This Is Not The Career I Ordered™ Blog
Savvy Professional Career Wisdom by Caroline Dowd-Higgins
This is Not the Career I Ordered is read by thousands of careerists around the globe. With savvy tools, inspiration, and resources, this timeless book empowers you to enjoy your career, and love your life!
Slay Perfectionism with “Good Enough to Go” for Career Momentum
As a career development and executive coach, I work with many individuals who are focused on making changes to their careers to better align with professional values and strengths. But for some, their best plans often get stalled in analysis paralysis, which results in stagnation and a hard stop to all forward momentum. Brave, Not […]
Savor Your Success
We live in a world where achieving success is a moving target. Whether your organization is focused on sales goals, fundraising targets, billable hours, placements, or some other measurement to quantify success – it’s rare to celebrate hitting the goal before the bar is quickly raised to a new and higher level. I get the […]
Meaningful Recognition Ideas for Colleagues
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this an opportune time to consider how you can recognize people in your workplace for their service to your organization. The research indicates that when people feel valued and appreciated on the job it enhances their satisfaction, productivity, and organizational morale. According to Annamarie Mann and Nate Dvorak from Gallup […]
Ambition is Not a Dirty Word
The career landscape provides you with a myriad of choices about where to work and how to advance your career. Be proactive about how to become a promotable player and confidently consider the leaders with whom you want to work — or not. During a mock interview with my client Collette, I asked her if […]
Energy Follows Intention
I participated in an incredible women’s circle this week that recharged and reignited my energy, focus, and commitment about how I want to live my life and pursue my career. I learned that energy follows intention, and we must be clear about how we show up in the world and how we give and receive. […]
Embrace “Good Enough to Go” for Career Momentum
As a career development and executive coach, I work with many individuals who are focused on making changes to their careers to better align with professional values and strengths. But for some, their best plans often get stalled in analysis paralysis, which results in stagnation and a hard stop to all forward momentum. Recently, I […]
Design Your Future, so it Doesn’t Happen by Default
As a career development and executive coach, I work with individuals who are focused on making changes to their lives and careers to better align their values and strengths. But for some, their best plans often get stalled in analysis paralysis, which results in stagnation and a hard stop to forward momentum. Perfection is Impossible […]
Is Your Life Eulogy Worthy, or Resume Worthy?
David Brooks delivered a compelling TED Talk about living for your resume or your eulogy. According to Brooks, “The résumé virtues are the ones you put on your résumé, which are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that get mentioned in the eulogy, which are deeper: who are […]
Keep, Stop, Start Your Way to Clarity, Purpose, and Wellness
As a career and executive coach, I work with many individuals who are stalled or stuck in a stagnant routine of life and career that zaps their energy and enthusiasm. The human body is constantly changing at a cellular level, so the process of transformation runs deep within our very being. I encourage you to […]
Parents Under Pressure: The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Their Mental Health and Wellbeing
United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, highlighting the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families to help our communities thrive. Burnout, exhaustion, and overwhelm are causing a human energy crisis in workplaces around the world and for many parents, life at […]
Thriving Women Leaders: Executive Training for Women Leaders in Higher Ed
As a certified executive coach, I have been trained in the stakeholder centered approach for impactful leadership. How are you showing up in your organization? How do others perceive you? Are you willing to get vulnerable, embrace humility, and address your blind spots to honor a growth mindset? It’s essential to bring others into your […]
Stop Waiting to be 100% Ready – Just Do it!
As a career development and executive coach, I work with many individuals who are focused on making changes to their lives and careers to better align their values and strengths. But for some, their best plans often get stalled in analysis paralysis, which results in stagnation and a hard stop to forward momentum. Perfection is […]
Demystify Executive Presence and Project How You Want Others to Perceive You
Executive presence used to harken images of expensively attired corporate employees who walked the walkand talked the talk to inspire confidence and yield influence for success in lavish offices and board rooms. After the COVID pandemic, the world has destigmatized remote work and the hybrid work model will be the new norm for much of […]
Older, Wiser, and Career Vibrant
I have several executive coaching clients in their late fifth and sixth decade of life who are navigating a career change due to lay-offs, or company mergers and acquisitions beyond their control. Others are career transitioning by choice and excited about designing a new chapter in life and career. My clients expressed worry about ageism […]
