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!
Honor the Introverts and Give Them Space to Be Heard
Western culture favors gregarious extraverts in the world-of-work. They speak up, think quickly on their feet, and rarely hesitate to share their point of view when interacting with colleagues and stakeholders. The perception of extraverts is not always based on the content, or the quality of the information shared, but the style with which it […]
Establish a Gossip Free Workplace
I read a fascinating New York Times article by Shayla McKnight who shared a story about her job interview with an online printing company. The Human Resources Manager was clear about the no-gossip policy and no office politics rule before she was even hired. While McKnight thought the policy was refreshing it also seemed hard […]
Forest Bathing Will Enhance Your Life and Career
I was driving to work one morning when I heard a fascinating NPR story about forest bathingand how a retreat to nature can boost immunity and mood. If you have not heard about the trendy concept of forest bathing, the study of the practice dates back to the late 1990’swhen a test was done by […]
Stop the Busy Brag
Busy-ness is a dangerous trap that relinquishes our control to find meaning and fulfillment in life and career when we are stuck in the quicksand of being busy. I am on a mission to disrupt the busy culture and focus on a life that is measured by meaning, value, fulfillment and other factors we can […]
Organizations are Serious About The “No Jerks” Policy When Hiring
Over the last 19 years as a career & professional development consultant, I have worked with countless employers seeking ideal candidates to fill critical roles in their organizations. Regardless of the career field, recruiters and hiring managers agree that after the basic criteria of skills and experiences are met, candidates are accepted or eliminated based […]
The Role of Confidence in the Career World
A limp handshake, lack of eye contact, and shaking voice: sound familiar? If you don’t feel confident in yourself, you may have trouble presenting yourself in an effective and professional way. Whether we like it or not, moving up the career ladder and achieving your professional goals often depends on more than just your work: […]
Top Tips to Be an Effective and Powerful Woman Entrepreneur
We as women all have our fair share of obstacles in the business world. While we’ve made strides in equality in the workplace and an increased amount of women-owned businesses, there still seems to be a gap between women and men in business. Because every woman deserves to be the powerful and successful entrepreneur she […]
Grit Defines Achievement in Your Career
Grit is defined as firmness of mind or spirit – an unyielding courage in the face of hardship. The career world is changing so fast that grit has also become a sought after competency for hiring and a necessity for entrepreneurs and innovators. The emerging research indicates that grit can determine success or achievement far […]
The Power of Great Teamwork
It’s summer sports season and from the recent victory of the US Women’s World Cup soccer team, we can learn a lot from the global professional athletes as well as the local sports enthusiasts playing in community recreational leagues. Teamwork lessons that serve athletes well on the court are also applicable to your professional life. […]
The Art of Public Speaking and How It Can Enhance Your Career
Among the pressing fears for human beings, public speaking ranks at the very top along with heights and snakes. As someone who really enjoys public speaking, I realize that I may be part of a small population but I also know how speaking has enhanced my communication and leveraged my career brand. I offer wisdom […]
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. Ambivalence Trap […]
Don’t Be A Work Loser – Take All Your Paid 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 steady balance. This reality check has allowed me to navigate the ultra-busy career times and offset them with […]
Single Task Your Way to a Better Life and Career
Multitasking used to be a sought after professional competency thought to be a valuable skill for the busy professional. Research tells us that singletasking is actually more effective and can result in higher productivity and time efficiency. I can envision the woman at work reading this blog while eating her lunch, checking her email, listening […]
Spring Cleaning: Letting Go With Gratitude
There’s something about fresh starts outside that inspire fresh starts inside. Sun shining, buds popping, and milder temperatures inspire us to open the windows to let the springtime air in, which can, in turn, inspire us to send the clutter out! Marie Kondo can certainly help in this regard. Kondo is the organizing wunderkind and […]
