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!
The Lifelong Learning Imperative: Ensure Your Competitive Edge
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing professional landscape, the need for continuous learning has never been more critical. From technological advancements to shifting workplace dynamics, the skills and knowledge that once ensured job security may quickly become outdated. As a speaker and executive coach, I am an advocate in the work-trenches for lifelong learning. I believe […]
What do you do?
We typically ask a new acquaintance, “What do you do?” and default to probing about their career or work endeavors. I quickly share that I am a speaker and executive coach when I meet someone new because as an entrepreneur, business development is always top of mind. As a career driven and ambitious individual, I […]
5 Habits to Practice to Increase Your Productivity
Success is often measured by how productive we are. However, it can be difficult to prioritize tasks or manage our time wisely. The key to increasing productivity is to work smarter, not harder. Remember, it’s not the number of hours you work, but rather the quality of work you put in during those hours. Below […]
Honor Your Body in Life and Career
I recently re-read Arianna Huffington’s book, The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time, and it continues to change my life. I knew that sleep was essential for health and wellbeing but I see so many people caught up in the myth of how hard working and successful people must sacrifice their life […]
Brave Not Perfect – Part II: Counteracting Perfectionism
If you’re looking to shake off your fears and move forward in your career, I highly recommend Reshma Saujani’s latest book, Brave, Not Perfect. Saujani, who founded Girls Who Code in 2012, says that, for women to succeed in the business world, it’s about more than just leaning in or boosting self-confidence – she says it’s about finding courage. […]
Brave Not Perfect – Part I: Taking Bolder Risks
With social media permeating our daily lives at every turn, things can seem pretty darn perfect out there. In this Instagram world where makeup is done to a ‘T’, hair is in place, and family and friends seem to always be having the time of their lives, it’s easier than ever to fall into the […]
Being Busy is Not a Badge of Honor
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 […]
The Best Leaders Have a Coaching Mindset to Develop Others
There are a myriad of resources and methodologies in existence to empower great leaders. One of the most important attributes of a successful leader is their ability and commitment to grooming and developing others. It is a tremendous responsibility that can also be truly gratifying. Whether you are the leader, or you are vying for […]
The Gender Pay Gap: What’s Being Done to Resolve This Stagnant Issue
Geraldine Carver is an advocate for women’s rights and has long been an advocate of gender equality in the workplace. She is a guest contributor to this blog. Being a woman today can be a challenge. While more and more women take to the streets to fight for their rights and as Good Morning America outlines […]
Empathy 101 for Better Relationships at Work
Regardless of your ideological views or political persuasion, these are turbulent times around the world. I’ve noticed a sense of angst, heightened anxiety, and a palpable change in how people treat each other both personally and professionally. It’s time to get back to what distinguishes us as human beings – treating one another with compassion, […]
Be Your Own Valentine
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 […]
Consider What To Keep, Stop, and Start to Reinvigorate Life and Career
A friend shared recently that every seven years she goes through a change that impacts her life and career in new ways. She looks forward to the new lens through which she sees life and embraces the process of transition. The human body is constantly changing at a cellular level so the process of transformation […]
Reinvent Your Career with Design Thinking
Has your career path stalled? Maybe you need a shift in your mindset. Savvy professionals around the world have adopted the process of design thinking—a series of steps for generating options, testing strategies, and seeking feedback—to reinvent their careers. Design thinking was used previously as a tool in product development (focusing on the end user) […]
It’s Time to Stop Dreaming and Start Activating
So many of us have waited for the perfect job description to magically appear and make all of our career dreams come true. Or, a perfectly balanced life with less stress, more time to exercise, well-behaved kids and the ideal life partner. What are you waiting for? It’s time to stop wishing for great things […]
