Journey from firefighting to property management
Unexpected challenges create opportunity for one JLLer
Jeremy Fleming always dreamed of becoming a firefighter until an unexpected incident sent him down a different path. In 2012, Jeremy was attacked by a patient he was transporting, resulting in serious injuries that prevented him from pursuing the career path he had envisioned.
“After that, I started asking myself, friends and family, ‘What am I good at? What do I enjoy? What makes me happy?’ And I realized I enjoy fixing, building and solving problems.”
His father-in-law suggested pursuing a career as a building operating engineer since it combined so many of the things Jeremy loved. The role would allow Jeremy to leverage skills he already had, while still pursuing his passion to help people.
“I began a rigorous journey of switching career paths, leaning on my existing knowledge, and learning an entirely new set of skills and best practices in a brand new-to-me arena. Everything from refrigeration systems to air handling, I wanted to learn it all. As I set off to pursue open positions, the first question in many of my interviews would be, ‘Why aren’t you pursuing firefighting?’ It felt like a punch to the gut and I struggled with an answer until my JLL interview. I finally felt proud to speak about my career shift.”
In April of 2018, Jeremy officially joined JLL and was recently assigned to a new position in Kirkland, Washington as a Lead Operating Engineer. During his first few years, Jeremy established a strong connection to his team at the Bellevue Corporate Plaza which helped him withstand the challenges of working during the pandemic.
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He credits his Senior Chief Engineer, Chris Leonard, for continually sharing knowledge and motivating everyone on the team to take on new challenges and advance their careers. Though the onset of COVID-19 meant less tenants in the building and more virtual connection with the team, Jeremy says it didn’t change what he loves about the role. “I was still able to fix things, resolve issues and make others happy.”
Jeremy takes advantage of every opportunity to learn. JLL provided avenues for him to continue his education through his career, and he now holds five professional certifications that improve his impact.
“I’m proud of the determination and resilience I’ve demonstrated to get here. At first, I felt my dreams were demolished when firefighting fell out of sight, but I’m glad I believed in myself to pursue a new passion.”