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!
It’s Time for a Mid-Year Career Refresh
My grandparents were faithful Christmas Club savers at their local bank. Starting in June, they would deposit money in a special account each month, so they would have savings ready to go for the holidays. While many retailers have Christmas-in-the-summer sales, it’s also a good time to take this halfway point in the calendar year […]
Everboarding Improves Talent Retention
The Association of Talent Development (ATD) reports that the amount of information new hires learn in the first few days and weeks can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, many organizations consider onboarding a one-and-done process with tutorial videos and copious digital resources to comb through on your own. It’s a victory if you can find the bathroom […]
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 […]
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 […]
Career Wisdom for the Class of 2019 That Also Works for Seasoned Professionals
The Class of 2019 Commencement speakers included celebrities like Glenn Close at the College of William & Mary, Fareed Zakaria at The Ohio State University, Laverne Cox at Pitzer College and Apple CEO, Tim Cook at Tulane University, to name only a few. While the style and wisdom shared by the myriad of commencement speakers […]
