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 search allows her to "put herself in her clients' shoes." She works with professionals, managers, and executives from a wide range of fields, including healthcare, IT, financial services, and sales and marketing.

Joan instills confidence, offers support and encourages out-of-the-box thinking. Her dynamic style, caring attitude, and warm demeanor not only enables clients to open up and see what is possible, but also helps them set a plan of action, manage it from day to day, and keep accountable and on track with their goals.

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	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...
	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?...
	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 o...
	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 like...
	Research: Develop a List of Companies for Your Job Search by Joan Runnheim Olson - Aug, 2011 Research is an important aspect of your job search. You'll want to start by developing a list of companies. Below are tips to help you get going: 1) Brainstorm all of your job targets. A job target consists of three components: a position or function; industry or company size; and geogr...
	How a New Grad Cut His Job Search Time in Half Using Twitter by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jul, 2011 How long is the job search? 27 weeks, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)! Is there a shortcut? One jobseeker found it ... in the form of Twitter. Stephen Moyer, one of the 13 jobseekers featured in The Twitter Job Search Guide (JIST, 2010) authored by Chandlee Bryan (@chandlee), ...
	Women in the Trades by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 Over a decade ago, I began my journey helping females and males consider non-traditional careers. I worked for a St. Paul, MN-based non-profit helping women enter and succeed in blue collar jobs in the trades. My role was to assess women’s readiness to enter the six-week pre-apprenticeship...
	Climbing Up the Proverbial Corporate Ladder by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 If your goal is to climb the career ladder, you need to continuously market yourself. Successful marketing is necessary during networking, interviewing, and moving ahead in your career. Never stop selling your skills, abilities, and accomplishments once you land a new job. Keep learning ne...
	Consulting as a Career Option by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 Are you tired of working for someone else? Do you want a flexible schedule? These are a couple of the reasons why individuals pursue their independence by becoming a consultant. Other reasons include being laid off or a desire to find their passion. Currently there are over 80,000 cons...
	Negotiating for Your Future by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 Salary negotiation requires preparation and good timing. It’s important to determine your salary needs and research the market value for the job you want. Timing is critical for negotiation. Discussing salary requirements too early in the interview process can jeopardize your chances of ge...
	Discussing Salary: Timing is Everything by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 During your job search, whenever possible, try to move the salary discussion further back in the interview process to help keep from being eliminated. This will help hiring managers to see the real value you bring before you talk money. One way to get around salary requirements in an o...
	New Trends in Resumes by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 New resumes look different, read different, and are different. Examples of the newer documents include white papers and press release resumes. White papers establish a job seekers expertise and credibility on a specific topic, product or technology. Press release resumes are written in a p...
	It's All in the Follow Up: What to Do After a Networking Meeting by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 After a networking meeting, it's important to follow up with a thank you letter. Start out by thanking the individual with whom you met. State the specific advice and leads you were given. Say you will keep in touch and do keep in touch! Add the individual to your contact management system...
	Networking: Anywhere, Anytime by Joan Runnheim Olson - Jun, 2011 I'm always touting the importance of networking and try to practice what I preach. I've been flying across the country presenting worshops and try to strike up a conversation with whomever is sitting next to me on the airplane. Of course, I try to gauge whether or not they're open to talki...
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