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!
Don’t Get Stuck in the “It will Get Better When” Mindset
Life is precious and we often delay our sense of gratification, celebration, or contentment because we are focusing on what might happen someday. If you find yourself in the someday trap: It will get better when…I land the new role. It will get better when…my toxic boss moves on. It will get better when…the kids […]
Break Away from Meeting Palooza
Nobody enjoys endless meetings that suck the oxygen out of day and eliminate white space on the calendar to reflect, think creatively, and do the work. Savvy companies like Google have “no meeting weeks” and Slack’s “Maker Weeks” where people can turn notifications off and relish in meeting-free time to do focused work. You can […]
Take the Challenge to Be Fully Present During The Holidays
There are a plethora of celebrations from Thanksgiving through the new year that represent a myriad of cultural, religious, pagan, and ethnic holidays. With the hustle and bustle of this festive time of year in full swing, the stress and overwhelm are palpable. If you are fortunate enough to get some down time over the […]
Leverage The Final Work Weeks of 2023
The countdown is on until 2023 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 2024. Make Connections Beyond Your Team Capitalize on the holiday party or […]
End 2023 Strong at Work
With days left before the beginning of a new year and the holiday season in full swing – it’s an opportune time to finish out the calendar year with intentionality at work. The economic predictions about inflation, a potential recession, and company lay-offs are conflicting at best, so take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate […]
The Great 4-Day Workweek Experiment
As someone with Futuristic in my Top 5 Clifton Strengths profile, I am fascinated by what’s coming down the road. Workplace futurists are predicting trends that range from multi-generational behaviors, remote/hybrid roles, and the 4-day work week. Futurist David Houle calls the 2020’s the most disruptive decade in history. The post pandemic journey has brought […]
Gratitude in the Workplace
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 […]
The Future of Work: Insights for 2024 and Beyond
What’s in store for workers and the labor market for 2024? Between October 18–19, 2023, MyPerfectResume surveyed nearly 1,900 U.S.-based workers and asked them to share their forecasts and trends for 2024. Here is the source for the full report. The study provided valuable insights into job opening trends, job burnout, and the future of […]
Boomerang Talent is Ripe for Recruiting
The Worker’s Market is alive and well putting talent in the driver’s seat in this robust job market. While many employers are scrambling to attract and retain top talent, the often-unexpected population of boomerang and alumni talent is ripe for hiring. Boomerang and Alumni Employees Boomerang talent has worked in or applied to work in […]
I’d Rather Be in Charge
This phrase resonates so clearly for many of us and happens to be the title of an iconic book by Charlotte Beers. Former Chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, I’ve seen Charlotte deliver several keynotes over the years to share her wisdom. Wicked smart, full of moxie and extraordinary life experiences, this queen […]
Feeling Stuck in Your Life or Career? Design Your Way to a Better Future
You are not alone of you feel stuck, stalled, or stagnated in your career. I work with many clients who have been in the same role, or with the same organization for multiple years and feel that the spark is no longer there when it comes to their work. They feel drained; lack focus, and […]
The Gender Gap? Women and Men in the Labor Market
This article originally appeared here: The Gender Gap? Women and Men in the Labor Market and was republished here by permission of LiveCareer. Women can climb career ladders and trees with their children. Still, femininity is not defined by motherhood. At the same time, more and more men are engaged in both professional and family […]
Achievement Intelligence: When is Enough, Enough?
I coined the phrase Achievement Intelligence to help create guardrails from overworking, so we can enjoy our careers and love our lives simultaneously. We live in a culture where we are enticed to look for the next best thing – accomplish more – and constantly raise the bar, which can leave us feeling inadequate and […]
How The Future Works
The pandemic turned the traditional nine-to-five workday on its head out of necessity. The 2-year (and counting) global case study in remote/hybrid work has irrevocably changed how many people want to work moving forward. With the Worker’s Market driving change, savvy organizations are rethinking the way we work long-term in the new digital-first workplace. My article title […]
