Olympians and professional athletes at the top of their game have been utilizing coaches for decades so why have professionals in the world-of-work taken so long to catch up? A coach stands on the side lines and gives you input and objectivity that you cannot effectively produce yourself. You should hire a coach because you […]
As an opera singer I know from experience that stage presence speaks volumes about how you are perceived. The audience forms an impression of you before you even open your mouth and the same rings true in the world of work. You have control over the way you carry and comport yourself and these traits […]
Part of your career reinvention strategy is to figure out what you really want. Once you have completed your self reflection and connected the dots linking your values, interests, personality and skills you should come up with a general idea of career fields that are a good personal match. The reality is that you may […]
With staggering unemployment rates and job insecurity, many people have changed careers by necessity and others, by choice. You must learn to navigate the new normal of this job world and take ownership of your personal career destiny. Now more than ever employers want to see that you can bounce back and recover quickly from […]
My last entry discussed the importance of recognizing your unique skill set, so I want to take a moment to highlight adaptive skills often referred to as soft skills or emotional intelligence competencies. Peggy Klaus, a nationally acclaimed Fortune 500 communication and leadership coach is a friend and mentor of mine and I am a […]
Every day I speak with students and private clients who have no real sense of what their skills are. Simply put, a skill is an ability, based on training or experience, to do something well. We all have skills and the trick is to discover what they are and market them with humble confidence to […]
Following the career development steps of self evaluating your VIPS (values, interests, personality and skills) it’s time to focus on personality. This happens to be one of my favorite parts of the career reinvention and self reflection journey. Personality refers to your unique patterns of mental, emotional, physical, and behavioral characteristics. You may have heard […]
In November I was interviewed by Chicke Fitzgerald on Transition Solutionz blog talk radio. I discussed identifying your personal brand, playing to your strengths and the power of networking in the job search process. Check out the archived interview online http://www.blogtalkradio.com/resumelive/2009/11/10/transition-solutionz-series Transition Solutionz has a theory. They believe that being in career transition is not […]
A recurring bit of career advice from the women with whom I conducted interviews across the globe was to find your passion. It sounds simple but I am shocked at how few people are actually in tune with their personal passions. I’m not talking about romance but I’m asking you to consider what motivates and […]
The next predictor in your personal self assessment is Interests. Knowing your interests can help you discover your passion and choose a career. Interests are the biggest predictors in career selection since we gravitate towards what we like. One of my favorite assessment tools is the Strong Interest Inventory® (Strong) which measures career and leisure […]
With 20+ years of career and professional development, speaking, and consulting experience, Caroline Dowd-Higgins desires to empower and energize people to achieve their personal goals. Her speaking style is engaging, high energy, and positive, focusing on unlocking the self-advocate within each of us.
