If you are an IT professional and looking to add certifications in order to advance and make more money, think again. According to Foote Partners, a boutique IT benchmarking firm, as reported by CIO blogger Meridith Levinson, the pay premiums for 82 specific IT skills and 88 IT certifications are falling. What they are seeing is none other than a sea change in how tech professionals are valued. ... Read more

Whether you are a career coach, counselor, advisor, educator, or parent, your values and beliefs can affect how you interact with females and males. And, ultimately it may affect how you guide a student, client, or your child in exploring their career options. These options include careers traditionally held by females or by males. Take the quiz below and jot down if you respond never, rarely, sometimes, or always to each question. … Read more

I recently interviewed Jeff Johnson who is working in a female-dominated career as a surgical technologist. Check out the interview below:     More…  … Read more

I came across the following information on the Iseek website and found it quite interesting.

Job requirements have little or nothing to do with gender. In fact, skill requirements in male- and female-dominated occupations are often more similar than you might expect.   More… … Read more

I recently read Green Career Central’s excellent recommendations for building a target list of green companies. If you are interested in researching green jobs, check out Green Career Central founder Carol McClelland’s suggestions below. 1) Newsweek Green Company Rankings – Click on the headings to sort ... Read more

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 into school where females are encouraged to take classes that prepare them for female-dominated careers and males for male-dominated careers. … Read more

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?   … Read more

It has always been surprising to me that so few psychologists choose vocational psychology as a career choice. Given that Sigmund Freud said that love and work were the two most important activities in life, you would think psychologists would be extremely interested in the dynamics of choosing, changing, or advancing careers. However, this has [...] ... Read more

I had coffee one morning with a friend and was excited to learn that she is helping her daughter overcome the gender stereotype that girls aren’t good in math. Below is an interview with Suzy Fallon, mother of 8-year old Elle.

Could you describe what you are doing with your 8-year old daughter to encourage her to question her beliefs regarding her math abilities?  … Read more

While a wide range of career options are open to qualified women, many remain male-dominated, aka non-traditional. Below are 10 career fields where women can find job opportunities and serve as a pioneer for other women.   More… … Read more