Features Archives
Planned Happenstance Theory for International Student Career Development
By Shoptorshi Rahman and Amanda Cox
International students in the United States face career anxiety due to a competitive job market. Career practitioners can use planned happenstance learning theory to empower clients to embrace flexibility, resilience, and networking.
Complete Article >Mitigating Burnout in Career Development Professionals: Tangible Tips for the Exhausted Provider
By Emily Overholt
Do providers also fall victim to burnout? Yes! By being mindful of wellbeing, proactive about connecting with others, using resources, and practicing self-care, career development professionals can mitigate burnout and model wellness for their clients.
Complete Article >Ikigai: A Framework for Helping New Career Seekers Identify Their Purpose
By Meg Franko
Ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that helps identify a sense of life purpose. For career professionals working with new career seekers just entering the workforce, using ikigai as a framework is ideal. This article takes a particular look at the convergence of “what the world needs” and “what you can get paid for” to highlight tools for supporting new workers.
Complete Article >Fostering Relationships and Growth: The Role of Power Questions in Career Services
By Candina Janicki
Exploring the stimulative purpose of Power Questions in career development, this article delves into their role in fostering self-reflection and guiding effective career planning. It outlines the construction, scope, and assumptions necessary for crafting these impactful questions and provides practical examples for career development professionals to implement across clients’ various career stages.
Complete Article >Using AI to Enhance Applications of Career Theory to Practice
By Francine Fabricant
Career theory serves as an important foundation for the practice of providing career support, yet career development professionals may have limited experience utilizing a range of career theories. This article explores how artificial intelligence can allow career professionals to test new applications of theory to practice, generating suggestions tailored for complex client concerns.
Complete Article >Using the Career Sailboat Model: A Case Example
By Fidan Korkut-Owen, Tansu Mutlu-Çaykuş & Selen Demirtaş-Zorbaz
Career Sailboat Model (CSM) is one of the postmodern models that can be used in career counseling, as it narrates the career decision-making process as a sailboat’s journey to land. In this case study, an example of career counseling with an adult female client based on CSM is presented.
Complete Article >National Long-Term Jobs Outlook
By Charles J. Lehman
Federal government ten-year projections of the US economy provide valuable information for career development professionals. While employment prospects look particularly favorable in health care and information technology, job opportunities will exist in almost all industries and occupations.
Complete Article >Navigating Career Transitions: The Four Quadrant Strategy Unveiled
By Alicia Ramsdell
The article highlights career practitioners' role in aiding individuals through career transitions using the Four Quadrant Strategy. This approach emphasizes fulfillment, productivity, and achievement, divided into four quadrants for holistic growth. By applying this strategy, practitioners help clients recognize strengths, growth areas, and passions, fostering focused efforts towards future visions.
Complete Article >Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Career Development Work
By Debra Osborn & Melissa Venable
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making headlines across the globe. What are the potential impacts of AI for career practitioners, and the students and clients they serve? This article introduces areas of impact, shares some of the currently available tools and provides recommendations for career practitioners who want to explore the use of AI in their work.
Complete Article >Implementing Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Colombia: An Experience Report
By Marcela Mesa
This article is an example of applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals to career development, specifically a project done by a career group in Colombia. Through a case example, the author shares the goals, challenges, and outcomes of her work over several years.
Complete Article >Mapping Career Interventions with Client Needs
By Shékina Rochat
Mapping relevant interventions with career clients’ most frequent difficulties can help provide tailored support. Practical tips are offered to create and use such a map in career practice, services, and training.
Complete Article >Modern Era and Today’s Women Visionaries
By Sarah Patterson-Mills
Leveraging the social norms of their time as best they could, many unrecognized women pioneers in career development impacted academia, social justice reform, equity, access to education, and the promotion of women’s role in the workplace. This is fourth in the series of herstorical articles (i.e., a history of pioneering women in the career development field written by a woman), designed to broaden and deepen our understanding of our professional roots.
Complete Article >Values Clarity: Why it Matters in Career Development
By Anush Hansen
Values assessment and clarity should be woven into the career exploration work career practitioners do with clients, regardless of age or career level. In this article, two holistic models for helping career practitioners conceptualize career values are shared with a case study. Narrative assessment tools are listed for helping clients understand their values in support of career fulfillment, growth, and whole-person well-being.
Complete Article >Where to Begin Conversations about Career Development and Social Justice
By Brian Hutchison
Social justice concepts are often discussed in our profession, yet the conversations often lack precision about what is meant by career development focused on social justice. This article outlines three key practices to help practitioners improve their understanding of, and facility when discussing, social justice in a career development context.
Complete Article >Serving the Highly Sensitive Person: Considerations for Career Service Providers
By Hannah Fuller
Highly sensitive people (HSPs) represent a notable subsection of our population but are underserved in career counseling. Career service providers may be unaware of the professional needs of HSPs or unsure how to integrate these considerations into advising. This article explores the critical role career services play in helping HSPs thrive.
Complete Article >Career Words Matter: Using History and the Language of Career to Help Clients Navigate their Development
By Megan Pritchett
When clients are introduced to a new way of understanding their relationship to work by thinking about the history of work, their perspective on work can change. In this article, a career coach reflects on introducing clients to the history of career development as a tool in their own career exploration.
Complete Article >Brain Waste: Developing Underutilized Potential in Highly-Skilled, Underemployed Immigrants
By Oluwaseyi Fatokun
Brain waste is a phenomenon that affects nearly 2 million immigrants. These individuals are highly-skilled with college degrees. Yet, they are underemployed and trying to start a new life in the United States. As career development professionals, it is necessary to identify the barriers newcomers face and develop resources to assist them with securing skillful employment.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Roger Lambert
By Rich Feller
Roger Lambert's career was developed through happenstance. A former president of NCDA, he shares his life, work and retirement with those in the field, as well as his family. He created the vision of a web magazine for NCDA – Career Convergence, now celebrating 20 years! This is the ninth interview within the Career Convergence series on experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about their “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >Understanding Military Service Members Transition into the Civilian Workforce: A Guide for Career Professionals
By Alex Nguyen
As career professionals, it is important to be multiculturally competent. This includes understanding the unique process that United States military service members go through when they have completed their tour of duty and are reintegrating into the civilian workforce. Understanding this process is vital for all career practitioners.
Complete Article >A Review of “Career Coaching: Fundamentals, Applications and Future Directions”
Book Review By April Schnell
“Career Coaching: Fundamentals, Applications and Future Directions“ is poised to become an important professional development tool for newer and aspiring coaches, established practitioners, and educators. NCDA and Dr. Maietta have provided a resource of great integrity to support the profession and help it continue to grow generatively.
Complete Article >Women Agents of Social and Political Change in Career Counseling History
By Sarah Patterson-Mills
Meaningful change occurs when people respond, collaborate, and support one another. Women in the Progressive Era did just that, with valuable results for disadvantaged groups. Today’s career practitioners can employ similar skills and be social change agents. This is the third in the series of herstorical articles (i.e., a history of pioneering women in the career development field written by a woman), designed to broaden and deepen our understanding of our professional roots.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Niel Carey
By Rich Feller
E. Niel Carey was the first Executive Director of NCDA. This is the eighth interview within the Career Convergence series on experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about their “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >Teachers in Transition: Career Development Strategies for Supporting a Growing Population of Job-Seekers
By Lisa Cardello
As an increasing number of educators seek to exit the teaching profession, career development professionals are grappling with how to best support this growing population of job-seekers. Strategies for working with this population, including the unique challenges they face in the job search process, are discussed.
Complete Article >Employing Superheroes to Empower Underserved Student Populations
By Casey L. Covel
Superhero blockbusters continue to break box office records. Entertainment sells, but how can career center professionals leverage it to help students consider their academic path with equal enthusiasm?
Complete Article >Undercover Bosses: Facilitating Meaningful Student-Employer Engagement Through Competency-Driven Relationships
By Gaeun Seo and Xiaotang Huang
Have you imagined recruitment events where student-employer engagements are made based on skills that employers value instead of the companies’ names? This article introduces an innovative competency-driven recruitment event, “Undercover Bosses,” that makes student-employer interactions more engaging and purposeful due to skill matches instead of students’ educational credentials or employer brands.
Complete Article >Plan for the Unplanned: Nine Chance Events to Optimize Opportunities in Happenstance Toward Career Goals
By Zhiqiong Ai
To help students optimize opportunities in happenstance toward their career goals, it is important to utilize chance events to develop students’ Planned Happenstance Career skills. This article proposes nine types of chance events that career practitioners could focus on and utilize to transform happenstance in students’ life to opportunities.
Complete Article >Ghosting in the Job Search: How to Help Ghosted Job Seekers
By Pamela Mena-Romano
The sudden cease of communication from the job recruiter’s side is a continuously growing tendency that can increase the job seekers’ stress levels and negatively impact their self-confidence. Providing some tips to support clients facing this might help them remain resilient and keep moving forward in their job-seeking process.
Complete Article >This Job is Driving Me Crazy: Career Coaching as a Cornerstone of Mental Health Treatment
By Elle O’Flaherty
Research shows that feeling trapped in an occupation or toxic work environment, being "locked-in," significantly contributes to depression and other mental illness. This article offers screening questions for mental health professionals to determine if clients are locked-in and encourages working with career coaches to treat the underlying situation.
Complete Article >In the Trenches: Women Vocophers’ Contributions to the Career Development Field
By Sarah Patterson-Mills
This is the second herstorical article (i.e., a history of pioneering women in the career development field written by a woman) designed to broaden and deepen our understanding of our professional roots. This article focuses on pioneering women vocophers (the first modern generation of employment counselors) who laid the groundwork for the Department of Labor Statistics in the United States and early vocational bureau practices. Implications for the modern career development practitioner will be discussed.
Complete Article >Working Americans' Perceptions of Career Development: The 2021 NCDA Harris Poll Results
By Charles Lehman
Insights from surveying adults in the United States can inform decisions about career development services and resources. Highlights from the NCDA report conducted by The Harris Poll in 2021 include feedback related to the perception of career assistance as valuable, but underutilized. The survey also addressed the impact of COVID-19 on employment disruptions and the need for career guidance in the future.
Complete Article >Natural Hair is Good Hair: The CROWN Act and Ending Hair Discrimination in the Workplace
By Whitney McLaughlin
Discrimination in the workplace can take many forms but one that has not received much attention until recently has been hair discrimination. The sociopolitical movement led by the CROWN Coalition has gained traction to end hair discrimination and bias which disproportionately affects African American women.
Complete Article >Gaining Cultural Competence in Career Counseling
Book Review by Laura Reid Marks
Gaining Cultural Competence in Career Counseling (2nd ed.) is a valuable and updated read for students in graduate programs, recent graduates, educators, and career practitioners in our growing diverse society. The authors walk the reader through the development of cultural competence at the individual level to the systems level with reflection questions and exercises.
Complete Article >Making the Career Shift: Why Now is the Time
By Christina Jackson
This past year has certainly presented its challenges for individual career development. With hiring freezes, uncertainty surrounding the future of some roles, and the changing landscape of some organization structures due to the pandemic, it can be intimidating or even discouraging to consider making a major career change. However, now is the time to help clients make those strategic moves toward their desired new career path. Making steps toward a new career is still important now despite today’s climate.
Complete Article >The ARCCS of Career Development in Unprecedented Times
By Jerilyn Wagner
The Chaos Theory of Careers has emerged as a career development theory to address the “unprecedented” changes that seem to be emerging in rapid succession around us. This article describes tools for chaos-informed guidance as well as a growth-oriented strategy (ARCCS – Adaptability, Resilience, Creativity, Control, Self-Efficacy) for clients’ development.
Complete Article >Career Service Support and Skills-Based Volunteerism
By Cami Boettcher
This article is a call-to-action for career service professionals to consider how they can leverage their unique skills, abilities, and strengths to identify and serve the vulnerable populations in their community through skills-based volunteerism.
Complete Article >Creating an Impactful Career Development Course: Incorporating Social Justice with Career and Major Exploration for College Students
By Matt Eng and Eve Millett
Higher education institutions offer courses to assist students with adjusting to their post-secondary careers. However, what can we do to address the needs of students that have not yet chosen their major? UNIV 340 is an example of incorporating career exploration and social justice into a major exploration course.
Complete Article >Pandemic Disruption Meets the Chaos Theory of Careers: A Method for Advising Clients in a Tumultuous Employment Landscape
By Susan Botts Rose
COVID 19 has added tremendous challenges to the already rapidly changing world of work. This article discusses the applicability of The Chaos Theory of Careers as a strategy to help clients navigate the changes that have come with this unexpected event.
Complete Article >We All Want to Change the World: An Introduction to the Series, Early Women Pioneers in Career Development
By Sarah Patterson-Mills
This is the first herstorical article (i.e., a history of pioneering women in career development written by a woman) in a series designed to broaden our understanding of the visionary women who helped carve the career development field before and during the Progressive Era. Their struggles and reforms influenced career development and will be compared to today’s career issues. Guidelines for practice and potential solutions will be explored.
Complete Article >Holistic Career Counseling for Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma
By Jean Becker-Sullivan
A holistic approach that includes mental health counseling and career counseling, instead of a singular trait and factor approach, is useful when working with people experiencing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. An increase in compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma related to the COVID-19 outbreak and recent social justice protests is anticipated.
Complete Article >My Life with A Theory: John L. Holland's Autobiography and Theory of Careers
Book Review by Brian M. Montalvo
As career practitioners and lifelong students of career development, where might we turn to gain a subjective understanding of a theory of careers? How can we connect the past with the present and future of our field? If libraries are a place to look, then this book is a place to start now.
Complete Article >Making Video Conferences Equitable and Inclusive
By Brian Pillsbury, Jehan Hill, Sarah Patterson-Mills and Azra Karajic Siwiec
Two NCDA committees collaborated to highlight important considerations when conducting a virtual workshop or presentation. These considerations are intended to help the presenter conduct a more equitable and inclusive virtual environment, specifically in terms of participant needs and privacy.
Complete Article >When Practice Fuels Research: Exploring the Impact of a Practitioner-Driven Research Grant
By Joonkil Ahn and Julia Panke Makela
Career services practice is most effective when informed by theory and research. But what happens when the influence goes the other way? What results when a career center takes the initiative to fund innovative career development research?
Complete Article >Reflections on the 2020 NCDA Virtual Conference
By Melissa Venable and Marty Apodaca
In service to its membership, NCDA rallied to host its first ever Virtual Conference. Three keynote speakers and featured live sessions addressed salient issues affecting both practitioners and the people they serve. In an ever-changing landscape of career and world events, conference participants were united in a message of advocacy.
Complete Article >[Recognition Award Winner] Creating Positive Spaces for Career Counseling with Transgender Clients
By Sue Motulsky and Emily Frank
Transgender and gender non-binary individuals experience significant stigma and discrimination in employment, the workplace, educational settings, and when accessing career services. Recently, there has been an explosion of research on transgender youth and adults, including identity struggles, professional barriers, and resilience. Trans-affirmative, positive career counseling strategies can empower transgender clients. [Editor's Note: This article was recognized by NCDA in 2019 for the authors' contribution to the web magazine. Career Convergence is re-running the article in July 2020 in honor of all award winners typically recognized at the annual NCDA Global Career Development Conference.]
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Dr. Mark Pope
By Rich Feller
This is the next interview within the Career Convergence series with experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about their “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >Coping Strategies for Helpers – A Holistic Approach
By Marty Apadoca, Karen Lucero, Liz Daniels, and Tiffany Martinez-Durant
During the time of a global pandemic, many helpers are navigating altered work procedures and delivery of care to ensure their clients’ needs are met. Drawing attention to often over looked areas of support can assist helpers in developing a holistic approach to their current situation.
Complete Article >Systems Theory Framework: A Culturally Responsive Model for Career Guidance
By Michelle M. Lovasz
When broader shifting career contexts result in marginalization, practitioners can respond relevantly with the Systems Theory Framework of Career Development. This theory offers a model that allows for the writing of individual differences, presents a frame for co-constructing career guidance, and has the potential for individual career advocacy.
Complete Article >Three Practical Tips for Salary Negotiation
By Andrelisa Livingston
Employees who are new to salary negotiation tend to have difficulty determining how to discuss it with their managers; however, it is essential that they have the skills and tools to help them feel confident in these conversations. This article includes three basic tips a candidate or employee should do to prepare to negotiate their salary.
Complete Article >Why We Should Stop Using ‘Soft’ Skills
By Ann Villiers
A range of terms is used to help people identify their skills. One of these terms, ‘soft’ skills, is imprecise, inaccurate, gender-biased, and unprofessional. It is time for career counselors, researchers, teachers, educators, employers, and parents to stop using this term.
Complete Article >The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty
Book Review by W. Chris Briddick
David Blustein's new book explores the “eroding work experience in America” by showing the reader the impact of work, anxiety, and uncertainty. Blustein discusses the modern world of work noting its varied, vast landscape among many different kinds of workers, circumstances, and situations, noting the failure of the current labor market to deliver stable work and upward mobility, both of which became highlighted and valued trademarks of Western economies over time. Despite the significant challenges posed in the current world of work, there is hope and reason within and throughout the author’s effort.
Complete Article >Learning to “Drop Your Tools” in Uncertain Times: A Call for Career Educators
By Michael J. Stebleton
Career educators may want to examine the tools in their toolbox and “unlearn” previous frameworks, theories, and strategies. Older theories, models, and tools may need to be dropped to make room for new and innovative strategies that will meet the shifting needs and concerns of today's clients.
Complete Article >Bolstering Resources, Partnerships, and Community Engagement for Career Practitioners through Community Asset Mapping
By Christopher T. Belser
This article introduces community asset mapping (CAM) as a tool for identifying partners and resources that are readily available within a community or organization. The author presents CAM as a solution for career practitioners in various setting and provides examples of resources that may be salient to different settings.
Complete Article >Imposter Syndrome and Diverse Groups: Impact and Implications in Career Development
By Shun-Heng (Henry) Tsai
This article briefly reviews Imposter Syndrome and how it impacts individuals with diverse backgrounds. The implications of this syndrome on these individuals’ career development and strategies for helping them overcome it are shared.
Complete Article >Cultivating Initiatives for Equity and Social Justice in Career Services: Multiple Opportunities and Pathways
By Christian D. Chan, Mary Parker, Cheryl Love, Kyle Inselman, Ruben Britt, Jr., David Julius Ford, Jr.
Career development operates with a foundation of social justice, equity, and inclusion as pillars, given its roots in advocacy and development. In this article, we promote the utility of social justice, equity, and inclusion for multiple constituencies of career practitioners and provide three examples of programming and initiatives to advance career development and education for historically marginalized communities.
Complete Article >Addressing Practitioner Anxiety as it Relates to Technology
By Karen Armstrong and Pamela Watkins
Identifying reputable and relevant online career-related platforms often presents practitioners with anxiety. In this article, helpful steps to establishing an effective approach to identifying and evaluating quality online resources are explored.
Complete Article >Disclosing a Hidden Disability in the Employment Setting
By Trish Thoburn
Choosing to disclose a hidden disability as a job candidate or as an employee can be a highly personal and sometimes challenging decision. However, understanding the benefits and potential concerns of disclosure, as well as some important guidelines if one chooses to disclose, will enable career practitioners to support and guide clients through this process.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Dr. Lee Richmond
By Rich Feller
This is the next interview within the Career Convergence series with experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about their “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >The Whispering Warriors - How to Help Introverts Succeed in the Age of Acceleration
By Jane Finkle
In today’s fast paced and unstable workplace, achieving success requires speaking up, promoting oneself, and taking initiative. Extroverts are more likely to market their accomplishments and naturally thrive in this environment while introverts often stumble if they do not develop a savvy self-promoter attitude.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Dr. JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey
By Rich Feller
This is the fifth in a series of interviews with experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >Social Change Starts With You
By Heidi Henkel, Lacey McGinty, Guyleen Castriotta, and Cori Shaff
With an election happening in November, career development professionals should think about their role in inspiring their clients who want to make a difference through local and social change.
Complete Article >A Call for Comprehensive Vocational Rehabilitation for Substance Abusers
By: Gregson Gordon
Career development specialists and substance abuse treatment facilities can enhance treatment outcomes by incorporating comprehensive vocational rehabilitation. Seeing as there is an increase in the percentage of unemployed persons who abuse illicit drugs, and there is an increase in persons who are fortunate enough to receive substance abuse treatment, the argument could be made (and should be made) for comprehensive vocational rehabilitation for substance abusers.
Complete Article >A Strengths-Based Approach to Career Development Using Appreciative Inquiry, Second Edition
Book Review by Craig Benson
Using the principles from Appreciative Inquiry, Donald Schutt developed the Strengths-Based Approach to aid professionals in applying a positive perspective to individuals involved in career development. The second edition of the monograph includes updated references and more practical tools to use with groups and individuals.
Complete Article >Vocational Wellness in Older Adulthood: Research and Practice
By Nick Gowen
Retired older adults continue to crave the meaningfulness that their careers once provided, but the counseling field does not have a well-developed framework for addressing this source of meaning with older clients. The term “vocation” is explored as a means for helping older adult clients find meaning after retirement.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Dr. Norm Gysbers
By Rich Feller
This is the fourth in a series of interviews with experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >Using Cultural Humility and Narrative Approaches with Diverse Clients
By Marty Apodaca and Shalom Bond
Cultural identity is an important -- but often overlooked -- component in the career development process of clients of color. This article suggests connecting with diverse clients using Cultural Humility and Narrative approaches. These methods can uncover common fears about entering the workforce while drawing upon group and interpersonal strengths.
Complete Article >Creating Positive Spaces for Career Counseling with Transgender Clients
By Sue Motulsky and Emily Frank
Transgender and gender non-binary individuals experience significant stigma and discrimination in employment, the workplace, educational settings, and when accessing career services. Recently, there has been an explosion of research on transgender youth and adults, including identity struggles, professional barriers, and resilience. Trans-affirmative, positive career counseling strategies can empower transgender clients.
Complete Article >Integrating Yoga into Career Counseling
By Dinorah Meyer
Yoga offers career counselors multiple body- and mind-based tools they can incorporate into their work with clients of different ages and stages. Integrated thoughtfully into counseling sessions, yoga techniques can help career clients increase self-awareness, improve focus, manage stress, prepare for future scenarios, and ultimately cultivate their truest selves.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Pat Schwallie-Giddis
By Rich Feller
This article continues a series of interviews with experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project adds to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing leaders.
Complete Article >Career Transitions and Outcomes for Young Adults with First-Episode Psychosis
By Christa Boychuk & Rosemary Lysaght
This article provides a framework for understanding the career transitions of young adults with first-episode psychosis (FEP). An introduction to FEP is provided, followed by a summary of research findings, and concludes with an overview of implications for career development practice.
Complete Article >The Reasonable Adventurer Approach to Career-Life Planning
By Michael J. Stebleton
Students of all ages need to develop the traits of a “Reasonable Adventurer” and apply them to the career development and planning process. Career development educators play a vital role in identifying and fostering these qualities in students, as well as integrating the concept into existing career strategies and services.
Complete Article >How Gamification Brings Joy and Motivation to Career Development
By Ronda Ansted
In the career field, “gamification” has often been understood as playing games about career topics. The reality is that gamification is so much more. It triggers our innate drives to succeed against all odds, to keep going, and to laugh when we “fail.”
Complete Article >Lifting Educational and Career Barriers for Hispanic Youth
By Denise Ocampo
While Hispanic students are entering college at increasingly higher rates, factors including lack of career development resources often result in low graduation rates. Flow, a positive psychology approach, can increase motivation and move these students beyond barriers to professional success. Assessments can provide opportunity for Flow when combined with SMART goals.
Complete Article >Generation Z and the Role of the Career Development Professional in the Workplace
By John Balentine
The American workforce will soon be comprised of five generations as “Generation Z” prepares for its entrance. This article describes the characteristics and work values of Generation Z and examines the role of career development professionals in preparing these individuals for success in the workplace.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Garry Walz and Jeanne Bleuer
By Rich Feller
Second in the series of Later Chapters for Career Development Professionals, this article on Garry Walz emphasizes his boundless capacity for life and work. Fellow scholar and partner Jeanne Bleuer shares Garry's voice as an experienced NCDA leader.
Complete Article >Career Through an Attachment Lens
By Charmayne R. Adams & Arden A. Szepe
This article examines career counseling within the framework of Attachment Theory. The foundations of Attachment Theory are briefly explained, and a short case study is used to illuminate salient aspects, specifically those concerning career decision-making. Practical suggestions for career counselors wishing to integrate Attachment Theory into their work are included.
Complete Article >Diversity Committees at Work: A Unified Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
By Marian Higgins
Cultural competency is vital to the professional growth of career development professionals. Establishing an office-wide diversity committee may be an ideal strategy for establishing or maintaining related expertise, honing an understanding of clients from different backgrounds.
Complete Article >Later Chapters with Nancy Schlossberg
By Rich Feller
This is the first of a series of interviews with experienced NCDA leaders as they offer insights about “later chapters” and navigating a lifetime of transitions. This project hopes to add to the knowledge base of ageless aging, transitions, and questions critical to developing career development leaders.
Complete Article >Crowd-Pleasing Data Management for Career Services: Accessible, Instant, Meaningful, Easy
By Julia Panke Makela, Gaeun Seo, and Jessamyn G. Perlus
While career professionals have collected participation and satisfaction data for years, organizing that data to efficiently communicate the difference we make is a common challenge. This article introduces data dashboards that make data accessible and the value of your programs clear. Templates are provided to get you started.
Complete Article >Three Steps For Positive Change When Using StrengthsFinder 2.0 with Clients
By Cori Shaff
15 million people have discovered their strengths through StrengthsFinder 2.0, a tool that has proven effective for use with a variety of client ages, stages, and backgrounds. Explore how using a three-step process to recognize, develop, and integrate strengths can bring deeper awareness and opportunity for application for your clients.
Complete Article >Cultivating a Willing Readiness to Reflect: Interventions That Facilitate Making Career-Life Decisions
By Edward Anthony Colozzi and Amy Susan Thul-Sigler
Process-oriented interventions require a willing readiness to reflect, especially concerning values, and utilizing a framework that teaches how all individuals are playing several life roles simultaneously. Reflection increases self-awareness which increases readiness and inspires one’s willing readiness to reflect during many inevitable adult transitions.
Complete Article >Serving Diverse Populations: Understanding Changing Demographics, Intersecting Identities, and Best Practices
By Courtney Gauthier
As career development professionals, we help our clients find their paths and attain their goals. We must also recognize that individuals have different needs based on the intersectionality of their backgrounds and identities. Understanding projected demographic changes of our society and proven best practices is critical in serving diverse populations.
Complete Article >Counseling Female Military Veterans in Career Transition: Integrating Wellness and Career Models
By G. Gail Rouse, Lesley Riley and Natasha Barnes
This article provides counselors with strategies for integrating both a wellness and career model to effectively work with women making career transitions after serving in the military. An overview of the Indivisible-Self Model and the Kaleidoscope Career Model are provided, with special emphasis on counseling interventions and assessments.
Complete Article >Critical Consent: Setting Proper Expectations with Clients
By Todd W. Zabel
Providing direct, constructive feedback to a job seeker can be difficult. Setting appropriate expectations from the outset allows career coaches to achieve maximum positive impact with their recommendations, and helps job seekers to mentally and emotionally prepare to do the hard work necessary to achieve career success.
Complete Article >Sisters in Search: Improving Job Search Outcomes through Job Club Peer Support
By Anne Nowak
This article serves as a guide on how to successfully organize and facilitate job search groups, which can improve both job seeker attitudes and job search outcomes for participants.
Complete Article >Counseling Creative Clients: 4 Ways to Start the Dialogue
By Amanda Williams
With over 700,000 businesses participating in the creation or distribution of art and design, career counseling for students and clients with an interest in these areas is not uncommon. This article provides a few tips on navigating the career conversation with those interested in the creative industry.
Complete Article >Handbook for Using the Self-Directed Search: Integrating RIASEC and CIP Theories in Practice
Book Review by Peter A. Manzi
A review of the revision of the previous SDS practitioner's guide (1998). The new Handbook incorporates the cognitive information processing (CIP) theory, increasing theoretical and practical breadth. The Handbook uses the SDS Form R, 5th edition (2013). It is well-organized, with 12 chapters and a compelling epilogue, with ample tables, figures, and appendixes to guide counselors.
Complete Article >Career Well-Being: Defined and Strengthened
By Lawrence K. Jones and Juliet Wehr Jones
Do you strive to strengthen career well-being as a counseling professional? If so, what does this mean to you? How would you put it into words or explain it to someone else? This article provides a practical, science-based answer and, perhaps, a fresh perspective on career development practice.
Complete Article >Career Development of Individuals with First Episode Psychosis: Limitations and Opportunities
By Christa Boychuk
This article outlines career development interventions for individuals with first episode psychosis (FEP). An introduction to FEP is provided, followed by a summary of career development issues and interventions for those with FEP and their limitations. To conclude, suggestions for future programming are provided.
Complete Article >Two Models of Identity Development When Using Narratives to Design Career Readiness Programs
By Taryn H. Gore, Eleanor Castine, Sean K. Flanagan, and V. Scott Solberg
This article describes two models for using narratives to identify levels of career readiness. Interview questions are offered that enable individuals to construct a career narrative.
Complete Article >Natural Abilities: Beyond Basic Understanding
By Dori Stiles
This article explores ways for counselors and clients to use natural talents, align them with a whole person model, and explore best-fit education, career, and life opportunities.
Complete Article >Building Soft Skills for the Changing World of Work
By Valerie G. Ward and Dorothy I. Riddle
The fact that full-time employment is no longer the norm has implications for career development practitioners. As alternate work structures replace traditional employment, “soft skills” become increasingly vital to the success of those we serve. This article highlights strategies to position individuals for effectiveness in the changing world of work.
Complete Article >Adjusting the Career Counseling Process for Individuals with Non-Apparent Disabilities
By Janine Rowe
As counselors aim to serve a growing number of clients with non-apparent disabilities, they will be tasked with addressing unique career development and employment challenges. This article will suggest best practices for supporting the professional development of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and/or chronic health conditions.
Complete Article >Formative Assessments as Early Intervention Tools in Academic Environments
By Melanie Adams and Jennifer Blythe
Career classes are great platforms for delivering professional development information to a larger student audience; however, measuring effectiveness can be tricky. At Florida Atlantic University, the Career Development Center piloted a formative assessment survey to better execute timely career intervention in their Career & Life Planning courses.
Complete Article >Understanding the Role of Transference in Career Counseling
By Lynn Friedman
When clients project early experiences with their parents onto their counselors, this is called “transference.” Though career counselors often receive positive transferences, the opposite can sometimes occur, thwarting our best efforts to help clients progress. This article will cover how transferences can be understood, addressed and overcome.
Complete Article >Reimagining Career Services Online
By Nona Haller and Melody Kruzic
By leveraging best practices and lessons learned by an online-only career development team, practitioners can reimagine current delivery methods to fit with their goals of making programming and advising more accessible and effective through technology.
Complete Article >Responding to Student Springtime Anxiety: Easy Techniques for Building Resilience
By Dominique Maas and Katrina (Katie) McKenzie
Spring semester can be a stressful time for college students as they consider graduation or summer plans. This article provides practical tools that can help clients of all ages use challenging circumstances as opportunities to build resiliency.
Complete Article >Grow Professionally by Earning Career Certifications
By Paula Brand
Life-long learning is an essential habit for successfully managing a career. This is true not only for clients but also for career professionals. Earning certifications can be a valuable way to continue learning. Read more to understand important aspects to consider when choosing a certification program.
Complete Article >Media Influences of the “Helping People” Phrase
By Allison Jones Binkley and Zack Underwood
This article brings to light media-related influences on students and clients who vocalize their professional goal as wanting to “help people.” While admirable and acceptable, “helping” in a general sense is not actionable. This article is designed to give counselors a starting point for conversations on career and academic decisions related to “helping.”
Complete Article >Revitalizing the NCDA Code of Ethics
By Keley Smith-Keller and Julia Panke Makela
The NCDA Ethics Committee is updating the organization’s Code of Ethics. Find out about both the proposed changes to the Code’s language, as well as how important social media guidelines will be integrated into the Code.
Complete Article >Understanding the Role of Unconscious Conflict in Career Counseling
By Lynn Friedman
Career counseling is effective for most clients. However, some unconsciously undermine the process. Why do these clients engage in self-sabotage? How can they be understood and helped? The author presents a model for psychoanalytically-informed career assessment and describes how this approach can lead to useful recommendations for career assistance.
Complete Article >Clinical Supervision of Career Development Practitioners: Practical Strategies
Book Review by Emily Kennelly
Clinical Supervision of Career Development Practitioners: Practical Strategies will enrich your understanding, awareness, and competencies related to the direct supervision of career practitioners. This book review provides a comprehensive summary of the monograph and highlights specific resources relevant to professionals at various levels.Complete Article >Helping Working Parents Take Stock of Competing Pressures and Priorities
By Dinorah Meyer
Managing competing demands and conflicting identities of breadwinner and family caregiver can be overwhelming for working parents. This article describes a multi-layered model to help individuals examine their priorities and identify pressures influencing their decisions, and thus take steps toward gaining a renewed sense of ownership over their lives.
Complete Article >Wanderlust: Engaging Underrepresented Students with Wandering Maps
By Tiffany Waddell
Interested in identifying new ways to work with traditionally underrepresented students or clients in a career counseling, education, or alternative context? Visual thinking exercises are a fantastic way to prime self-assessment and career exploration.
Complete Article >The First Conference of the National Vocational Guidance Association: Roots of the National Career Development Association #2
Rich Feller, President (2012-2013) National Career Development Association
The National Career Development Association conference, which now attracts thousands of counselors each year, looks back to its first conference, held in 1913. Where was it held? How was the association formed? What topics were discussed? Which leaders of that conference later rose to prominence in our field? Learn valuable lessons from our history. [Eds. Note: This article originally appeared here in March 2013. It is being repeated in celebration of Career Convergence's All Conference issue. See NCDA NEWS for more details.]
Complete Article >30 Tips for New Career Counselors
By Maureen Nelson
Read on to discover what a graduate student nearing graduation learned in a nine-month career center internship about the counseling environment, working with clients, collaborating with colleagues, and developing her own skills. A mixture of age-old wisdom and fresh insights that any career counselor can enjoy and benefit from! [Eds. Note: This article originally appeared here in December 2007. It is being repeated in celebration of Career Convergence's All Conference issue. See NCDA NEWS for more details.]
Complete Article >Solution-Focused Career Counseling
By Mary Ann Looby
Solution-focused career counseling offers clients an effective and efficient development process and enables them to take action to turn career dreams into reality. This article explores the utility of solution-focused skills for career counselors, as well as the alignment of this approach with the CDF competency: Developing a Helping Relationship.
Complete Article >The STEPs for Documenting Career Counseling Sessions
By Rhonda Sutton
Progress notes have an important role in the work of career counselors. STEPnotes is an innovative way to think about the note-taking process. The “STEPs” method provides a systematic way to conceptualize counseling sessions so that career counselors can be more effective and efficient in the counseling they provide.
Complete Article >Helping Clients Change: The Stages of Change Model and Career Development Work
By Marie S. Hammond
Choosing a career identity is often a surprisingly complex process, and it takes time to complete. Career professionals can help clients move effectively through this process by becoming aware of how people change as well as being mindful that individuals may be at different stages of readiness to change.
Complete Article >Reframing Career to CARE
By Edward Anthony Colozzi
The traditional way most people view career worldwide relates to paid work. This narrow focus dilutes efforts to make effective, sustaining interventions in peoples’ lives. Our profession's continuous interpretation of career to the public at-large remains an inadequate representation of the reality that most humans experience throughout their life journey. Let us all now share a compelling imperative to express care and release the magnificent energy potential we each have within.
Complete Article >The Career Center of the Future
By Sue Harbour and Laura Lane
What will the career center of the future look like? It’s hard to know and kind of like shaking a Magic Eight Ball. This question was posed to participants at state, regional and national career conferences. You might be surprised at the results.
Complete Article >Ten Ideas That Changed Career Development: A Monograph to Celebrate the Centennial of the National Career Development Association (1913-2013)
By Mark Savickas
The year 2013 marked the centennial of the National Career Development Association. To celebrate the milestone, research was conducted to identify ten ideas that have changed the career development field. After gathering opinions from 54 NCDA members about the discourses and practices that have shaped the field, a monograph was compiled. This unique and powerful monograph taps 11 current career development leaders to explain how these core ideas continue to drive present practice and inspire new directions.
Complete Article >Autumn Harvest: Helping Clients Cultivate Meaningful Careers at Midlife and Beyond
By Maggie McCormick
Clients seeking meaningful encore careers might follow the example of 60-year-old Bruce who found success through strategic approaches and patience. When combined with a positive attitude, these strategies can help your clients cultivate engaging, purposeful work as they change seasons in their lives
Complete Article >Rediscovering Our Roots: A Historical Video to Celebrate NCDA’s Centennial Year
By Mary Buzzetta
By looking at the past, NCDA members can rediscover their roots, celebrate those who have contributed to the present, and anticipate future trends. This short video will take viewers on a historical journey, traveling back to the early 1900’s, when career development first began.
Complete Article >A Snapshot of Career Guidance in the Asia Pacific Region
By Marilyn Maze
As NCDA celebrates 100 years of career counseling in the US, what is happening in the rest of the world where career counseling is just beginning? How do Asian countries perceive a need for career counseling? Are the practices of career professionals similar to American long-time practices?
Complete Article >“Expanding Your Horizons” – An Engaging Opportunity for Middle and High School Girls in STEM Career Exploration
By Alison Hutchinson
When considering the gap between the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs and the number of students graduating college with these degrees in the United States it is essential to encourage students to focus on these areas through student outreach programs. “Expanding Your Horizons” is a national program that encourages young women to pursue STEM careers. This article provides a brief overview on the need for STEM students and a popular conference encouraging middle and high school girls to engage in these fields
Complete Article >Career Development Milestones and Memories
A Conversation between JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey, Ed.D. and Jerry Trusty, Ph.D.
JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey, Ed.D., and Jerry Trusty, Ph.D., discuss the impact of technology on career development, the relevance of career assessments, and challenges and future trends in preparing students and adults for satisfying work.
Complete Article >A Top Ten List for Self-Evaluation
by Nedra Klee Hartzell
Career counselors are encouraged to look inward professionally. Questions about client interaction, professional and personal development, and ethics are offered for consideration. In honor of NCDA's 100th anniversary, Career Convergence is publishing articles of historical significance. This month, our web magazine is reprinting articles from our debut issue in 2003.
Complete Article >NCDA Roots #5: Early History of the National Vocational Guidance Association
By Rich Feller and Fatima Wilson
What factors caused career counseling to take hold in the early 1900’s and what kind of people created this profession? How did they see their mission and their role in providing career guidance? What challenges did they believe were the most crucial to address?
Complete Article >Roots of the National Career Development Association #4
By Rich Feller
To celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Career Development Quarterly, NCDA has published a free virtual edition which republished the eight most cited articles published in this journal during the past century. Learn about the roots of the Career Development Quarterly and read the articles which have been the most important to career development scholars over the past 100 years.
Complete Article >Roots of the National Career Development Association #3
By Rich Feller
When NVGA/NCDA was formed in 1913, how was the art and science of vocational guidance practiced? Was there training available in this field? Which tools were available for use in vocational guidance?
Complete Article >Learning Outcomes Assessment Step-by-Step: Enhancing Evidence-Based Practice in Career Services
Book Review By Joy Evans and Phyllis N. Weatherly
Learning outcomes assessment is a hot topic within career development, particularly in higher education. The following book review explores a recent NCDA monograph on this important topic, including a detailed description of its content and key takeaways for all readers across niche areas.
Complete Article >New Opportunity School For Women: A Unique Career and Education Program in Appalachia
By Caroline Francis
The New Opportunity School for Women located in Berea, Kentucky, offers a free three-week career and education program targeting low-income, middle-aged women in the south central Appalachian region. The intensive curriculum includes: job search skills, self-esteem, computer basics, internships, goal setting, and learning how to become enrolled in further education.
Complete Article >Roots of the National Career Development Association #1
By Rich Feller, President (2012-2013) National Career Development Association
As NCDA enters its centennial year, we remember the formation of the National Vocational Guidance Association 100 years ago. Who formed this association? Where was it formed? What concerns did its founders wish to address?
Complete Article >The Occupational Outlook Handbook enters the 21st Century
By Kristina Bartsch
The Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ established career information publication, was released in March 2012 as a reinvented online career resource. Learn about its updated look, multiple navigation choices, new search options, and reader-friendly writing style.
Complete Article >Documenting College and Career Ready Students
By Ray Henson
A lot has been written about college and career readiness for high school students. However, little is said concerning career readiness regardless of post-secondary education and training plans. College entrance assessments have been the measuring stick for college-bound students, but can we determine readiness for the workforce? This article is written to emphasize career preparedness in college and career ready initiatives.
Complete Article >Best College Majors And Activities For Aspiring Law School Students
By Shauna C. Bryce
Success as a lawyer isn't determined by choosing the right major. The critical skills for success as a lawyer can be found in unexpected places. Career development practitioners would do well to share this reminder about transferable skills with their clients.
Complete Article >How to Dead Reckon the Job Market: An Army Ranger’s Job Search Story
By Andreas Lucido
Career counselors working with transitioning military can use this Army Ranger's advice directly with clients.
Complete Article >Monographs Provide a Wealth of Practical and Easily Accessible Information: A Conversation with James P. Sampson, Jr., Ph.D.
By Brian M. Montalvo
NCDA monographs provide a wealth of practical and easily accessible information. A conversation with James P. Sampson, Jr., author and editor of "Designing and Implementing Career Programs: A Handbook for Effective Practice", offers insightful information that every career practitioner and those that are in the process of managing or creating career programs should read.
Complete Article >A Strength-Based Approach to Career Development Using Appreciative Inquiry
Book Review by Shawn Utecht
This book is for counselors who are looking for a practical resource to help clients use their strengths to navigate a career development path. Donald Schutt, the author of the book, offers a detailed explanation of how the organizational Appreciative Inquiry approach is easily transferable to the field of career development.
Complete Article >Getting More Out of Linkedin and Avoiding the Pitfalls
By Paula Brand
Are you still waiting to create a profile on LinkedIn? Are you on LinkedIn but want to do more? This article will give you some quick and easy steps to get more involved with LinkedIn and share some of the pros and cons of using it.
Complete Article >The Coming Jobs War
Book Review by Charles Lehman
Are good jobs the scarce commodity of the future? Jim Clifton of Gallup Corporation provides evidence that rate-of-job-creation separates prosperous countries from those that stagnate and fall behind. How does this world-view relate to our work as career counselors?
Complete Article >What Sustains the Practitioner?
By Marilyn Maze
At NCDA’s recent regional institute, career development practitioners were asked what sustains them. This opportunity for introspection may be helpful to all of us, and some of their answers may resonate strongly within us each day.
Complete Article >NCDA Connects to International Policy Development
By Deb Osborn and Rich Feller
NCDA aims to continue exploring and investing in mutually beneficial international partnerships. Obviously there is a need to advance career development policy leading to expanded access to career development resources to all populations
Complete Article >Research Reveals that Personality-Major Match Strengthens Students’ College Success
By Lawrence Jones and Juliet Wehr Jones
Major studies reveal that the degree of fit between students’ Holland personality type and their college major predicts their academic and career success. This article opens the door to understanding and applying these findings to college students, as well as to college-bound youth and adults.
Complete Article >Fixing a Faulty Social Media Reputation
By Janet Wall
In this age of transparency, everything you and others post about you online becomes public information. Negative or offensive information can hurt a job search or admission into postsecondary education. Often young people are not aware of how important it is to portray a positive and professional online presence. There are some ways to repair a negative online reputation and it starts with knowing how you are perceived online. Career services professionals can use these tips for themselves and with their students and clients.
Complete Article >Celebrating and Becoming a Champion for Diversity: Successful Strategies for Career Professionals
By Mary Buzzetta, Stefanie Cisneros, and Michael Zucker
To meet the challenges of a changing world, career professionals must be able to provide effective career services to a wide array of clients and be prepared to work with clients in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways. This article focuses on common career development barriers faced by three distinct groups: veterans, athletes, and students with disabilities.
Complete Article >Demystifying Assessments: 10 Essential Questions to Structure Your Approach
By Roberta Neault
Effective career assessment is a comprehensive process, not simply administering a battery of tests. Systematically answering the questions highlighted in this article will help to ensure that your assessments are focused, efficient, and ethically sound.
Complete Article >The Big Shift
Book Review by Wendy Bay Lewis
Marc Freedman, the leading proponent of the encore career movement, has written a compelling prescription for pursuing post-midlife careers of “purpose, passion and a paycheck” rather than traditional retirement. For those of us who advise these “new stagers,” The Big Shift provides candid insights into the dramatic benefits that await our country as well as the challenges facing individuals who choose to leave a legacy of service.
Complete Article >Rebuilding Lives: Career Counseling in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster
By Mary E. Buzzetta and Lizette Nale
Recovery from a natural disaster impacts work life and career options. Career professionals play a unique role in assisting disaster victims with the adjustment process. Strategies will be discussed for targeting and disputing negative career thoughts experienced by disaster victims as a result of their losses.
Complete Article >Gender in the Labor Force: 1970 - 2009
By Marilyn Maze
The role of women in the labor force has changed significantly over the past 40 years. Women have made dramatic gains in high-paying professional jobs. Have gender differences disappeared? Many think so. What does research tell us? It is important for anyone who counsels women to understand the ways in which gender still makes a difference.
Complete Article >Monographs Provide a Wealth of Practical, Accessible Information: A Conversation with author Debra S. Osborn
By Mary E. Buzzetta
NCDA monographs provide a wealth of practical and easily accessible information. A conversation with Debra S. Osborn, Ph.D., author and editor of "Teaching Career Development: A Primer for Instructors and Presenters,” offers insightful information that every instructor, new or seasoned, teaching a career development course should read.
Complete Article >Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success
Book review by Judy Kaplan Baron
The author of Getting to the Top shares experiences and lessons learned as an executive recruiter, identifies and analyzes career path strategies and provides personal stories of people in marketing, product/brand management, corporate communications, strategic alliances, etc. This is all the hard-to-find information that counselors need to know when working with people on their way to the top!
Complete Article >Career Convergence – A Career-Building Opportunity
By Marilyn Maze
As Career Convergence begins its 9th year of publication, the editors and the NCDA Board have begun to make prodigious plans for the coming year. We have entered the 21st Century with a strong commitment to collaboration and invite you to contribute. Thinking of writing, but not sure what to write about? Check out our “wish-list” of topics.
Complete Article >Grief Work in Career Planning and Development
By Peter Manzi
People view the loss of a parent for a young adult as a tragedy and a disruptive life event. Yet, could such a death provide an impetus to help a young person overcome self doubt and career uncertainty? How does grief affect a college student frustrated with his studies and ready to leave school?
Complete Article >Six Universal Competencies for Career Success
By Frank B. Leibold
Six Lifelong Transferable Competencies are required for today's transforming workforce and for most occupations and levels of responsibility. Transferable skill-sets, or competencies, have become the new currency for career success, future employability and closing America's global skills gap.
Complete Article >Primum non nocere – First Do No Harm
By Janet E. Wall
In the medical field, First Do No Harm is a precept that is part of the basic ethical principles by which competent professionals operate. It recognizes that sometimes it is better to do nothing than employ an action that might cause harm to the patient. Often this idea is not transferred to other professions – like career development – particularly as it relates to the use of assessments.
Complete Article >Leadership Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
By Danielle Gruen
If you or your clients have ever thought that you wanted to be a leader but hindered yourself in some way, then consider the idea that leadership is in you already and you only need a starting point. If you possess fresh ideas, forward ways of thinking, and some basic leadership skills, you are ready.
Complete Article >Seven Steps for Career Professionals to Take When a Reporter Calls
By Gail Hulnick
This article describes some of the priorities and perspectives of journalists, and suggests “best practices” for the career development professional who is interested in building a mutually beneficial relationship with a reporter.
Complete Article >Multicultural Career Counseling Competence: 5 Key Tips for Improving Practice
By Richard Orbé-Austin
Our increasingly diverse and global workforce requires career services professionals to strengthen our multicultural competence in order to meet our clients' needs. The challenge is to understand how to integrate the recently passed Minimum Multicultural Competencies into our everyday practice. This article focuses on key recommendations that can be applied to our current career counseling approaches, while improving our multicultural competence.
Complete Article >ACA Advocacy Competencies: A Social Justice Framework for Counselors
Book Review by Marilyn Maze
Advocacy is an important part of counseling, and is especially important in career counseling. With the help of Mark Pope and Joseph Pangelinan, this new book published by the American Counseling Association offers a fresh look at advocacy competencies needed by career counselors.
Complete Article >Four World-Wide Goals Set at Fifth International Symposium
By Marilyn E. Maze
Career practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers from 23 countries agreed on international goals for improving the delivery of career development services at the Fifth International Symposium for Career Development and Public Policy. What does this body believe to be the four most important goals world-wide in the field of career development?
Complete Article >Relating Interests to College Majors, Career Clusters, and Career Pathways
By Lawrence K. Jones and Juliet Wehr Jones
Developing a way to match Holland's personality types to Career Clusters, Career Pathways and all 1,300+ college majors, training, and instructional programs was a major challenge. We explain its importance, how we did it, and suggest ways you can use our work to help young people and adults.
Complete Article >California Achieves Counselor Licensure
An interview with Dean Porter by Marilyn Maze
California became the 50th state to license counselors in October, after three attempts and many years of effort. The California Coalition for Counselor Licensure (CCCL), a coalition of nine counseling associations, joined together to achieve this goal. CCCL will now work with the state agencies to develop the rules and regulations for implementation of licensure.
Complete Article >New Minimum Multicultural Competencies Announced
By Belinda McCharen and Shawn Utecht
New Minimum Multicultural Competencies help "ensure that all individuals practicing in, or training for practice in, the career counseling and development field are aware of the expectation that we, as professionals, will practice in ways that promote the career development and functioning of individuals of all backgrounds" (Multicultural, 2009).
Complete Article >The Working Worried - How Career Development Practitioners Can Help
By Caitlin Williams
Each day more employees go to work worried that, at any moment, their job may disappear. Career development professionals must be prepared to offer key skills and support to assist these workers in dealing with the challenges of our current economic times.
Complete Article >Creating Careers with Confidence
Book Review by Darrell A. Luzzo
Dr. Edward A. Colozzi's Creating Careers with Confidence offers an engaging, reflective approach to career exploration and planning that is sure to capture the hearts and minds of its readers. It is an ideal workbook for individual clients, community groups, and students who are in search of careers that offer true meaning and purpose.
Complete Article >Coping With Unemployment
By Tim Lutenski
Taking care of one's personal needs while unemployed is of critical importance. A big challenge is improving your skills, or helping your clients do so, in order to better cope with unemployment in a more rational and productive manner. No matter if you are working with an unemployed client, or are currently out of work yourself, it may be beneficial to recognize and manage this stressful situation by implementing some of the suggestions offered here.
Complete Article >Career, Work, and Mental Health: Integrating Career and Personal Counseling
Book Review by Gary W. Peterson
Career, Work, and Mental Health by Vernon G. Zunker provides a useful and engaging work for counselors who are called upon to integrate the seemingly disparate fields of career and mental health counseling. It begins with the assumption of a whole-person approach to counseling, which makes this text useful for practitioners as well as counselor-educators.
Complete Article >Integrative Career Counseling: Helping Clients Who Are Depressed, Stressed and Sometimes a Mess
By Karen James Chopra
Career counseling clients need to work, regardless of what else is happening in their lives, from emotional or psychological issues to devastating life events. Integrative Career Counseling (ICC) is a powerful, easy-to-use framework for helping clients achieve their career goals in the face of life's inevitable challenges.
Complete Article >The Green Economy in Light of the Stimulus Package
By Carol McClelland
Now that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been signed, we have a better idea how the bill will stimulate certain aspects of the green economy. This article spells out green industries that are likely to produce green collar jobs and green professional jobs.
Complete Article >What's the Story? Using Narrative in Career Management
By Mike Ballard and Lisa Severy
The role of narrative and constructivist thought in career development continues to be the subject of healthy debate and discussion. This article suggests that narrative goes beyond self-assessment, and is an integral part of ongoing career management.
Complete Article >Vocational Guidance and Career Development Services at Universities in Spain
By Marta Fernández-González
Universities in Spain are currently undergoing dramatic changes caused by the Bolonia Process, which encourages exchange of students among universities throughout Europe. Spanish universities have offered career guidance services since the early seventies, but are now facing the need for more and different career guidance services to assist students in this new Europe-wide environment.
Complete Article >Developing & Managing Career Resources
Book Review by Brian M. Montalvo
The monograph, Developing & Managing Career Resources, is an up-to-date, practical guide that would be useful for either setting up a career center or improving an existing one.
Complete Article >The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: the Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need
Book review by Karol Taylor
Comic book lovers, particularly Anime fans, will enjoy learning Pink’s six principles of career management in this story of Johnny, an American quarter-lifer.
Complete Article >Introducing Vocopher:
The Career Collaboratory
By Kevin Glavin
Vocopher, the career collaboratory, provides counseling professionals with free online access to a number of quality career inventories and educational materials. This web-based collection of instruments and assessments is designed to assist career practitioners, educators and researchers.
Complete Article >Designing and Implementing Career Programs
Excerpts from the book by James P. Sampson, Jr.
These PowerPoint presentations are companions to the book and made available for you to peruse. This special feature of Career Convergence is provided to readers to highlight the excellent resources available through NCDA.
Complete Article >The Role of the Client in Adult Guidance Research: An Irish Public Policy Issue
By Lucy Hearne
Measuring the long-term outcomes of guidance is a major public policy issue in Ireland and abroad. However, the current strive to achieve economic goals ignores the client's personal experiences of progression. This is the focus of a research study examining the client's contribution to the design of quality tracking systems in adult guidance.
Complete Article >The Ethics of Advocacy: Channelling Outrage to Champion Change
By Roberta Neault
Career professionals hear outrageous stories of injustices. How can those stories be used to champion change? This article draws from the NCDA (2007) Code of Ethics for guidance on advocacy that will benefit individual clients and society as a whole.
Complete Article >Career Education: History and Future
Book Review by Julia Panke Makela
In addition to celebrating 100 Years of Career Guidance and Education, this book and review provide a useful introduction to the policy arena in preparation for the 2008 National Career Development Association Global Conference in Washington, D.C.
Complete Article >Career Counselor as Advocate for and with Clients
By Erin E. Jennings & Amy Mazur
Counselor advocacy is nothing new; we've been advocating with and for our clients and ourselves since the inception of the profession. The goal of this article is to inspire you to rethink your role as an advocate, and to begin or further your advocacy work.
Complete Article >Case Note Writing Tips for Career Development Facilitators
By: David A. Scott & Michelle Grant Scott
CDF's working in One-Stop centers, other agencies and schools may find themselves responsible for writing case notes. If they have not received training in this area, lack of proper skills and techniques can create problems for themselves and the agency. Included are some guidelines to help CDF's write appropriate case notes.
Complete Article >Choosing a Vocation
Book Review By William C. Briddick
During the last days of his life, Frank Parsons prepared what would become a classic volume in the field of career/vocational counseling, Choosing a Vocation. Written for bureau directors and staff, this text outlines Parsons' vocational counseling methods, vocational information, supplementary resources, and case studies. Though its vocational information may be outdated and its nature directive, the book still offers significant value as the 100th anniversary of the death of Frank Parsons approaches.
Complete Article >Life Direction: the Teeter Totter of Life
By Anna Miller-Tiedeman
Does the direction of your life go up and down? Do your clients question their life direction? In her own way, this author expresses her insights on how to handle life when it gets out of focus.
Complete Article >Is Your Program Working? Resources for Evaluating Your Career Program
Janet E. Wall
Program evaluation is defined as a purposeful, systematic, and careful collection and analysis of information used to document the effectiveness and impact of programs, establish accountability, and identify areas needing change and improvement. That said, evaluation need not be a highly complex activity. With a modicum of planning and organization and some elementary school mathematics, you can conduct an evaluation that will help you better understand the impact and outcomes of the career intervention you are providing.
Complete Article >One World, Many Cultures: Career Counseling Services in a Globalizing World
By Recep Varcin and Ilkay Savci
The purpose of this article is to provide first hand information about setting up and implementing the only career counseling master program in Turkey.
Complete Article >Group Career Counseling: Practices and Principles
Book Review by Cassandra P. Smisson
Dr. Richard Pyle's monograph Group Career Counseling: Practices and Principles is a distinctive resource in that it explores group career counseling as a unique intervention with its own principles and properties. It is a useful supplement for someone who has foundational information on groups.
Complete Article >DOVE: A Values-Based Career Recipe For Success and Satisfaction
By Edward Colozzi
In recognition of purpose, personal agency, an expanded application of matching theory, and spirituality in career construction, this article examines Depth-Oriented Values Extraction (DOVE) as a specific career counseling intervention designed to move beyond objective assessment.
Complete Article >The Multilingual Advantage: What Career Development Professionals Need to Know
By Nataly Kelly
The demand for skills in languages other than English is at an all-time high. With an increasingly diverse society here in the United States, and with international companies opening up numerous branches around the globe, foreign language skills have never been more vital for career potential in virtually every industry.
Complete Article >Impacts of School-based Career Interventions on NCDG Outcomes
By Wei-Cheng Mau
This article summarizes results from a meta-analysis of outcome studies published between 1990 - 2005 which met the criteria of being a controlled study on career interventions with school-aged participants. Three career interventions that produced a large positive impact are highlighted. Common effective components are also described.
Complete Article >Creating Value: Your Brand as a Career Counselor
By Janet M. Ruck
Career development professionals and the populations they serve need to be aware of their image and take control over the creation of You, Inc.
Complete Article >PART II Talent and Career Explored Using Journaling and Art Therapy Techniques
By Dean Pappas
Assisting a client to explore creative talents, career enhancement, and professional drives and aspirations invites "whole brain" work on the part of both the client and the career development professional. What follows are activities that the career development professional can offer a client, when appropriate. [NOTE: this is Part II of the Pappas's article on "The 'Whole Brain' the 'Whole Person' and Exploring Talent".
Complete Article >The "Whole Brain," the "Whole Person" and Exploring Talent
by Dean Pappas
Is your client "left-brained" or "right"? Or perhaps more realistically, is your client a "whole brain" person? Increasing awareness of the parts of the self as well as the whole requires incorporating current psychological research and solid counseling theory, while at the same time enlarging the career development professional's toolbox of exploratory exercises. [NOTE: This is Part I of a two-part article. Part II of this article will detail exercises for uncovering talent in career development. Part II will be published in Career Convergence in February 2007.]
Complete Article >Creative Assessments: Using Non-Traditional Methods to Uncover Clients' Hidden Dreams
by Maureen Nelson
Creative assessments go beyond standard assessments in their capacity to draw out the client's heart's desire and potential. Using a variety of methods and media, these non-traditional methods work with multiple learning styles, keeping things fresh and engaging for client and counselor alike.
Complete Article >Are We Really Listening? Helping Career Practitioners Develop Narrative Skills
by Mike Stebleton
Our stories identify and shape us. Clients bring career-related stories of loss, transition, belonging, and indecision. How prepared are we to fully engage in these narratives? This article will address the importance of narrative skills for career counselors. Strategies to enhance narrative skills will be outlined.
Complete Article >Mental Health and Vocational Disability: Part 2 - A Quick Guide to Anxiety Disorders
by Peter Manzi
Part Two focuses on anxiety disorders and their impact on vocational functioning, followed by a discussion of career counselor interventions for mood and anxiety disorders.
Complete Article >Career Development International: A Focus on China
by Gemma A. Williams
To learn of the status of career development in China, delegates from the People to People Ambassador program traveled to the Asian country in 2005. This delegate realized the journey was rewarding both personally and professionally.
Complete Article >Taking Off with Vocation Vacations
by Al Rider
Inspired by his own dream for a lifestyle change, a former Chicago-based executive has created a "career-travel" agency that might breathe new life into the profession by making career exploration fun - and by the way, also provide new networking possibilities for career counselors everywhere.
Complete Article >Mental Health and Vocational Disability: A Quick Guide to Mood Disorders
by Peter Manzi
As career counseling models recognize the value of focusing on the whole person, counselors may need to use this quick guide to understand the DSM's classification of mental disorders, their symptomology and likely course, and treatment modalities. Behaviors the client is likely to experience may have a significant impact on a client's work adjustment.
Complete Article >Getting Involved in NCDA: Tips for Graduate Students
by Kevin Glavin
This article is intended to assist graduate students who would like to become actively involved with NCDA but are not sure where to start. First and foremost, attend the national conference. Networking and presenting could impact your future employment possibilities. In addition to outlining several ways you can become actively involved in NCDA, this article will provide you with tips for reducing conference expenditures, and an action plan to help get you started.
Complete Article >The World is Flat
Book Review by Marilyn Maze
If you value a good window into the world of work, consider reading this book. It is well-organized and well-written, full of fascinating real-life stories that make it fun to read, and offers profound insights about economic realities that we may not yet fully grasp. The author's unabashed enthusiasm for technological advancement is its main weakness. It offers a thorough discussion of many aspects of our current economic situation, arguing from a single perspective. It is a worthwhile read for anyone wishing to stay on top of the global changes of the 21st century.
Complete Article >The Role of Work in People's Lives: Applied Career Counseling and Vocational Psychology
Book Review by Danielle Savage
The Role of Work in People's Lives is a groundbreaking graduate-level textbook that brings diversity and multicultural issues to the heart of the exploration of current work trends, career development, and the career services profession. Voluntarily focusing on the grittier world of work rather than the glamorous domain of careers, Peterson and Gonzalez remind us that different populations may perceive occupational concerns very differently, and dare us to challenge our own assumptions as we work with those who come to us for assistance.
Complete Article >Ten Steps to Help Students Focus on their Education and Career Plans
by Suzy Mygatt Wakefield
Educators, counselors, and parents need to work together with people in the business community to offer career guidance programs to help students develop their strengths in order to better plan for their futures. All planning needs to begin with an understanding of the individual's strengths -the foundation for career planning. In honor of National Career Development Month, this article suggests that a community of people, services, and activities unite to achieve a career plan for the future.
Complete Article >What’s Your Work Density?
by Robert Travia
There is a significant correlation between the workload that we encounter and the job satisfaction that we experience. Research supports the idea that performance, productivity, commitment and retention all correlate with job satisfaction. This concept bridges the gap between intangible job satisfaction assessments and the tangible workload and resources that organizations provide their associates, a relationship over which organizational leaders have control.
Complete Article >Great Expectations for Career Counselors
by Peter Manzi
NCDA publishes a comprehensive description of competencies for career counselors (currently being updated). However, NCDA has not begged the question, What do clients expect from a career counselor? Can identifying these expectations inform counselors to better understand and serve their clients? Will such expectations be based on fact, fallacy or wish fulfillment? And lastly, what do clients need to know about career counseling?
Complete Article >How Do Clients Utilize Computerized Career Guidance Tools: Implications for Counselors
by Marilyn Maze and Garry Klein
This study, based on a very large set of data, examined the parts and features typically utilized when various types of people accessed the DISCOVER computerized career guidance program. The results contain some surprises and indicate points where counselor intervention is needed to guide clients.
Complete Article >Interest Areas: NCDA’s New Gateway To Online Resources
by Julie Levinson
NCDA has created a new set of Interest Area pages on its website. The intent of this effort was to provide a single place on the web where career development professionals could easily locate useful resources. The structure and content of these pages are described in the article.
Complete Article >Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education
by Janet E. Wall
The Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education has been endorsed by the governing bodies of seven member organizations of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices. This document was written to guide both test developers and test users in the fair and appropriate use of tests in education.
Complete Article >Continuing Professional Development Options for Career Counselor Supervisors
by John P. Lombardo
Career counselor educators and supervisors are essential to developing effective career counselors; however, such busy professionals seldom have time for additional formal graduate course work, and many seek alternatives for their continuing professional development needs. Here is a brief list of recent high quality books, videos, CD-ROMs, and on-line courses that may be used by career counselor supervisors to continue their professional knowledge and skills development on their own schedules.
Complete Article >Discover, Explore, and Use
by Lawrence K. Jones
The Career Key website has much to offer you and those you help. It is a free, public service to help youth and adults make good career decisions. You will discover that it has many features that will advance your work.
Complete Article >Science Careers: Personal Accounts from the Experts
Reviewed by Marie Louise Bernardo
A reviewer finds this small book (less than 150 pages) is packed with informative and enjoyable reading. While its title would seem to restrict information to only one category of careers, in reality this book is an excellent resource for career exploration in any field. Science Careers is available at the newly remodeled online NCDA Career Resource Store.
Complete Article >Outsourcing & Off- Shoring
by Daniel Eakins
Offshoring and outsourcing are one of many employment related concerns in today’s current economy. Whether or not you are in the corporate IT world, here is what you need to know and/or share with all your clients. These tips from Capella’s Career Associate for the School of Technology at Capella University, may help save your career or your client’s career.
Complete Article >A Trans/Queer/Intersex Primer: Career Counseling Concerns
by Caroline Gould
Transgender, queer and intersex people cope with different vocational concerns than most other populations. Career counselors need to be able to negotiate a quality counseling alliance while tailoring career interventions. The article proposes a basic structural conception, along with three succinct precepts.
Complete Article >Experiential Activities for Teaching Career Counseling Classes and for Facilitating Career Groups
by Mark Pope and Carole W. Minor
Chapter 2 "Career Services I Needed" is excerpted directly from Volume One of this book. The Table of Contents is also available for viewing. This new feature of Career Convergence is provided to readers to highlight the excellent resources available through NCDA.
Complete Article >Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century by Spencer G. Niles and JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey
Book Review by Peter Manzi
Can this book meet the high expectations of readers? Does it achieve the promise of ushering the new millennium of career development issues? Yes, says this reviewer.
Complete Article >The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Career Counselors
by Evonne D. Olson
Identifying habits and practices that sabotage our best career counseling efforts can open our eyes to new and improved ways to contribute to positive outcomes for our clients.
Complete Article >Each One Reach One
by Spencer Niles
What is the new "Each One Reach One" campaign that NCDA introduced September 1, 2003? In this open letter, the NCDA President explains the campaign and invites members to participate.
Complete Article >What’s Holding You Back?
By Peter Economy
This article takes a look at some of the most common obstacles preventing people from starting their own private practices, and what they can do to overcome them.
Complete Article >Model Defines "At Home" and "At Work" Personalities
by Larry Gabbard
This work moves MBTI career counseling lists into the future. Type Occupational Theme (TOT) Codes are developed and occupations are organized into twelve themes. Comparison of "At Home" and "At Work" environments predicts burnout. The Enneagram, prior knowledge not required, provides information on limiting personality dynamics, extra functional preferences and attitude/orientation toward stress/bliss.
Complete Article >Career Counseling Survival Tips: Helping Clients Find Employment During a Recession
by Darlene Fritz, M.A.
A recession can be a frustrating time for career counselors as well as job seekers. Read what the experts have to say about surviving and thriving through a tough labor market.
Complete Article >21st Century Career Success
by Michelle Casto
When it comes to modern career development, one thing we can all count on is change. With the advent of technology, telecommuting, and E-commerce, how work is performed is in a state of reinvention. Self-employment and small business development will become more the norm than big business. And career changes will be more frequent due to rapidly changing organizations and industries. Finally, the line between one's personal and professional life will become even more blurred.
Complete Article >Career Counseling Specialty: Out with the Old and Bring In the New!
by Peter Manzi
The only professional "registration" of career expertise for career counselors is the three special membership categories offered to NCDA members. These categories, Fellow, Master Career Counselor and Master Career Development Professional, replace the NCCC credential that was discontinued in 1999.
Complete Article >Career Counseling Specialty: Out with the Old and Bring In the New!
by Peter Manzi
The only professional "registration" of career expertise for career counselors is the three special membership categories offered to NCDA members. These categories, Fellow, Master Career Counselor and Master Career Development Professional, replace the NCCC credential that was discontinued in 1999.
Complete Article >