Caroline Dowd-Higgins

Dear Class of 2012:

As you head into the post-academic world, you have an opportunity to design your own career destiny and I encourage you to tap the power you have within you. You earned your degree with a tremendous amount of effort, time, and, more than likely, a big...

Whispered water cooler conversations about bad bosses used to surface sporadically in work environments. These days, the complaining seems to be getting louder and less clandestine since lack of leadership is a growing frustration for professionals in a myriad of career sectors. Forbes blogger Erika Andersen summed it...

You've heard of the Plan A career path: Go to a good college and get a great professional job. It all sounds fabulous until you get pink-slipped or laid off, which happened to many during the recession. Perhaps you've even experienced the Plan B career path: Declare yourself a full-time...

Communication gaps between the generations in the workplace is not a new phenomenon but now there are new data points to illustrate how Generation Y may be changing the professional work culture dramatically. Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Millennial Branding LLC, partnered with Identified.com -- a...

The New Year has begun, and in case you haven't noticed, resolutions are everywhere. From losing weight to starting an exercise regimen to quitting smoking, there are a myriad of promises the media is enticing you to make.

You know the drill -- most resolutions fail after a few...

Not a day goes by when I don't hear from someone unhappy in their job. So many of us are not in a role that honors our skills. We become disillusioned, frustrated and even burned-out because we are not playing to our strengths at work.

You Are Not Broken

The Beatles created history with their hit "All You Need is Love" in 1967 and social entrepreneur, Alyson Schacherer thinks the message is still relevant today.

This multi-talented artist earns her living in a variety of ways. She works as a business manager for an off-Broadway theatre company, a...

It's no secret that a mentor can be a terrific resource as you navigate your personal career path. Seeking a mentor starts simply with asking for advice from a trusted professional who has "been there and done that" in your industry. Start by asking for information and advice and see...

You must take responsibility for your own career future since it's not your boss's job to look out for you. Many people are blindsided by lay-offs and downsizings that are economy driven and don't have anything to do with work performance. We are all expendable so it's imperative to have...

The beauty of career reinvention is that you can change direction at any time. You should feel comforted that you have the power to control your career destiny so your "grown up" career can be redesigned multiple times.

Research has shown that values: core beliefs and motivation, are the greatest...

So your kid just graduated from college with a double major, multiple extra-curricular activities, a strong GPA and a few prime internships. The pomp and circumstance of the graduation ceremony is now over and he's living in your basement because you converted his bedroom to a home office two years...

My father spent his entire career with one organization and 45+ years working his way up the ladder of the competitive banking and finance industry. While he enjoyed multiple retirement parties and was given the proverbial gold watch upon his self-determined exit from the workforce, he represents a generation of...

It's no secret that a mentor can be a terrific resource as you navigate your career path. The "it takes a village" philosophy is a great way to tap multiple mentors at once and develop your personal resource team. Why get stressed about growing, managing or navigating your career path...

It's no secret that a mentor can be a terrific resource as you navigate your career path. The "it takes a village" philosophy is a great way to tap multiple mentors at once and develop your personal resource team. Why get stressed about growing, managing, or navigating your career path...

With the new realities of this job economy you can't rely on posted positions to land career opportunities. Innovation, creativity and strategic thinking are the most sought after competencies by employers, so use these skills to get into organizations where the front door is clearly locked. A side door entry...

If you are lucky enough to land a job interview in this difficult market, make sure you are in control of your message. This is especially important for seasoned candidates who often hear that they are overqualified for a position. With a generation of experienced individuals that were laid off...

If I had a dollar for every person who told me they were frustrated with their boss, I would be a very rich woman. In a decade of career coaching, I have learned that people don't leave jobs, they leave bad bosses.

Good Managers Don't Always Make Good Leaders

The pressure for a New Year's resolution is palpable this month, and the media is bombarding us with ads for weight loss and smoking cessation. But what about New Year career advice? A record number of Americans are still unemployed and many others are dissatisfied with their current work. Now...

With unemployment rates the highest in decades and job dissatisfaction peaking for many at work, Santa will be hard pressed to fulfill countless wish lists this Christmas. The stress of the holidays can be difficult enough without having to worry about finding a job or reinventing your career.

This...

Many people ask me how I juggled a full-time job with a private career coaching practice and still managed to get a book published. I'd be remiss if I said it was easy but I did learn some excellent strategies that are applicable to anyone struggling to get time on...