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!
A More Inclusive Kind of Brainstorming
As an extravert and someone who loves to ideate, I’m in my happy place with an opportunity to brainstorm. As a former executive leader in organizations, and now as a speaker, executive coach and talent development consultant I am fully aware that brainstorming is not ideal for everyone. When teams or groups meet to brainstorm, […]
Sorry? Not Sorry!
We all know people who over-apologize. Research tells us that women tend to over-apologize more than men. As comedian Amy Poehler puts it, “It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for.” Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. wrote about why people over-apologize in a Psychology Today article. “It may […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Are You Coachable?
It’s international coaching week and a great to time to consider working with a coach to empower you on your career and life journey. Savvy coaches offer a free Discovery or Chemistry call to determine if the coach/client relationship is a good fit. It’s important for the coach to ascertain if a client is ready […]
A Career Letter to The Class of 2024
Dear Class of 2024: A multi-generational celebration is in progress as we celebrate learners of all ages heading into the career world. You can design your career destiny and I encourage you to tap the power you have within you. You earned your credentials with a tremendous amount of time, effort, and more than likely […]
Can You Benefit from an Executive Coach?
As a certified executive coach, I work with a coach – a few in fact, who help guide me on my career and life journey. My coaches have provided a space with psychological safety and confidentiality to allow me to explore, discover, self-reflect, and polish my strengths, and mitigate my blind spots, so I can […]
Showcase How You Are Indispensable for Job Security
The Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) world-of-work has made us question job security. Gone are the days when company loyalty made you feel protected during difficult times. All sectors from corporate to non-profit, and higher-education have deployed downsizing, reductions in force, and lay-offs to navigate tumultuous times. Being indispensable in the current competitive world […]
Don’t Undervalue the Exit Interview
Several years ago, I left an organization to take on a new role that honored my interest in growth and advancement. I was given the chance to participate in an exit interview to share my thoughts about the organization and my experience. I believed this was a way for me to share candid and thoughtful […]
Is Your Life Eulogy Worthy, or Resume Worthy?
David Brooks delivered a compelling TED Talk about living for your resume or your eulogy. According to Brooks, “The résumé virtues are the ones you put on your résumé, which are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that get mentioned in the eulogy, which are deeper: who are you, in your […]
Hiring Neurodivergent Talent
I have worked with countless employers seeking ideal candidates to fill critical roles in organizations. Recruiters and hiring managers agree that after the basic criteria of skills and competencies are met, candidates are accepted or eliminated based upon how they fit into the culture of an organization. Savvy workplaces consider potential just as much as […]
