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!
Should We Fist Bump, Bow, or Shake Hands?
After the long pandemic hiatus from in-person gatherings, I recently attended a few professional events with people in attendance at large venues. It was delightful to see colleagues face-to-face whom I had only communicated with via Zoom after almost 2 years. Some people I met in-person for the very first time since our entire professional […]
Earning the Respect of Others at Work is Worth the Effort
It is human nature to want to be liked at work, but I urge you to go the extra mile to earn the respect of your colleagues and your boss. There is a difference between being liked and respected in a leadership role. If you earn the respect of your team, your people will be […]
How to Get Time on Your Side
Everyone seems to be looking for work/life balance but what I have come to learn is that I can do it all, just not all at the same time. Finding more time in life is part strategy and part learning to say no. Laura Stack, author of Find More Time and Leave the Office Earlier […]
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 […]
Work Backwards in Your Job Search
Unfortunately, the trend today is for people to polish their resume and submit hundreds of copies via online job sites hoping that they will get a hit. Many job seekers are applying for anything and everything that is remotely appealing and this technique is not yielding successful results. In reality, job seekers should work backwards […]
