PWR's San Diego Experts: Landing Your Next Job with Kolby Goodman

Welcome to our “PWR’s Experts” column, where we highlight some of our favorite industry experts. 

Kolby Goodman - Owner of The Job Huntr

Kolby, what are the best ways to stand out against other candidates when you apply for a new job?

The biggest differentiator a candidate can make is to communicate their value. Typically, an employer is assessing the candidate on how this person can directly affect profits, costs, and productivity. Most job hunters interview and say, I have the most experience and this is why you should hire me. Instead, if a candidate puts themselves in the shoes of the manager and says, this is how I can solve your biggest problems and bring you the most business value and human value, it will separate them from their competition.

How important is perfecting your resume before applying for a job?

According to Glassdoor, the average job opening is getting over 250 applications. Often, these applications get sent to an increasingly sophisticated AI systems (called the Application Tracking System) that helps companies, HR, and hiring managers filter through this massive amount of information as quickly and efficiently as possible. Just making sure that you have a resume that is grammatically correct and structurally sound is not going to cut it. You must convey to the hiring manager, via keywords and phrases, that you know and can help with the critical points of the job. Also, make sure you are tailoring your resume to include metrics, results, and action-oriented achievements aligned with each job you are applying for.

Negotiating is hard. Do you have any tips on how to stay confident or when to back down?

First of all, the objective of any candidate is to showcase how much value they can bring to the organization, and this direct value proposition will allow you to gain a higher salary. When negotiating your salary, the goal isn't to try to get the most money out of your next employer. The goal should be to find a number that matches the value of your contributions. If you successfully communicate your benefit, the amount that you ask for will not be surprising and you will not have to negotiate. The key is to make sure you are clear about your value and direct impact on the bottom line. If you need help on understanding what your baseline should be, public salary databases like Glassdoor or  Levels are great resources.

How can individuals best prepare for the in-person interview?

You should always go into the interview prepared to demonstrate how you can best help the manager and make their job easier. 

Put yourself in the shoes of the manager. 

• What are they looking for? 

• What are their concerns? 

• How do they need help? 

You can determine a lot of these factors by reading carefully into the job description itself. Compare what you find to the overall operations and objectives of the company. Putting these two things together will allow you to have a better understanding of your impact and involvement in the operation. How can you streamline? How can you improve profits? How can you cut costs? The more you can fulfill these needs, the higher the value you will have against your competition.

How do you coach your clients on answering the hard interview questions like "strengths and weaknesses" or something they haven't thought about an answer to?

I think people get really hung up on difficult questions because they're worried about giving the "perfect answer". If you come to an interview question and you feel stuck, take a moment and try to understand what the purpose of the question is. For a question such as your biggest weakness, don't look at this question as an opportunity to give the hiring manager examples of why they shouldn't hire you. This question is actually to help the manager understand how self-reflective you are. They want to know that you can be self-critical, take direction or feedback, and that you can look at your past experiences and improve from them.

Is it wrong to be "too honest" in the interview or on your resume? For example, mentioning you want to be able to pick-up or take your kids to school.

I don't think you can be too honest in an interview. Instead, focus on communicating how you can best contribute to the organization. If you know you need to have a work-life balance, explain to them that you are willing to work hard and put in the hours, but you also hope that you find a company that allows you to pick up your kids from school. Explain that when you have this balance, you work hard when you're at work because you know that you can enjoy your time off.

For individuals looking to find a job that isn't the same as a job they have had before, such as making a career change, what advice do you give?

First, understand the impact that you have on your coworkers in your current organization. Aside from skill sets, or technical abilities, how do you help the people around you regularly? How do you directly influence and support them to do better? These questions will give you a good indication of what your intrinsic skill sets are. All the specific job skills you can learn. Sell yourself based on these inherent soft skills, passions, interests, and abilities. Understand how someone else in a different industry applies these skills and that will give you a better understanding of how to make the change.

What resources are there for individuals looking to start the job hunt? What if they haven't interviewed or updated their resume in years?

I may be biased, but I think going to a qualified professional to help you in your transition is the quickest, easiest, and honestly most profitable way of going about this. As a career coach, I can help you identify your strengths and give you perspective about your accomplishments and impact at previous companies. I also give you an understanding of what your next hiring manager is thinking and feeling as they evaluate your candidacy based on the job posting. This outside perspective is invaluable and can really give you a head start against your competition. This needs to be a strategic endeavor, or else you're going to be continuing to spin your wheels until exhaustion. So bringing in somebody to help you who is qualified, experienced, and passionate is going to be crucial.

What do you love most about your work at The Job Huntr?

Every day I get the opportunity to work with expert, passionate, and excited professionals who go out and land the jobs of their dreams. The impact, support, and encouragement I'm able to provide are unmatched in any other line of work I've done. I love being able to coach and support these people as they go through change, not just their careers but also their lives, and that is something I am very grateful for every single day.

Linda Rogers, CFP®, EA, MSBA is the owner and founder of Planning Within Reach, LLC (PWR). Originally from New Jersey, Linda services clients throughout San Diego county and nationwide. She leads the design of PWR's investment portfolios which utilize broad, low-cost investments that integrate environmentally, socially, and governance (ESG) factors.

Planning Within Reach, LLC (PWR) is a fee-only and fiduciary wealth management firm offering one-time comprehensive financial planning, ongoing impact-focused investment management and tax preparation services in San Diego and nationwide. PWR is a woman-owned firm that specializes in busy professionals and impact investors. Planning Within Reach, LLC and their advisors do not receive commissions and do not hold any insurance licenses or brokerage relationships.