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!
Don’t be a Career Loser – Take All Your Time Off

As a recovering workaholic, I strive regularly to integrate life and career to honor my personal relationships and my professional ambition. My life often resembles a roller coaster with ups and downs of activity and never a consistent steady balance – and that’s OK. This reality check has allowed me to navigate the ultra-busy career […]
Life and Career Lessons from a Power Outage

A massive storm hit last week that resulted in a tornado touch down (several miles from us) and many downed trees and power lines which cut off our electricity for 3 days. Luckily, the damage to our home was mild with a large tree limb that broke our backyard fence and many fallen branches and […]
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 […]
My TEDxBloomingtonWomen Debut

I have always been a goal driven and ambitious woman and my aspiration to give a TED talk has not been kept secret. I became more focused on achieving this goal 3 years ago when I attended my first TEDWomen event in New Orleans. TEDWomen is part of the TED enterprise. This thematic event has […]
Ten Tips to Take Control of Your Career

This amazing guest post comes from my colleague and Design a Career With Purpose event co-creator, Kris Taylor. Given the overall importance of our careers to our well-being and the amount of time and energy we put into our careers, I am always amazed (and sometimes dismayed) at how passively many accept a “less than” […]
Invest in Yourself – And Others

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, make sure you carve out time to consider what you need to honor your life and career in 2020. Professional development is a great investment in your continuous career journey, whether you are starting a new role or entrepreneurial venture, or trying to maximize your career […]