Real estate management might just be growing as a field-of-study at colleges and universities across the country, but students like Jacob Neil are taking a deep dive into the industry realizing the number of opportunities available for them post-graduation. Now a Junior at Brigham Young University, Jacob is studying Construction and Facilities Management with an emphasis on property management and was one of just 10 students from across the country recognized as an 乐竞体育赛事直播 Student Leader in 2022.
We connected with Jacob to learn more about what got him interested in the industry, how his college experience has been so far, his connection with the Student Leaders program, and lastly, what the future might hold for him.
Coincidentally, just as many industry professional state they simply 鈥渇ell into their career,鈥� Jacob also, in a way, fell into his studies in Construction and Facilities Management. Growing up, Jacob 鈥渓iked buildings; going to temples through church and being around beautiful buildings created an interest in studying architecture.鈥� Although BYU doesn鈥檛 offer an architecture degree, Jacob had experience in shadowing engineers through a high school Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) program and made the connection between civil engineering and construction and facilities management.
鈥淥riginally, property and facilities management didn鈥檛 sound very cool, but as I learned more about it, I developed a deeper interest. A facilities manager for the Navy initially set the stage for me being open to the idea of facility management as a career and then one of my professors at BYU really opened my eyes to all the other opportunities available in this industry.鈥�
Jacob鈥檚 best advice for anyone interested in pursuing a similar degree is to talk with as many people as possible: 鈥減eople like sharing what they do with others who are interested.鈥� He also encourages students to be active in their community both on- and off-campus. 鈥淏eing a part of a club or team helps you find community. It can feel overwhelming when there are so many people at your school, and finding your passion through a club or activity is a great way to get engaged.鈥�
To say Jacob has been involved at BYU is an understatement. From joining the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute club, working on tenant improvement projects for the BYU Carpentry department, participating in multiple internships across engineering and real estate, and presenting research at the UN International Academic Conference on Sustainable Goals, it鈥檚 clear to see he鈥檚 taken his own advice about becoming involved and expanding his skillset.
As if that wasn鈥檛 a lot already, Jacob saw the opportunity to get involved with 乐竞体育赛事直播 and expand his network through the Student Leaders program. At the beginning of the program he wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect as he had only been briefly connected with his local 乐竞体育赛事直播 chapter through BYU events. 鈥淭here was a sense of community among us Student Leaders. We knew it was all building up to the 乐竞体育赛事直播 Global Summit, so we kept looking forward to that opportunity.鈥�
As anticipatory as it was for Student Leaders to make it to the Global Summit, that鈥檚 when everything finally clicked. 鈥淚t was the singular most impactful experience for my future career. The ability to talk and network with so many people from so many different walks of the real estate management industry in one place was truly incredible. Everyone is in one place, and they鈥檙e all willing and excited to talk to you and share their perspectives and backgrounds.鈥�
It was also at the Global Summit that Jacob connected with his local 乐竞体育赛事直播 Utah Chapter. 鈥淭hey took me in, and just like family, helped me feel included and welcome.鈥� He鈥檚 stayed connected with his chapter as he鈥檚 completing an internship in Washington D.C., an internship he secured through a connection made at the Global Summit. He鈥檚 part of his chapter鈥檚 academic outreach and public relations committees, and enjoys giving back and meeting people in leadership in the local real estate community.
So, what鈥檚 next? What does someone with all this experience plan on doing in the future? 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little overwhelming when thinking about all the different opportunities,鈥� but Jacob knows he鈥檚 found his place in the real estate industry and looks forward to whatever opportunity comes his way. 鈥淭he wonderful part of this industry is the breadth of opportunities out there 鈥� now I just have to look through it all and find what鈥檚 right for me.鈥�