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!
Break Away from Meeting Palooza
Nobody enjoys endless meetings that suck the oxygen out of day and eliminate white space on the calendar to reflect, think creatively, and do the work. Savvy companies like Google have “no meeting weeks” and Slack’s “Maker Weeks” where people can turn notifications off and relish in meeting-free time to do focused work. You can […]
How The Future Works
This month marks the 5-year anniversary of the pandemic shelter-in-place order, which turned the traditional workday on its head out of necessity. The multi-year global case study in remote/hybrid work has irrevocably changed how many people want to work moving forward. With the Worker’s Market driving change, savvy organizations are rethinking the way we work […]
Gratitude with Specificity
With the holiday season in full swing, we are reminded about the beauty of gratitude and how showing appreciation can be a powerful experience for the giver and the receiver. I am making a conscious effort to be more grateful on a regular basis, to acknowledge people authentically, and to show how much I value […]
Turn a Lay-Off into an Opportunity
With a flurry of companies laying off significant portions of their workforce as we finish out the calendar year, the holiday season may be career stressful for many. Whether you are part of the highly publicized Amazon, Twitter, or Meta lay-offs, or you are from a smaller company trying to make financial ends meet – […]
Mental Health Must Be a Top Priority in the Workplace
The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. released a report providing a framework for Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing. Dedicated to all the workers who lost their lives during the pandemic and their families, the report is a call to action to lift the voices of all workers, particularly those most vulnerable, and […]
Older, Wiser, and Career Dynamic
I have executive coaching clients in their fifth and sixth decade of life who are navigating a career change due to lay-offs, or company mergers beyond their control. Others are career transitioning by choice. My clients expressed worry about ageism as they consider what’s next on their professional journey and seek employment that honors their […]
Hire the Least Likely Candidates and Win with The Underdogs
I am so fortunate to meet and work with incredible thought leaders who are changing the world and Gil Winch, a guest on my Your Working Life podcast is no exception. When Gil learned that he had terminal cancer and a shortened expected lifespan, he decided to take on the challenge of changing the world regarding […]
What Are You Waiting For?
This was a big week for me. I left a senior leadership role in a large organization to pursue my executive coaching, speaking, and consulting practice full-time. My side-hustle entrepreneurial days are over – bring on the full-hustle! This was not an overnight decision. I have been pursuing my business on evenings, weekends, and precious […]
Hone Your Emotional Agility
As we continue to navigate the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) landscape and the ongoing pandemic journey, mental unwellness is at an all-time high. The World Health Organization reports that depression is the single leading cause of disability globally. Savvy organizations are offering more comprehensive wellness support like access to therapy as part of […]
The VUCA World-of Work
If you haven’t heard the trending business buzzword: VUCA, it stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. The term originated at the US Army War College in 1980 to describe the global landscape after the Cold War, and quickly found traction in the business world. Our world circumstances have shifted from the 1980’s but the […]
Boomerang Talent is Ripe for Recruiting
The Worker’s Market is alive and well putting talent in the driver’s seat in this robust job market. While many employers are scrambling to attract and retain top talent, the often-unexpected population of boomerang and alumni talent is ripe for hiring. Boomerang and Alumni Employees Boomerang talent has worked in or applied to work in […]
4 Surprising Jobs You Can Do Remotely
I know you will enjoy this post by Andrew Anderson with some terrific resources about remote careers. Working remotely provides many benefits—you have no commute to worry about, you can customize your workspace according to your preferences, and you can work from anywhere. ZDNet adds that another remote work perk is that it forms better personal relationships. […]
Women are Changing Leadership
Women are paving the way for a style of leadership that is confident, authentic, and highly effective. Catalyst reports that the share of women in senior management is increasing incrementally. We still have a long way to go for women’s equity in leadership roles, but the comprehensive picture looks more promising. Remarkable women are leading in […]
Refresh Team Engagement Regularly
I see LinkedIn announcements every day from people enthusiastically reporting new roles in new organizations. Hiring trends are strong and savvy companies are bringing in top talent. With a focus on retaining newly hired top talent and honoring the existing staff already in place, I encourage you to consider a team engagement refresh on a […]
