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!
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 […]
Five Ways to Reinvent Your Professional Self
In the pandemic economy many people have changed careers by necessity and others, by choice. This is the perfect opportunity to take charge of your destiny and reinvent your professional self to reignite your career and your life. There are five essential self-assessment action steps to pursue for your professional reinvention. These steps will empower […]
Happiness and Workplace Influence
It’s no mystery that happy employees are more productive but unhappy employees can become extremely debilitated and unwilling to follow leaders. This lack of influence leads to a breakdown in organizational morale, positional power and stability within organizations. Crystal Miller wrote a great piece on Blogging4Jobs about how asserting influence is not a passive thing […]
The Personal Gift of Play and Sleep
The pandemic virus variants continue to raise our stress levels and while vaccines give us hope, it will take a lot for us to navigate the next several months and beyond. As we head into the holidays, consider the gift you can give yourself to honor what your immune system needs to be proactive about […]
Don’t Underestimate Holiday Hiring as You Plan Your Next Career Move
I have a client pursuing a career reinvention who recently said she was going to lay low until after the holidays because she didn’t think hiring would happen until the new year. I encouraged her and any job seeker to activate now since the career market has an urgency like never before to recruit and […]
Rest Is More Than Sleep: What You Need to Renew Your Energy
I am a firm believer in the power of sleep and do my best to get 8 hours every night to maintain my health and wellness. I thought I was honoring my need to rest but my mind was blown when I read a piece about Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith in Maria Shriver’s: The Sunday Paper […]
Pace Yourself This Holiday Season: Tips for Going the Distance
Over the past few years, a holiday creep has overtaken the days of autumn. The holiday roll-out in the U.S. has gotten earlier and earlier and with Thanksgiving behind us, it’s easy to become stressed about completing all the tasks required at work and in your personal life to enjoy the festive season. Here are […]
Gratitude at Work Spurs Empathy and Compassion
As 2021 draws to a close, the stresses of the pandemic journey continue. Ambiguity lingers and many are navigating hybrid work scenarios, or lamenting having to commute again after a year+ of working from home. The Great Resignation is happening before our eyes and the urgent demand for labor is impacting all industries causing palpable […]
Executive Presence Isn’t Just for Executives
Executive presence used to harken images of expensively attired corporate employees who walked the walk and talked the talk to inspire confidence and yield influence for success in lavish offices and board rooms. In COVID times, the world has destigmatized remote work and the hybrid work model will be the new norm for much of […]
Reframe Obstacles to Find Career Clarity
When it comes to our plans, life can often have other ideas. That scenario has certainly been playing out as the whole world has been turned upside down by the ongoing Covid pandemic journey. So often we have very specific ideas about how our lives are supposed to unfold – feeling like we have control […]
An Entrepreneurial Mindset is Essential for Leaders
In my work as an executive leadership coach, I often help candidates prepare for job interviews. Even seasoned leaders are asked to define their leadership philosophy and give examples of their management in action when vying for a new role. While every role will require nuanced experience and subject matter expertise relevant to the opportunity, […]
Design Your Career Destiny So It Doesn’t Happen by Default
While unemployment rates are deceptively low, job layoffs, company re-organizations, and downsizing are ubiquitous. Perhaps you are pursuing a new opportunity to align with a better work culture or a higher salary. As the Greek philosopher Herclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” My question to you is, are you ready for […]
Focus on Strengths, Not Weaknesses to Find Career Alignment
We hear it often…it’s better to play to your strengths rather than trying to fix your weaknesses. While that may seem like a no-brainer, especially when it comes to work and career, it’s surprising how many continue to work against their own proverbial grain. We’ve all heard about the challenges of trying to fit square […]
