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!
Tell Your Story to Stand Out in Your Career
The sensory overload and overwhelm of social media and office communication can make it difficult to rise above the noise and be heard and recognized in the career space. You have a very short timeframe to articulate your value-add in an interview, a performance evaluation, or an entrepreneurial pitch for start-up funding, for example. To […]
Your Career Advantage
In 2021, I began writing a bi-weekly LinkedIn newsletter which now has over 4,400 global subscribers and growing. This incredible community of professionals has taught me so much and I am committed to sharing tools and resources to help us all navigate a lifelong career journey with meaning and purpose. As an executive coach and […]
My Weekend With Marshall Goldsmith
Recently, I participated in the Indiana University Alumni Association Goldsmith Leadership & Executive Coaching Academy. Indiana University alumnus, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith certified the first group of IUAA Executive Coaches from around the globe and empowered us with tools for his positive behavioral change process. As Executive Coaches, we will work with IU alumni leaders and other […]
Ask For What You Want: You’re Worth It!
In my coaching practice, and in interviews I’ve conducted around the country, I see women, time and time again, waiting in the proverbial wings of their organizations – hoping and praying that they’ll be given a raise or promotion. As the saying goes, ‘hope is not a strategy’. If you’re at a point where you […]
Business Sense and Sensibility: Taking a Cue From the French
You may be familiar with French author Mireille Guiliano’s series of books sharing the sensibilities of French women on everything from food to facelifts. If you’re not, do yourself a favor and check them out. I just picked up Women, Work, & the Art of Savoir Faire, Guiliano’s enlightening book on career, for the second […]
Be Good to Yourself
One of the greatest joys in my career is helping others discover what gives them strength so they can honor their passion in life and career. But I’ve noticed that many people spend a lot of time beating themselves up for not being where they want to be, or doing what they really want to […]
Words to Live By
Plans are great but ineffective until you act upon them. Take action and discover your best possible self. I read a piece in Oprah Magazine by Dr. Phil McGraw that I believe is worth sharing. Check out Dr. Phil’s words to live by for 2014: Everybody has a personal truth. It’s what you believe about […]
Emotional Intelligence is the Most Desirable Employability Competency
Emotional Intelligence (EI) describes the ability identify, assess, manage and control the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups. In addition to having a cadre of transferable skills relevant to a particular career field, employers are looking for candidates with sound emotional intelligence when hiring. Emotional Intelligence helps us connect and communicate with colleagues on […]
Out With the Old & In With the Bold!
In the afterglow of the holidays and with 2014 looking us straight in the eye, I want to wish you a new year filled with good health, happiness, lots of good work, and a spirit of boldness. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, ‘Bold’ is ‘confidence’ and ‘fearlessness in the face of challenge’. My wish for […]
7 Habits of Highly Effective People Synthesized for Interviewing
Lou Adler is the CEO of The Adler Group, a consulting firm helping companies implement Performance-based Hiring. His latest book, The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired covers the performance-based process of successful interviewing on both sides of the table. Lou wrote a stellar piece in LinkedIn about using Covey’s quintessential “7 Habits of […]
Going For A Career You Love
As the New Year progresses, I want you to think about your career goals for 2014 and what would provide you the greatest fulfillment. As you think about it, please keep in mind these four things: You deserve to be happy in your work. You have the power to make that scenario a reality. You […]
Get Out From Under the Career ‘Should Haves’
When I talk with women in my coaching practice and around the country about loving their work, some balk at the idea. There is a contingent of women in the workforce who believe that the words ‘love’ and ‘work’ don’t belong in the same sentence, and many of these women are quick to pepper their […]
Jump Start Your Career Search in 2014
The New Year comes with an array of fresh opportunities. As part of a yearly tradition, individuals are preparing their 2014 resolutions and looking ahead to a fresh beginning. For many, obtaining a job or entering a new career field is on the top of their list. “Many people assume hiring slumps in the beginning […]
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
I’ll admit it – I love shoes! Heels in particular are my fashion vice. A good pair of heels helps me own my posture, ramp up my self-confidence, and turn on my professional poise. I am surprised by the bad choices women (and men) make regarding footwear in the professional realm. I recently attended an […]
