Savvy Professional Career Wisdom by Caroline Dowd-Higgins
Create a Vision Board to Discover Your Passion
One of the first steps in finding a career that you love it to identify what you are passionate about. Many people have a hard time identifying this so creating a vision board can be a way to help you focus. This treasure map, or creativity collage is simple to construct and can really help […]
Nurturing Junior Employees
Great leaders are not always great managers and finding a boss that is willing to nurture and grow their staff is becoming very difficult. Supervisors have a responsibility to get their job done first but they also need to take part in shepherding the next generation in the work force and empowering them to grow […]
Establishing Your Home Office
Many organizations are rewarding and retaining employees with more flexible work hours and the option to work from home. Some professionals work exclusively from their home office and others enjoy the perk every now and then, but unless you have a designated space, the work-from-home situation can be more difficult than not. Home based workers […]
Use LinkedIn to Nurture Your Network
Of all the social media sites, I use LinkedIn most frequently to make professional connections and to inform my network about my career updates and accomplishments. I have joined several groups and participate in discussions, post comments, and develop new relationships through my growing network of career minded individuals. The beauty of LinkedIn is that […]
When and How to Say Thank You after an Interview
Over the years I have facilitated a myriad of job searches and conducted countless interviews with hundreds of candidates. This summer is no different as I have been involved in multiple searches for a variety of new positions. As the selection for one position in particular draws to a close, I am in shock that […]
The Difference between Noble and Ignoble Failure
While I was researching the concept of failure, I came across a fascinating article by John J Sviokla who pens the blog Daily Innovation. John shared his insights about failure, accountability, and how it impacts the workplace. Dave Pottruck former co-CEO at Charles Schwab was fired in 2004 because he did not turn the company […]
Failure is Your Best Weapon
If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to fail – and to fail a lot! If we don’t fail we never stretch out of our comfort zones or take risks. With each missed step we learn things along the way that help us make better choices and achieve greater success in the […]
Mastering Small Talk Part II
Debra Fine’s company – The Fine Art of Small Talk is focused on teaching professionals conversational skills for use while networking and speaking with clients. The objective in all professional encounters should be to make a good impression and leave people wanting more. To do that you must be bright, be brief, and then be […]
Mastering Small Talk Part I
I had the great pleasure of interviewing Debra Fine, bestselling author, sought after public speaker and trainer and the author of The Fine Art of Small Talk. A study at the Stanford University School of Business tracked MBAs 10 years after they graduated. It turns out that grade point averages had no bearing on their […]
Are You a Multiplier or a Diminisher?
From academia and the non-profit arena to the corporate world-of-work, I have many clients who complain about bosses who are ineffective leaders. Are their leaders intelligent and talented people? Yes. But, are they able to lead a team, motivate others, and empower success in their colleagues? No! I have come to believe that while some leaders are born, most are […]
