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!
Leverage The Final Weeks of This Year
The countdown is on until 2022 is in the rear-view mirror of your career. While many organizations slow down during the final days of December, consider how you can use this time to leverage your influence and set your career stage for the new year. Make Connections Beyond Your Team Capitalize on the holiday party […]
Gratitude with Specificity
With the holiday season in full swing, we are reminded about the beauty of gratitude and how showing appreciation can be a powerful experience for the giver and the receiver. I am making a conscious effort to be more grateful on a regular basis, to acknowledge people authentically, and to show how much I value […]
How to Avoid Being Laid Off
Unemployment is moving slowly in the right direction but many companies are still downsizing to make financial ends meet. A savvy professional needs to showcase their value-add and strategize early to avoid a right sizing job loss. Here are some action steps to help prevent the dreaded job elimination email. Become Indispensable – You must […]
Marketing Overqualified to Your Advantage
If you are lucky enough to land a job interview in this difficult market, make sure you are in control of your message. This is especially important for seasoned candidates who often hear that they are overqualified for a position. With a generation of experienced individuals that were laid off during the recession, organizations are […]
Renaissance of the Gratitude Journal
In 1995 Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book Simple Abundance: A Day Book of Comfort and Joy was on the bestseller list and Oprah was talking about how impactful a gratitude journal could be in the way we view the world. My dear friend and colleague, Nichole reminded me of the importance of a gratitude journal when […]
How to Get a Bigger Raise in 2013
Raises have been minimal, or non-existent from 2010 to 2012 according to a compensation-planning survey from Mercer, a New York human resources consulting firm. Most organizations have not even covered the 2012 cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 3.6 % as reported by the Social Security Administration and responded with paltry raises in the 2.7% […]
Does Your Career Zig or Zag?
The generations of professionals who work their entire career in a single organization are becoming extinct. These days it’s not that people have changed their professional values but that organizations don’t honor the long-term employee as they did in years past. The grow talent from within philosophy can still be found in some of the […]
Why Your Lunch Break is Essential
I’m the first to admit I have worked through many a lunch hour caching up on email and other tasks on my long to-do list for any given day. Besides the fact that I didn’t give myself a much-needed break during a busy day, I have come to appreciate why putting down the work is […]
Interview Faux Pas
You can’t land your dream job without nailing the interview. This in-person opportunity gives you the chance to showcase your professional value and prove why you would be a great hire. But even the most seasoned careerists can have trouble interviewing. So instead of focusing on what you should do, here are some common interview […]
Do You Have a Career Plan?
Even if you are blissfully happy in your career you should always be thinking forward about an exit or growth strategy so you can be in control of your career destiny. Ken and Scott Blanchard wrote a great piece in Fast Company about the wisdom of the career plan and why you should have one […]
To Write, Or Not to Write…A Cover Letter
It’s so easy to submit your job application online these days but that alone will rarely get you any significant traction no matter how stellar your credentials. The reality is that there are so many job applicants for each position you must distinguish yourself above and beyond the competition. A cover letter can help you […]
Include Thought Partners on Your Personal Board
I’m a big fan of assembling a Personal Board of Directors to help guide you on your unique career journey but I recently came across the concept of Thought Partners. Barbara Stanny wrote a great piece in Forbes about successful people, who in addition to having career mentors and sponsors seek the wisdom of Thought […]
Did They Even Get My Application?
These days it’s common for an applicant to never hear back from an organization about a job they applied for online. You send your materials off into the black hole of the Internet and hope for some kind of acknowledgment that your resume landed in the right place. Meghan Biro wrote a great piece for […]
