Features Archives

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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?

[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.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Best Practices for Using Blogs as a Student Engagement Tool

By Emily Gomez and Katherine Nobles

Blogs are a proven student engagement tool in both classroom and extracurricular settings. Users can benefit from learning the technology, taking ownership of posts and media, and having access to peers’ posts for discussion and feedback. This article highlights five best practices for blog use in career development.

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.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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

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.

The Creation of the National Vocational Guidance Association

By Fatima Wilson

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.