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!
Ambition is Not a Dirty Word
The career landscape provides you with a myriad of choices about where to work and how to advance your career. Be proactive about how to become a promotable player and confidently consider the leaders with whom you want to work — or not. During a mock interview with my client Collette, I asked her if […]
Should I Stay, or Should I Go?
The world-of-work is changing fast with unemployment at a record low and the Talent Wars in full swing. The Worker’s Market and the post-pandemic journey have given you the opportunity to reconsider your values and assess whether your current workplace is a best fit. As a career and executive leadership coach, I hear on a […]
Career Advice: 7 Tips for Getting Noticed at Work
Through my coaching practice and travels, I’ve met a number of women who’ve shared that they prefer to avoid the spotlight at work. When I’ve inquired as to why, some say they don’t want to seem like they’re “playing the political game,” or coming across as “too pushy.” Others say they don’t want to be […]
5 Ways to Nurture Yourself with “You Time”
Now that the holidays are behind us, I’d like to ask…did you give yourself a gift or two during this past season of celebrations? I posed this question to some of my friends and clients, and responses have included everything from upgrading to the latest laptop, to buying an electric pressure cooker for speedier family […]
Work/Life Integration: Being Busy is Nothing to Brag About
I conducted a social experiment and asked the question, “How are you?” to several individuals of different ages, career fields, socio-economic backgrounds, geographies, and perspectives. The people I queried all responded with some variation of how busy they were. Their responses were stress-filled and frustrated and their self-reported state of busy was clearly causing them […]
Is Sleep Deprivation a Silent Career Killer?
This guest blog was written William Loper, a freelance writer who loves to spend time researching new and exciting topics. On the weekend he enjoys a glass of wine and a non-fiction book and can be reached at will@blogondirt.com. Are you not sleeping for a better work-life? Well, this is a wrong notion which you should […]
Design Your Life and Career so It Doesn’t Happen by Default
The launch of the book, Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans – professors at Stanford University has empowered professionals to use the design thinking process to intentionally create meaningful careers. As a career & executive coach, I have been using this process with great success serving clients interested in being a designer […]
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 bugs. 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 […]
Redesign the Future of Work for Women
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Recently, I attended a presentation featuring Kim Azzarelli, co-founder of Seneca Point Global and Deanna Bass, Director of HR and Diversity and Inclusion at Proctor and Gamble at the TEDWomen event in New Orleans. The overflowing crowd of women assembled for this session was brimming with energy to discuss solutions to make the world-of-work better […]
Design Your Life & Career with Purpose Event
January 18, 2018 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at Borshoff in downtown Indianapolis Join me and small group of smart and savvy professional women interested in honing their professional skills and designing personalized action plans for success to start 2018 off with purpose. My co-creators, Kris Taylor and Lindsay Boccardo and I have designed a full […]
Make It Count When You Work From Home
A global study by Vodafone found that flexibility in the career world is highly valued by the modern employee. It benefits the talent pool with an adaptive work schedule and leads to increased productivity and more engaged employees. Today, 75 percent of businesses worldwide have a flexible work policy, and that number is growing daily. […]
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 […]
Get More Gritty in Your Career
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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 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 better […]
The Thrill of Victory and The Agony of Defeat
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National unemployment numbers are the lowest in recent history and jobs are more plentiful but finding the right career fit can still be a challenge. Some are re-entering the job world after a planned hiatus – like taking time off to raise children, caring for elderly parents, or becoming a trailing spouse following a partner’s […]
