5 Job Interview Tips from Lumine's Director of Talent Acquisition

Congratulations! You think you have found your next career opportunity. Now, all you need to do is have a few interviews, impress the interviewer with your skill and charm, and the job is yours.

Sounds easy, right?

We wish! Preparing for an interview can be nerve-wracking for even the most experienced candidates. All interviews require preparation, and the good news is, the more you prepare, the more comfortable and confident you will feel during the process.

Lumine’s Director of Talent Acquisition, Alex Asaad, leads the hiring process for Lumine Group its portfolio of businesses. While his mandate is to source executive talent, he interviews candidates across all experience levels – from interns to the C-suite. We asked him to share his top 5 interview tips to help candidates prepare and shine during the interview process.

Make sure you take time to prepare by doing research about the company and the role. The more you prepare, the more confident you will feel during the interview process. You’ll be able to ask better questions, and you can best understand how to answer the Interviewer’s questions to ensure you’re relating back to the company’s job description to have more specific (and more memorable) answers.

Some quick tips:

• Ask ahead of time for the name/title of the person you will be interviewing with and look them up online.
• Learn about the company’s mission statement, clients, social media, marketing, values, and overall relevant corporate details.
• Read the latest news and related articles as they could be good for questions or ice breakers.
• Find out if you have common network connections with an employee and ask them to make an introduction to the employee. Engage them to understand more about the company and overall employee experience.

Show up with confidence.

Being nervous is normal, and often your interviewer is too! Calm your nerves by practicing some breathing exercises before the interview and set some buffer time before your interview so you have some time to mentally prepare and get in the right mindset. By being relaxed and feeling prepared, you’re setting the stage to present your best self.

Here are some tips on how to appear most confident during your interview:

• Prepare your value proposition, have an answer for “Why should we hire you?”
• Do not rush your answers, and have them be thoughtful and deliberate.
• Be specific and succinct: use direct examples which clearly articulate how you contribute to a result.
• Be enthusiastic, show excitement about the opportunity! 
• Be humble, be comfortable with saying "I am not sure how to answer that" or "I experienced that and failed, but this is what I learned from the experience." 

Be in tune with the language of the position you are applying for.

We love what we do at Lumine, and feel motivated by meeting with people who share the same enthusiasm. During your research, take some time to understand the role and what makes it unique at the company you are applying for.

Tips for how to do this:

• Look up previous or current employees and their backgrounds. Get a sense of where other people have come from. 
• Look at previous job posts for the role -- has it changed? If so, ask why! 
• Learn the “terminology” of the role, such as skillsets needed & competencies
• Learn the company’s CRMS or digital tools for your role and relate them to your experience.
• Prepare a similarity list between your background, personality, experience, and the company’s based on the above. Refer to this during your interview, and if possible, it can be something you can share post-interview.  

Always have questions to ask at the end of the interview.

Remember, an interview is always a two-way conversation. Ask relevant questions to show you’ve done your research. During an interview, it may feel as though you are trying to sell yourself, but the company needs to sell itself too, and we always expect questions. Be curious! 

Questions can also demonstrate that you are critically thinking about the position and a future with Lumine (a skill set that benefits every position) and that you have taken the time to think of questions that matter most to you so you can ensure there is a good fit between the company and your needs – which shows that you care.

• Understand the why and how of this position(ex., “How does this marketing role interact with the sales team?”)
• Ask about the interviewer and their background (ex., “How did you get to Lumine, and what makes you excited about building a career here?”)
• Ask questions about recent news or company announcement (ex., “I read that Lumine recently acquired a new business, can you tell me more about how this company fits with the portfolio of businesses?”)
• Ask about the company’s needs and how you can relate them to your needs (ex., “What does the future of work look like for your company in terms of where we work?”) 

Close the loop and follow up.

You are almost done! You have done your research, came prepared and confident for your interview, and had great questions. Now comes the final few minutes: the interview close, and the follow-up.

To leave a lasting impression and connect with the interviewer, prepare a few words that recap your interest in the role and why you think you would be a good fit, and show you are prepared to follow up and continue to the process.

• Re-affirm your interest in the role, and why. (ex., “After speaking with you today, I am even more excited about this opportunity given the impact I believe I can make to the team and work together to achieve the company’s goals.”)
• Ask about the recruiting process and when to expect to hear back
• And finally, send a thank you email, with another quick highlight of what you learned to the process and why you are the most suited for the position

We hope these tips help you in preparing for your interview, and help you feel confident and show up as feeling your best. Remember, we are always here to help you succeed during the process, and we are also feeling nervous and keen to make a good impression. We look forward to meeting you!

Check out open positions with Lumine Group here!