As a recent college graduate or young professional in the lighting industry, it’s essential to understand your success goes beyond just technical knowledge; it requires a blend of strong communication skills, strong work ethic, adaptability, and enthusiasm. If you’re aiming to succeed in the lighting industry, here are some key insights gained throughout my 17 years as a lighting industry executive recruiter.
The most in-demand positions of 2024 were lighting designers, product managers, and quotations and regional sales managers. In all these positions, our clients were looking for people that have some sales skills and adaptability. Sales is becoming an important aspect in all positions. For the non-sales positions, employers value people that keep their ears open to new projects being bid on and ask if their company can get those projects. It’s about knowing what is going on in your community, knowing which companies/architects are getting which projects, and being willing to ask for the opportunity to work on them.
Computer skills are important, including standard programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe. When it comes to lighting design or engineering positions the required software includes AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, and AGi32. Classes on these programs are typically available online or at your local community college.
Strong communication skills are becoming even more important than computer skills (which can be taught on the job). Keep this in mind during every phone conversation, voicemail, text, and email. Re-read what you wrote to check for typos—programs such as Grammarly can be added to double check your written communication. Think about what you are going to say before important phone calls, video chats, or in-person meetings; write it out and rehearse it in front of a mirror.
“Employers value personal qualities that contribute to the long-term success of the company”
Employers value personal qualities that contribute to the long-term success of the company. A willingness to learn and adapt will take you very far in your career; always be curious. Lighting is everywhere, look up when you’re in stores, study it; look at who the manufacturer is and research them. Examine various objects under different light sources. Ask, how does different lighting affect an object’s’ appearance, and under which lighting do they look more appealing? Don’t be afraid to ask questions about why things are done a certain way to gain understanding. Go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and compare all the light fixtures and light bulbs. Tinker with them; understand how they go together and what components are within. Subscribe to industry magazines, and continue to learn about the latest trends in lighting, technology improvements, or issues affecting the industry. Take IES courses such as Fundamentals of Lighting. Once you have three years of experience, take the LC exam through the NCQLP. Read books or take classes on organizational development, critical thinking, public speaking, personal finance, research methods, etc.
It’s equally important to understand as a recent college graduate or young/emerging professional, you will need to work hard and pay your dues. In talking with emerging professionals, I’ve learned you want to have an immediate impact, but that comes with time; you can still add your insights to a project while continuing to focus on developing your skills and becoming a true subject-matter expert. The most important words in teaching/coaching/professional development are “Trust the process.” Live by this every day.
Passion about your industry can take you far in your career. Get involved! Network with people in the industry, go to events like Lightfair, LEDucation, and local IES events. Review the products at trade shows, ask the manufacturers questions; tell them you are new to the industry and would like to know about their products. Talk to people you’ve never talked to before, ask them questions about how they got into the industry, what do they love about lighting? What advice do they have for you as you begin your career? Join organizations like the IES, IALD, WILD, etc. Volunteer to help with lighting for a local play or theater.
What is your temperament? Do you prefer being alone or with other people? Do you make decisions based more on feelings or facts? Do you prefer details or big ideas? What are your strengths, skills, and abilities? Think about and understand if you would prefer design, engineering, or sales, and so on. If you’re more analytical and fact based, you may be better suited for engineering; if you prefer to be with people, you may prefer sales. Research different positions and look at job descriptions to see if they align with your notes about yourself.
Analyze the different sectors of the industry—manufacturing, specifiers, rep agencies, and distributors—to determine which sector you’d prefer to be in.
Manufacturers handle their own product line and are the product experts. In manufacturing you can go into sales, engineering, marketing, operations, etc. In a sales role you sell just that manufacturer’s products and cover a large region of multiple states managing rep agencies and going with the rep agencies sales people to call on distributors or specifiers generally. If you go into an engineering role with a manufacturer you would be designing products like fixtures, lightbulbs, controls, etc.
Rep agencies are in the middle of the manufacturers and distributors, they represent up to 100 manufacturers’ products. They are market specialists; they know all the distributors and specifiers in their city and which buildings are being built or retrofitted. They hire sales, quotations, application engineers, project managers. In a sales role, you sell all products of the manufacturers’ they represent and call on distributors or specifiers in your local city. Application engineers in a rep agency help their customers design the lighting in a space for their project using the fixtures, lamps, and controls of the manufacturers they represent.
Distributors stock the products for the manufacturers, so they can ship quickly to jobsites. They hire sales people, warehouse managers, lighting designers, branch managers, etc. Distributors sell directly to the end user like a building owner or contractor.
Specifiers include lighting design firms, architectural firms, and engineering firms. They design the building and select what products to buy. They are product agnostic, so they can use any manufacturer’s products they want. They hire lighting designers, project managers, business development/sales people. In a lighting design role at a specifier, you are designing what the lighting will look like in the space and choosing which fixtures will give the effect you want to create. In a sales role with a specifier, you would be calling on architects and building owners.
In preparing for an interview, dress and act professionally. Perform research on the company and the industry, read their website, google the company name, research their key employees on LinkedIn. Bring several copies of your resume, a notepad, and a pen. For lighting design or engineering positions, you should also bring several hard and digital copies of your portfolio to share. Your portfolio should show examples of your work, whether it’s from school or a job, and give them examples of the work you did to get to that design and be prepared to discuss why you did what you did to create the design. Be ready to discuss your accomplishments and skills and provide examples to support them. Rehearse answering those questions before the interview to build up your confidence. You can use the STAR analysis as a guide:
Situation = backstory, who, what, where, when.
Task = what was your exact involvement in the project, what were you assigned to do?
Actions = What steps did you take to solve the challenge? How did you overcome roadblocks? Discuss any unique methods you used.
Results = What happened because of your actions? What did you learn? Include numbers and statistics when you can.
Be enthusiastic and passionate about lighting and what you want to do. If you’re not passionate or excited about the opportunity, hiring personnel don’t think you’ll stay with their company or in the industry for a long time. So, how do you become more passionate and enthusiastic? Surround yourself with enthusiastic people, focus on what makes you happy, and take care of yourself physically and mentally. Create a vision board with your goals and hang it somewhere you’ll see it every day.
This is a fantastic industry to be in. The global lighting market is estimated to be around $100 billion. There are many jobs available for those who want to explore new technology advances in IoT and controls, new sales channels, etc. There is so much to come in lighting for improved human health and happiness, animal health, improved plant and food production, smart cities, and interconnectivity. The opportunities are endless.
Brooke Ziolo is president and executive recruiter for Lighting, Lighting Design, and Lighting Controls at Egret Consulting(www.egretconsulting.com).
