Features Archives

A Review of “Holland’s RIASEC Hexagon: A Paradigm for Life and Work Decisions”

By Asia Henry

This review highlights the book, Holland’s RIASEC Hexagon: A Paradigm for Life and Work Decisions, an exploration of John Holland's vocational theory, written and edited by Drs. Bullock-Yowell and Reardon. It caters to diverse audiences, using relatable anecdotes and empirical information to clarify career decision-making for everyday individuals and career professionals alike.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.