Joan Runnheim Olson is an internationally certified coach whose experience is shaped by over a decade of career and leadership coaching, consulting, and workshop training. She enjoys helping clients develop a focused plan that empowers them to develop and maintain momentum to achieve their job search and career management goals. Joan’s first-hand experience with lay-offs, career change, and job se...
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  Examples of Great Resume Objective Statements (Errr … I Mean Personal Branding Statements)
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Feb, 2013
If you are sitting at your computer trying to come up with a really great objective statement to start off your resume with you might find yourself sitting there for a while tapping your fingers. The problem with objective statements is that they focus on what you want instead of how you can meet the needs of the employer. I encourage you to reconsider using an objective statement on your resume and instead use a personal bran...
 
  Why Your Resume Should NEVER Have an Objective Statement
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jan, 2013
I get the idea behind an objective statement; I really do. You want the employer to know what your job search goal is. But the problem with objective statements is the way they’re written. I’ve never seen an objective statement that was not broad and unclear. They’re basically a waste of crucial real estate on your resume. Below, I’m going to list a few examples of poorly written objective statements. I think you’ll agree they...
 
  Yesterday I received a call from a community college out east. They may want to hire me to provide a motivational presentation to their undecided fema
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jan, 2013
Yesterday I received a call from a community college out east. They may want to hire me to provide a motivational presentation to their undecided female students sharing the benefits of nontraditional careers, i.e., male-dominated. What a great idea! Many female students enter college undecided about what major to pursue, and ultimately, what career path to choose. These students range from 18-year olds to those in their 40Œs...
 
  Developing Female Leaders: It Needs to Start Early
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Dec, 2012
According to Catalyst, the leading nonprofit organization expanding opportunities for women and business, “Women currently hold 3.8 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and 4.0 percent of Fortune 1000 CEO positions.” What accounts for the low number of women in high-ranking positions and what steps can be done to help increase the number of women in leadership positions? Gender Stereotypes Stereotypes still exist as ...
 
  Setting the Stage for Success in a Male-Dominated Career
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Sep, 2012
Only 12 percent of the professionals in engineering are women. In other male-dominated fields, such as science and information technology, women comprise less than 25 percent of the workforce in those fields. When women are the minority in a field, what steps can they take to succeed? In an article published in the Huffington Post, ”Women in Technology: Let’s Close the Gap,” author Peggy Johnson shares lessons she has lea...
 
  Case Study: Male Working in a Female-Dominated Industry
by Joan Runnheim Olson - May, 2012
Casey started out with a career as a biologist. After 10 years spent conducting environmental field research, he married and started a family. With seasonal work the norm for this line of work, Casey needed to explore other career options which would allow him to help support his family and that wouldn’t require a huge time or financial investment. He found a nursing program that would pay for his schooling providing he commit...
 
  Top Tips for Pumping Up Your Job Search Results
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Dec, 2011
1. Network, Network, Network!!! Up to 80% of jobs are found through networking. In addition to face-to-face networking (the most powerful) be sure to add social media networking to your list. 2. Treat your job search like a job. Be willing to spend 35 hours a week in your search if you're unemployed and up to 15 if you're employed. Any less than that will most likely lengthen the amount of time you spend looking for yo...
 
  Case Study: Increasing Awareness of Non-Traditional Careers
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Nov, 2011
If you’re a counselor at the middle school or secondary level, the following case study is for you. How can you increase parents’ awareness of non-traditional careers? What activities would you use to help parents learn more about non-traditional careers. i.e., male or female-dominated? Parents may a major role in their child’s career choice. That’s why it’s important that parents encourage their children to consider ...
 
  Sweden Engineers Gender Equality
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Nov, 2011
I have talked about it before- socialization plays a big role in gender stereotyping and ultimately career decision-making. From an early age, girls are dressed in pink, boys in blue. Girls are given dolls to play with and boys trucks. Around the home, girls are typically given the tasks of washing the dishes and cleaning the house, while boys mow the lawn and change oil in the car. Traditional gender roles often carry over in...
 
  Managing Your Internal PR
by Joan Runnheim Olson - Sep, 2011
It’s important to manage your own PR within your organization. Consider conducting a quarterly review of the real players that influence your career. If you don’t have a list of those players, take a few minutes to generate one. Then every three months review this list which will most likely include your bosses, peers, subordinates and clients. “Bosses” are those people at a higher level who can influence your career, i.e., yo...
 
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