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!
Prepared for a Career Change? 5 Strategies That Can Help
Unemployment rates are low and hiring opportunities abound, but the workplace will always be ripe with company re-organizations and right-sizing. As the Greek philosopher Herclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” My question to you is, are you ready for it? Job security is an illusion in this day and age, and, […]
Implementing Psychological Safety at Work
The term psychological safety is all the rage in workplace research and publications. I’d like to de-mystify this term and break it down so it’s easily implementable in all work environments. By Definition Katie Taylor wrote a great piece in Atlassian that defines psychological safety as follows: Psychologically safe work environments allow team members to […]
All Eyes are on You
I find it fascinating how many people don’t utilize the power of strong eye contact when communicating in-person these days. We have indeed become a technology driven work force but well used eye contact is still imperative and separates us from the electronic gadgets by putting a human touch on our communication that will never […]
Get Comfortable Feeling Uncomfortable
I read a great piece by Laura Deck, a Program Manager for PBWC at Planning Dynamics who develops conference programs and other initiatives for women. She discussed how when women feel uncomfortable in a new position they are tempted to fall back on their previous jobs. While most people are fearful about a new job, […]
Ask For What You Want
I have yet to meet a boss who is a mind reader and it’s important for employees to be empowered with the reality that they should ask for what they want. The worst thing that can happen is that your boss will say no – but you’ll never get it if you don’t ask. Be […]
Tap Your Inner Meryl Streep
Whether you have the performance gene or not, there are times in your professional life when you have to command an academy award winning performance to offset your emotions – especially fear. You remember the tag line of the Dry Idea deodorant commercial: Never Let Them See You Sweat – the same holds true in […]
Be Your Own PR Agent
Even though I count on my amazing Publicist, Stacey J. Miller’s expertise to promote my book, I still consider one of my most important tasks to be self promotion. I am always packing books, business cards, portfolios, and compelling stories about what I do and why it is valuable to potential clients, speakers bureaus, or […]
Building Resilience
In my previous career as a performer, I quickly learned the necessity of developing a thick skin. Disappointment was a regular phenomenon since I didn’t land every audition I pursued. But as I developed my resilience it also helped me hone my craft and focus on what I did have control over. Resilience is a […]
Go Ahead, Be Ambitious!
I was conducting a mock interview for one of my clients, a focused, smart, and confident woman going through an intentional career reinvention. When I asked her if she considered herself ambitious she recoiled as if I used an inappropriate word. After further inquiry she revealed that she never wanted to be seen as the […]
What Do You Do?
No doubt you have been asked this question at a cocktail party or when meeting someone for the first time. It seems to be the American Way and the quintessential question to start off a conversation with a person whom you don’t know. I’ve seen men and women in career transition flinch from this question […]
Lessons worth Repeating
I recently came across a wonderful article by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at the Harvard Business School who shared five lessons from 2010 that she believes are worth repeating. These professional development words of wisdom will stand the test of time so consider them as you move forward this year and beyond. 1. Surprises […]
You Have the Power
I spoke at a women’s book club this week and was inspired by the collective wisdom of these engaging and talented professional women. The discussion focused on rejuvenating existing careers since most of the women present were happy with their organizations but saw room for improvement and wanted to make some modifications in their workplace […]
Make a Positive Impression as the Newbie at Work
When you start a new job it’s important to establish a positive first impression with colleagues. The adjustment period will vary depending on the person and the organization but the attitude you exude at the start will set your tone in the office culture for a very long time. Here are some great tips from […]
What’s Your Plan?
I’m spending the week in Manhattan as a visiting guest faculty member at NYU and enjoying every minute of the experience. In addition to meeting with students (grad and undergrad) in a variety of academic disciplines, I have been working with staff and faculty members teaching career development strategies and action plans. The common question […]
