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!
Hire the Least Likely Candidates and Win with The Underdogs

I am so fortunate to meet and work with incredible thought leaders who are changing the world and Gil Winch, a guest on my Your Working Life podcast is no exception. When Gil learned that he had terminal cancer and a shortened expected lifespan, he decided to take on the challenge of changing the world regarding […]
What Are You Waiting For?

This was a big week for me. I left a senior leadership role in a large organization to pursue my executive coaching, speaking, and consulting practice full-time. My side-hustle entrepreneurial days are over – bring on the full-hustle! This was not an overnight decision. I have been pursuing my business on evenings, weekends, and precious […]
Don’t Let ‘Em Treat You Like a Girl
Through the wonderful world of social media, I had the great opportunity to meet Liz Weber, president of her own management consulting firm and leadership expert. I started following Liz on Twitter since I really enjoyed her posts and before long we connected by phone and now she is part of my professional network. A […]
Making Your Way to The Top
Even though numerous research studies have shown that having more women seated at the decision-making tables improves bottom line profitability for an organization, women sit at the helm of only 12 Fortune 500 companies. Margie Warrell wrote a compelling piece in Forbes about what women can do more of to make their way to the […]
Career Coach Caroline Premieres on CBS Radio
I am thrilled to announce that I will be hosting a national weekly program on CBS Radio called Career Coach Caroline. The show premieres Tuesday, November 1st at 5pm and will air live every Tuesday at 5pm in Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Seattle on respective regional CBS Radio stations. You can also listen live (or […]
Are You Willing to Take a Risk?
How stepping out of your comfort zone may lead to exciting new possibilities!
Are You Really Listening?
In the era of multi-tasking, true active listening is becoming a rarity. The next time you have an interview, meeting, conversation, or interaction with another person – consider what you actually heard. Did you hear what you think you heard or are you interpreting what you want to hear? Dianne Booher in an accomplished author […]
Create a Kinder Workplace
The workplace can be stressful enough without office politics, gossip, and malcontents. Tom Terez wrote a great piece about building a kinder workplace. We spend so many of our waking hours in our place of work, it only makes sense to create and foster a more civil environment. Here are a few of Tom’s great […]
The Professional Female Shift
Women globally represent 70% of the buying decisions around the world, according to Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo. There is a dramatic shift happening among women in the world which is impacting what happens everywhere from large corporate organizations to local non-profits. Since the recession, we see the importance of humanity being incorporated into […]
The Returnship® is a Golden Opportunity
The concept of an internship for university students is common knowledge but the Returnship® is a unique program targeting women who left the workforce for a few years and are eager to get back in. Goldman Sachs and the Sara Lee Corporation are leading the way with this novel approach to re-engage talented women who […]
You Should Have Mentors and Sponsors
Sponsorship is becoming more main stream and savvy women and men should be on the lookout for those who can assist them in moving upwards on their career journey. While a mentor can answer your questions and advise on how to navigate the organizational landscape, a sponsor will actually get you there. A sponsor knows […]
You Can Invent Your Future
This October 6-7, 2011 I will have the great honor and pleasure of presenting at the Midwest Invent Your Future Women’s Conference in Indianapolis. The theme is Innovation & Leadership: Breakthrough Strategies for Uncertain Times. This is a premier event for professional women, entrepreneurs, and all those looking to accelerate their careers. Featured speakers include: […]
What’s a PhD to Do?
Earning a PhD or a doctorate in any academic discipline is a difficult road. It takes commitment, focus, and a thick skin to make it through the course work, requisite exams, the dissertation defense, and ultimate publication – not to mention an average of 7 years of your life. While some aspire to work in […]