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!
Can You Hear Me Now? Active Listening 101
The human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2022. Goldfish have a 9 second attention span. Ponder that. The over-stimulation of too many meetings and not enough process and creative time have exacerbated the situation. The good news is that active listening is a learned skill we all […]
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, […]
The WAGE Project
Kudos to several of my blog readers who shared this amazing resource! The WAGE Project http://www.wageproject.org (WAGE stands for Women Are Getting Even) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end the gender wage gap by teaching women across America how to negotiate. It is a great program that is typically targeted to Women’s […]
Build Your Personal Board of Directors
It’s no secret that a mentor can be a terrific resource as you navigate your personal career path. Some organizations assign mentors and other relationships develop naturally when like minded people hit it off. If you are your own boss, or don’t have a company to connect you with a mentor, you can and should […]
Write it Down!
Having dreams and goals for the future is a wonderful way to focus on what you want in your life and career. A wise mentor once told me it’s not enough to just think about your goals – you must write them down. Putting your wishes on paper helps you articulate things more clearly and […]
You Can Tell A Lot By A Person’s Shoes
From the time I was a young girl I can remember my father polishing his shoes every night so they would be shiny and clean for his next work day. My father worked in the New York City corporate jungle of starched shirts and tailored suits. He always looked liked a consummate professional and taught […]
Jane Austen Would Have Been a Fabulous Blogger
Jane Austen, the English novelist who wrote romantic fiction was known for her biting social commentary in the 1800s. I believe she would have been an avid blogger if she was alive today and I imagine she would have thousands of connections in her LinkedIn profile. As much as I adore Jane Austen’s work, whenever […]
Engage All Learning Styles When You Present
One of my great professional joys is communication coaching. I find it incredibly rewarding when I have a breakthrough with a client or student who gains empowering self confidence when they feel positively about how they deliver a presentation or succeed in an interview. Public speaking can be terrifying for many. In addition to learning […]
Have You Ever Read 150 Resumes in an Hour?
It’s resume season as newly minted graduates dive into the job market and experienced professionals look for opportunities to better meet their career goals. I urge you to put on your recruiter hat as you develop your resume and think about the people who will be reading this important part of your professional tool kit. […]
Glass Ceiling or Sticky Floor?
I had the great pleasure of attending a webinar by Carolyn Wiethoff, professor at the IU Kelley School of Business and an expert on organizational behavior. She gave some startling statistics about how women still earn between 60-80% of what men are earning in the same positions across different career fields. Her research attributes this […]
Playing Nice in Your Career Sandbox
I have learned that there is nothing stronger than the power of women in community and that women can be inspirational resources in the professional arena. But I also know the reality of being a woman in the professional world and how we often struggle with owning a strong, confident persona while maintaining our authenticity […]
Madeleine Albright’s Leadership Institute for Women
Former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright is paving the way for the future women leaders of the world and unlocking the door to the proverbial good old boys club. At Wellesley College, Ms. Albright’s alma mater, a new Institute for Global Affairs named after her will be offering students around the world access to non-partisan […]
Earning Verses Getting
One of my pet peeves is when a client or student of mine talks about getting their degree from a particular university or college. This nomenclature is everywhere from professional bios to all forms of media. The last time I checked, schools were not giving out degrees to just anyone who walked across the stage […]
The Art of Self Promotion
It’s not enough to just do your job well anymore. Professionals need to distinguish themselves in the workplace in order to earn promotions and recognition within an organization. Entrepreneurs have to take control of their own career advocacy to be noticed and stay competitive in the marketplace. The art of self promotion is a necessity […]
