2012-13 Policy and Procedures Manual

This annually updated document is designed to direct and assist board members and chairpersons of committees to plan, implement, and evaluate the roles and functions of their respective assignments. (This is a large file and may take a few moments to download.)

ACES/NCDA Position Paper

Preparing counselors for career development in the new millennium

Career Counseling Competencies

Minimum competencies for those professional career counselors at or above the Master's degree level of education.

NOTE: IN 2009, NCDA updated these Career Counseling Competencies to infuse multicultural competencies. See the Multi-Cultural Career Counseling Minimum Competencies for the most up-to-date information.

Multi-Cultural Career Counseling Minimum Competencies

The purpose of the multicultural career counseling and development competencies is to 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. 

Career Counselor Assessment and Evaluation Competencies

The purpose of these competencies is to provide a description of the knowledge and skills that career counselors must demonstrate in the areas of assessment and evaluation. The competencies can be used by counselors as a guide in the development and evaluation of workshops, inservice, and other continuing education opportunities, as well as to evaluate their own professional development, and by counselor educators as a guide in the development and evaluation of career counselor preparation programs.

Career Development Policy Statement

Includes definition of career development with basic considerations for grades K-6, 7-9, 10-12, and adults. (Updated 2011)

Career Software Review Guidelines - Introduction

An Introduction to the Guidelines for publishers and consumers of career software. (PDF 53KB).

After reading the Introduction, see this page for the actual  Guidelines, including the Description Form and Evaluation Criteria.

Career Software Review Guidelines - Description Form

Form used as a follow up to the Introduction to the  Career Software Review Guidelines. (PDF 18KB)

Career Software Review Guidelines - Evaluation Criteria

Checklist used with the Career Software Review Guidelines. (PDF 41KB)

Ethical Standards: NCDA's Code of Ethics

Standards of practice (also known as Ethical Guidelines) include general, counseling relationship, measurement and evaluation, research,  publication, consulting, private practice, and procedures for processing ethical complaints. NCDA's Code of Ethics was revised in 2007.

Harris Interactive Survey on Working America

The National Career Development Association commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a survey on Perceptions of Working America.  The 2011 National Survey of Working America poll results have shown that Career Practitioners are vital in developing the US workforce.  The Press Release, Video Statements, and Executive Summary are linked here.

Gallup White Paper

Review full text of the results of the Fourth NCDA/NOICC/Gallup Survey of Working America as a brief "white paper" or as full technical report.

Career Connecting in a Changing Context: A Summary of the Key Findings of the 1999 National Survey of Working America, includes survey background, summary of key findings and policy questions raised by the survey.

Gallup Technical Report

Developed by Gallup Organization; titled National Survey of Working America - 1999, includes a description of methodology, key findings, detailed findings with data for specific groups, technical appendix, survey instrument, and detailed tabulations by total sample and by sub-groups by gender, age, educational level, employment status, race, and occupational cluster.

Guidelines for Choosing A Counselor

Consumers can view the answers to "Why Seek Career Counseling" and "Services of a Career Counserlor" and "Client Expectations, Rights, and Responsibilities".  Then consumers can use the "Find A Counselor" feature on the NCDA website. 

Guidelines for the Preparation and Evaluation of Career and Occupational Information Literature

Guidelines for publishers and consumers of career and occupational print literature. (PDF 60KB)

Guidelines for the Preparation and Evaluation of Video Career Media

Guidelines for publishers and consumers of video career media. Includes a reviewer checklist. (PDF 54KB)

National Career Development Guidelines

This document details the framework for the National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG). Domains, goals and indicators organize the  framework. The domains: Personal Social Development (PS), Educational Achievement and Lifelong Learning (ED) and Career Management (CM) describe content. Under each domain are goals (eleven in total). The goals define broad areas of career development competency. Under each goal in the framework are indicators of mastery that highlight the knowledge and skills needed to achieve that goal.

Reviewer Rating Form

This checklist is for reviewing Career and Occupational Information Literature. (PDF 29KB)

Use of the Internet for Delivery of Career Counseling and Career Planning Services

Includes provider qualifications, access, content, appropriateness for client, additional client support, referral, use of assessment, ethics, and unacceptable counselor behavior