things that matter to them. Each day as Association Managers we are confronted with a wealth of opportunities to help others. Whether you are a portfolio manager or an onsite manager or part of the support team at the corporate office, the opportunities are endless to help others.
Next time that difficult resident or board member calls or stops by your office, remember that “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” And next time a child asks you what you do for a living, tell them that you help people. Let’s do this as we add to their list of options!
A second compelling reason to becoming an Association Manager, is the fact that there is a lot of variety in what we do. As managers we need to be experienced in people-management, money-management, property-management, risk-management, and general problem-management. As an onsite high-rise manager, a day does not go by where I’m not engaged in all of these, often simultaneously! While I’m sure there’s some variety in being a firefighter or teacher, it certainly doesn’t compare to what Association Managers engage in on a daily basis.
Another aspect of variety in our industry, especially if you are a portfolio manager, is the variety of people that you interact with on a daily basis. Depending on the size of your portfolio, you will interact with a plethora of personalities both from your myriad boards as well as residents and vendors. One cannot last long in this industry without being people-smart and if you are good with people, you can succeed beyond your education.
Something else that becomes clear as one ponders the profession of Association Management is the fact that no college degree is required to succeed in the field!
Not to discourage attending college, but some of the most successful managers that I know did not graduate from college or necessarily do very well in college. When one considers that the average salary of someone in California with only a high school education is about $50,000, the average wage of a portfolio manager of between $65,000 and $75,000 per year is pretty good.
While the onsite manager or company executive salaries can vary widely, they can range from $80,000 to $200,000+ depending on the property, geographic location and company size. The point is that a decent living wage is possible within our industry with no student loan debt!
With that said, education is very important for success within the industry. The fact is that it’ll be difficult to succeed in our industry without proper ongoing education and credentialing from industry organizations like the California Association of Community Managers (CACM). The laws in California pertaining to Associations are ever-evolving, as are laws pertaining to employee and property management. One cannot go at it alone. Ongoing learning is essential.
In a discussion with Laura Ravazza, CCAM- PM, she made the great observation that within our industry it’s up to you to choose your own destiny; meaning that with the ongoing education offered by industry organizations the possibilities for growth are endless. One can start working a front desk or as an assistant at the corporate office and move all the way up to being an executive or even starting one’s own company. It all depends on how much you want to do. In other professions the opportunities for growth are either limited by formal educational requirements (J.D., MD, MBA, PhD, etc.) or are simply unavailable.
A fourth benefit to being an Association Manager became clear this year as during the pandemic we made the list of ‘Essential Workers’! Unlike other jobs within the hospitality industry such as hotel workers, workers associated in any way with property management are considered essential. While others have been laid off or simply lost jobs that won’t be reinstated, Association Managers have continued to receive a paycheck. This is no small thing. It may seem small to us as we read this in our home offices or onsite office but if we had lost our jobs, we would come to appreciate what this means all the more.
So, when that child asks you what you do for a living, don’t forget to add that you do something that is essential. So essential, in fact, that even in the midst of a pandemic you reported to work!
So, “What do you want to be when yougrow up?”, the child was asked. “An Association Manager,” said the child of the parent who came home each day from an essential job and talked about all the ways in which they helped others!
Hamlet Vazquez, MCAM-HR, is general manager with Action Property Management, Inc., ACMC in Long Beach.
