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!
A Career Letter to The Class of 2024
Dear Class of 2024: A multi-generational celebration is in progress as we celebrate learners of all ages heading into the career world. You can design your career destiny and I encourage you to tap the power you have within you. You earned your credentials with a tremendous amount of time, effort, and more than likely […]
Can You Benefit from an Executive Coach?
As a certified executive coach, I work with a coach – a few in fact, who help guide me on my career and life journey. My coaches have provided a space with psychological safety and confidentiality to allow me to explore, discover, self-reflect, and polish my strengths, and mitigate my blind spots, so I can […]
4 Tips for Managing Your Professional Reputation
In business, your reputation is one of your most important assets. Whether it is your personal reputation or that of your business, allowing public perceptions of you to disintegrate and degrade will ultimately come back to haunt you. On the other hand, an entrepreneur with a solid reputation has the world at their feet. Below […]
The Brave New World of Open Concept Offices
For the first time in my professional career I find myself in an open concept workplace. I have a cozy workstation with an electronic standing desk that I can raise and lower with a push of a button. I can access multiple focus rooms or team rooms to take phone calls, engage in noisier meetings […]
On the Move In 2020: Make the Most of the Year
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time flies. No sooner have we finished celebrating New Year’s, than we’re preparing for the wearin’ of the green! Before we find ourselves singing Auld Lang Syne to 2020, let’s make the most of what this year has to offer. Here are 3 tips for doing just […]
3 Life Lessons from Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I subscribe to a Fast Forward briefing online written by Melanne Verveer, Kim Azzarelli and Sharon Bowen, whom I first heard speak at a TEDWomen event. They also host a wonderful podcast: Seneca Women: Conversations on Power and Purpose, which I highly recommend. Seneca Women is a global leadership platform centered on the principle that […]
There is No Mind Reading in The Career World
Gone are the days when working hard was enough to earn recognition or a promotion in the career world. Take control of your career trajectory and design your unique path. In addition to mapping out your career future, be sure to tap the wisdom of those who can empower you to achieve your goals. Keeping […]
Resources for Leaders Looking to Improve Their Management Skills
Continuous development is vital for everyone across the corporate landscape who wants to keep improving and growing as a professional as well as an individual. It’s particularly important for leaders, be they supervisors just starting out in a leadership role or experienced managers keen to drive their team towards greater achievements. For all of these […]
Be Your Own Valentine: Love Who You Are
It’s the time of year for cards with red hearts, chocolates, and flowers as Valentine’s Day approaches. It causes anxiety for some who are seeking affection, and bliss for others who are celebrating their love with someone special. This Valentine’s Day I encourage you to see it through a different lens. By all means celebrate […]
Prepared For A Job Change? 5 Strategies That Can Help
While unemployment rates are deceptively low, job layoffs, company re-organizations, and downsizing are ubiquitous. As the Greek philosopher Herclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” My question to you is, are you ready for it? Job security is an illusion in this day and age, and, as an executive coach, I talk […]
6 Ways Sleep Deprivation Is Killing You and Your Career
Sleep helps the body and mind regenerate. While sleeping, your body also regenerates, and your mind prepares for the upcoming day. Failure to get enough sleep will put you in a sleep-deprived mode. When you suffer from sleep deprivation, you put yourself at several risks – increasing the likelihood of experiencing certain mental health concerns […]
Remarkable Health Benefits of Getting Outdoors
I’m so excited to feature this article by Julie Singh, which originally appeared in TripOutside. If you’re a self-professed homebody, you could seriously benefit from a change of scenery. Spending time in nature could improve your physical and mental health, ward off illness, and actually make you happier! As the Father of Western Medicine, Hippocrates, […]
Is Dressing for Success Still a Thing?
The workplace continues to evolve, and with this comes changes in almost every aspect of business, such as office processes, business transactions, and even dress codes. As companies become more and more open to the idea of employees showcasing their personalities through their work and the way they dress, does the old adage “dressing for […]
Finding New Year’s Inspiration: A Poem For 2020 And Beyond
As we head into a new year, I wanted to share a poem written by one of my clients. This client, who I’ll call Mary, has worked in lots of positions that have paid the bills over the years, but now she’s looking to do something where she can touch people’s lives in a more […]
