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.

Using Tools We May Not Know We Have: Career Agency as a Resiliency Factor

By Lucy Parker-Barnes, Suzanne Degges-White, David Walker, Scott Wickman, Jesse Linneman, Courtney Rowley, Robert Giansante, and Noel McKillip

Ideas for counselor educators to teach about career agency as a resiliency factor are described. A recent study, which supports career agency as a resiliency factor in the face of classism, is also briefly explained. Concluding ideas to foster career agency in both client sessions and counseling classrooms are also described.

Digital Communication Tools for a Future-focused Career Development Practice

By Beth Dutton

Innovative digital tools can enable career development professionals to connect and engage dynamically with diverse populations. Communicating in a multi-channel digital environment, such as through video messages, white board animation, customer relationship management tools, and texting allows career practitioners to inform, educate, and share resources with clients.

Preparing Teenagers for the Future of Work

By Betsy Jewell

The future of work is changing. Employers are struggling to find employees who are equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. College degrees, while important, may not be the only way to prepare for a career. The future of work will include careers that do not exist yet, so identifying the critical skills and mindset needed for success will help prepare young people for jobs of the future.

Best Practices for Engaging Diverse College Students in Career Development

By Peggy Brady-Amoon and Marie S. Hammond

As the profession has moved into the 21st century, the emphasis in career counseling and guidance has shifted from a focus on assessment to a more holistic approach to career development. This article provides information to help career professionals provide more individualized and culturally appropriate services given today’s diverse college student population.

Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for the Work that Makes You Come Alive

Book Review By Melanie V. Buford

Financial and social inequity, and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, have challenged modern workers’ relationships with work. Jonathan Fields tackles workers’ discontent in his new book, Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for the Work that Makes You Come Alive. This review explores Fields’ solution - the Sparketype assessment - and its strengths and limitations.

The Value of Membership in and Commitment to a Professional Organization

By Willa A. Smith

Why do you belong to professional organizations? Why should you commit to NCDA? What benefits do you receive as a member of organizations and how do you know your membership dues are a good investment? Career services professionals speak out about membership, commitment, and outreach – communicating agreement about the positive side of membership.

YuJa Video Recording

Yuja.com is a video recording studio and video storage place. You can use YuJa to easily record your online presentation using your camera to capture you while capturing your computer application. YuJa also offers a storage area as well as adding captions for accessibility.

Tech Tip submitted by Lynne Orr, orrl@wpunj.edu