Career Practitioner Conversations with NCDA

NCDA
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Career Practitioner Conversations is a podcast series from the National Career Development Association (NCDA). NCDA provides research, resources, and support to career development professionals all over the world in their work to empower others to achieve their career and life goals. These conversations with industry leaders cover a wide variety of relevant topics for today's career practitioners. Legal Disclaimer: NCDA provides these episodes solely for educational and informational purposes. Opinions expressed in these episodes do not necessarily reflect the views of NCDA. NCDA disclaims any liability relating to any podcast content. 

  1. 2d ago

    Current Challenges in Career Counselor Education: Addressing Accreditation, Social Justice, and Mental Health

    Dr. Galaxina Wright, NCDA Trustee for Counselor Educators and Researchers hosts panelists Dr. Elif Balin (San Francisco State University) and Dr. Jackie Peila-Shuster (Colorado State University) discussing the shrinking number of CACREP-accredited graduate career counseling programs (six remaining) amid job insecurity, AI-driven workplace change, discrimination, immigration barriers, disability, and chronic illness. They describe structural challenges including internship site shifts from counseling to advising/coaching that reduce qualified supervision, licensure terminology and requirements that can marginalize career counseling, and the greater public visibility of career coaching versus career counseling. The panel explains career counseling specialization training within professional counseling programs, emphasizing a wellness model, prevention, and integrating guidance, education, and counseling to address “the thing beneath the thing.” They highlight social justice, advocacy, and “decent work,” and call for stronger collaboration, clearer professional identity, and broader integration of career-work issues across counselor education. Dr. Galaxina G. Wright is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Florida International University and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. Her scholarship focuses on career development barriers and interventions, mental health, and equity, with particular attention to the career experiences of historically marginalized and underserved populations. She is passionate about preparing counselors to recognize the vital connection between work, identity, well-being, and mental health and advocating for career development as an essential component of the counseling profession. Dr. Wright’s work bridges research, counselor education, and practice to expand access to meaningful career development and promote more equitable career opportunities. Dr. Elif Balin (Ph.D., LPC/PA, NCC) is an Associate Professor of Counseling and Coordinator of the Career Counseling specialization at San Francisco State University. Her teaching and scholarship focus on counselor education, social justice-oriented career counseling, international students and immigrants, and the intersection of work and well-being. Elif also provides counseling and psychoeducational programs that support the cultural and career transitions of international students and immigrants in higher education and community settings. She has been actively involved with NCDA for more than a decade, including serving as a co-founding chair of the International Student Services Committee (ISSC; 2013-2015) and later leading its research team until 2020. Elif currently serves on NCDA’s Research Committee and as a subgroup chair on the task force revising the Multicultural Career Counseling Competencies. Jacqueline (Jackie) J. Peila-Shuster, Ph.D., LPC, NCC is an Associate Professor in the Counseling and Career Development graduate program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, USA. She is also the program coordinator and career counseling specialization coordinator there. She has a Ph.D. with an emphasis in Counselor Education, an M.Ed. specializing in Counseling and Career Development, and a B.S. in Occupational Therapy. Jackie also serves as the co-chair of the Counselor Educator Academy for the National Career Development Association. Her areas of teaching and research interest include career counseling and development across the lifespan, counselor education, career construction counseling, and life design. NCDA Resources Counselor Educator and Researcher Constituency GroupCertified Career Counselor (CCC) CredentialCACREP Resources CACREP Homepage cacrep.org ; 2024 CACREP Vital Statistics ReportHow to Become a Career Counselor: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Current Challenges in Career Counselor Education: Addressing Accreditation, Social Justice, and Mental Health

  2. Aug 11

    Career Practitioners of Tomorrow - Core Competencies: Evidence-Based Approaches to Professional Growth

    This episode is the second in the Career Practitioners of Tomorrow (CPT) series from NCDA's Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion (DICI) Committee. It explores how graduate students, early-career professionals, and new career services practitioners can intentionally build their professional identity through evidence-based strategies rooted in national standards, emerging research, and the evolving landscape of work and career development. Panelists—including counselor educators, career services directors, and workforce development leaders—unpack the core competencies necessary for success in the profession and discuss trends reshaping practice. The conversation emphasizes practical, research-supported pathways for ongoing growth, including scholarship, writing, presentation development, mentorship, networking, and engagement with the National Career Development Association (NCDA). This session:  Explains how evidence-based frameworks guide effective practice and develop competencies.Highlights current and future trends shaping the field.Provides actionable guidance for building a strong career development portfolio.Offers tips for engaging deeply in NCDA to accelerate growth.Speakers Moderator: Dr. Nina Talley - Director of Career Development, Center for Career & Professional Development, University of South FloridaDr. Christian Chan - Assistant Professor, The University of North Carolina at GreensboroVictor Massaglia - Director of Career Services, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Resources CPT Project for Session 2: Submitting Professional ProposalsCareer Practitioners of Tomorrow Guide: https://bit.ly/NCDA-DICI-CPT Contact CPT: https://forms.gle/Y4oTKiL4kpdiisF69

    Career Practitioners of Tomorrow - Core Competencies: Evidence-Based Approaches to Professional Growth

  3. Jul 23

    NCDA's International Student Services Committee 2026 Mini-Conference

    In this episode, Melissa Venable hosts Dr. Pankaj Desai and Abby Senuty - Co-Chairs of the 2026 NCDA ISSC Mini-Conference hosted by the NCDA International Student Services Committee (ISSC). This conversation introduces the annual ISSC Mini-Conference taking place on Friday, August 7, 10:00-4:00pm CST. Registration is free and open to all NCDA members, and attendance earns up to 5 CEs. Registration FormInformation and AgendaJoin the NCDA ISSC Committee (Interest Form) Resources ISSC and other NCDA CommitteesISSC YouTube ChannelLearn More About Our Guests: Dr. Pankaj Desai currently serves The Career Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as the Senior Assistant Director for Inclusion Initiatives. Multiculturalism in higher education, career education, international and first-generation student support, globalization in education, mental health and well-being, college student persistence, and student development are some of his areas of interest. Dr. Desai currently serves the NCDA International Student Services Committee as the Chair of the annual mini-conference planning committee within the ​Professional Development and Community Connections Team. Together with The Career Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Desai is the recipient of NCDA’s 2025 Diversity Initiative Award. Dr. Desai is also honored to also be a part of the 2026 cohort of the NCDA Leadership Academy. Abby Senuty is the Director of Career Resources at Skagit Valley College and the current Co-Chair of the NCDA International Student Services Committee’s annual mini-conference. Prior to working in higher education, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and worked in college access advising. She is passionate about access to career resources and strengths-based, collaborative approaches to career development.

    NCDA's International Student Services Committee 2026 Mini-Conference

  4. Jun 23

    Skills You Can See: Data Literacy and Technology Innovations for Job Seekers, and Employers, and Educational Institutions

    NCDA's Technology Committee co-chairs Dr. Eric Hines and Angie Thompson host guest Denise Lawson from Quality Information Partners. They discuss data literacy and emerging tools, such as verifiable credentials and digital wallets. Lawson explains data literacy as role-dependent, stressing ethical data creation, asking good questions, and careful interpretation in career guidance. They discuss the shift toward skills-based hiring, using portfolios of verified skills from education, work, and extracurricular activities, starting as early as high school. Lawson emphasizes interoperability standards, trusted credential registries, and keeping humans in the loop — especially as AI changes work and can generate inaccurate claims — so that employers, educators, and counselors can share information with greater trust and better align education with workforce needs. For more on this topic, check out Denise Lawson's recorded NCDA Webinar: Digital Innovations and the Future of the Talent Marketplace. Denise Lawson is a Senior Associate at Quality Information Partners (QIP) where she currently leads projects related to data literacy for education professionals and furthering the use of postsecondary outcomes data. She also works on efforts to promote skills-based hiring and advancement as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s T3 Innovation Network. In addition to these projects, Denise led the development of eLearning courses on data visualization for use by state and local education agencies and training materials related to student data privacy rules and regulations. She is an adjunct faculty and serves as a project advisor for second-year graduate students in the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College. Denise provides guidance to student teams on the completion of a capstone project performed for a real-world client. She also conducts student workshops to build student skills in areas such as project planning and managing client relationships. Denise has an MBA with a focus on information technology from the University of Edinburgh and a BS in psychology from Georgetown University. She also holds a PMP certification. Erik M. Hines, Ph.D., is a Professor of Counseling in the Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Educational Sciences within the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Dr. Hines research agenda focuses on the postsecondary readiness and career development of Black men and boys across various contexts (P-12, community college, 4- year college/university) and critically examines how high impact programming shape their educational and career outcomes and experiences. Additionally, Dr. Hines studies the career exploration of educationally vulnerable students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). He has secured over $12.5 million dollars in research and program funding.  Angie Thompson has worked in higher education for over two decades and currently serves as the Assistant Director of AI Education and Student Engagement at the University of Montana. A certified federal application specialist and career coach, she teaches career courses and is nationally recognized for her expertise in AI, career readiness, and federal hiring processes. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the NCDA Technology Committee and is actively involved in the University of Montana’s AI Future Project and AI Community of Practice, where she helps shape campus-wide AI guidelines, initiatives and ethical frameworks. Angie has recently written an article on AI and, this year, will also serve on the NCDA AI Task Force and the NACE AI Content Special Interest Group.  Resources Learn about the activities of all of NCDA's CommitteesNCDA's AI ResourcesNCDA's Webinar Series

    Skills You Can See: Data Literacy and Technology Innovations for Job Seekers, and Employers, and Educational Institutions

  5. May 12

    Beyond Cultural Awareness: Charting the Course for Intercultural Competence in Career Services

    Daniel Pack hosts a conversation about intercultural competence in advising international students with Esther Ra and Vicky Lee. Vicky recounts an early negative career services experience that revealed advisors’ lack of understanding of international students’ nuanced needs, including immigration and cultural norms. The speakers emphasize cultural humility and relational advising and present the LBC framework—Launchpad, Bridge, Coach—as a scaffolded approach to culturally responsive career services providing foundational context and real-world examples for U.S. job searching, bridging cultural differences and systems navigation (including addressing imposter syndrome and using tools like GoinGlobal Cultural Wizard), and coaching through ongoing goal setting, follow-ups, and continuous engagement to build agency and career self-efficacy. Daniel Pack is a Career Exploration Specialist at Syracuse University, where he has spent over eight years helping students navigate their professional journeys. His two passions are supporting international students in their career development and exploring the convergence of AI and career services. He is the author of Culture, Communication, and Community: Navigating School, Work, and Belonging in America, a guide for international students adjusting to American professional and academic environments. He is an active member of the National Career Development Association, serving as Co-chair of the Resources Subcommittee for the International Student Services Committee. Daniel can be reached at dvpack@syr.edu and LinkedIn. Esther Ra, Ed.D., CCMC, CELDC (she/her) is currently an Associate Director at the University of Pennsylvania’s Career Services where she co-leads the International Committee, collaborating with many internal and external campus partners to ensure the career needs of the international community. Dr. Ra is also a Lecturer at The Wharton School, lecturing in the MBA, Executive MBA, and Global Executive MBA Communications Programs. She is a Visiting Professor at Seoul National University, and has had appointments at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. She has 25 years of experience in both K-12 and Higher Education sectors as an advisor, professor, researcher, teacher, and professional developer. Dr. Ra is Principal and Founder of ERa Coaching and Consulting (www.drestherra.com), where she collaborates with private clients and organizations towards advancing professional development and career pursuits. She is a daughter of immigrants and a bicultural, first-generation scholar-practitioner, coach, and consultant. She can be reached at estherra@upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. Vicky Lee, M.Ed., M.S. (she/her) is a doctoral student and Graduate Research Assistant pursuing a PhD in Education at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Before returning to school full-time, Vicky worked as a higher education and student affairs practitioner for over 7 years, with hands-on experience primarily in career services and international student services. Vicky also has experience working abroad in England and Scotland. Most recently, she served as the Associate Director of Career Equity, Access & Global Career Development at Suffolk University’s Center for Career Equity, Development & Success. Vicky is an international and first-gen student who aspires to be a scholar-practitioner in higher education. She can be reached at vicky.lee@gwu.edu or via LinkedIn.  Learn about NCDA's Committees, including the International Student Services Committee.

    Beyond Cultural Awareness: Charting the Course for Intercultural Competence in Career Services

  6. Apr 22

    Beyond Green Jobs: Applying Sustainability and Climate Justice Issues to Career Development Practice

    Dr. Mike Stebleton hosts, Nicole “Nicki” May, and Dr. Candy Ho in this episode about integrating sustainability and climate justice into career development. Stebleton cites 2023 data that 81% of U.S. college students worry about climate change, framing eco-anxiety as a career issue. The conversation includes a definition of sustainability as meeting present needs without harming future generations (including seven-generation thinking) and climate justice as addressing unequal climate impacts.  Michael J. Stebleton, PhD, is a Professor of Higher Education at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He teaches both undergraduates and graduate students in the Department of Organizational, Leadership, Policy, and Development.  Nicole L. May is a PhD candidate, instructional designer, and adjunct instructor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Her research centers around higher education’s responses to the climate crisis and sustainability leadership.  Dr. Candy Ho is an internationally recognized career development scholar, keynote speaker, and author. She is the author of Discovering Careers and is currently writing two books on green workforce transformation and higher education leadership. As Chancellor’s Chair at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, she works with K-12 educators to integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into meaningful learning experiences. Resources Job Function Action Guides from Project DrawdownActions and hopes of the sustainability-focused student. Inside Higher EdClimate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: A global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health Enhancing a career development curriculum by embedding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and CounsellingBeyond green jobs: Students navigate the reality of the climate crisis. Career ConvergenceGlobal ambitions, local support: Understanding faculty influence on international students' career development. Canadian Journal of Career Development, 24(1), 33-49. Applying a critical climate education lens to generative AI. Journal of College and Character, Odyssey BlogAditi Garg from U of Saskatchewan’s published guide on embedding the SDGs in teaching and learningClimate Literacy in Every Classroom, University of MinnesotaUnited Nations Sustainable Development GoalsHope-Action TheoryCareer Week North America - 2024CDBees Padlet

    Beyond Green Jobs: Applying Sustainability and Climate Justice Issues to Career Development Practice

  7. Apr 14

    NCDA Updates: 2026 Conference Overview with Dirk Matthews

    In this episode, Melissa Venable interviews NCDA President Dirk Matthews about the NCDA 2026 Global Career Development Conference, June 30–July 2 in Minneapolis. Dirk presents the event theme, “Creative resilience: integrating dynamic solutions and career development,” emphasizing practical, creative problem-solving amid constant change. He highlights the conference’s community, learning, and networking benefits and introduces new conference features this year: partial livestreaming of the opening keynote and select sessions to increase accessibility, and board-hosted evening activities. Keynotes include: Dr. Bidhan (Bobby) Parmar, author of “Radical Doubt;” Azizi Marshall on communication (“Speak Like a Badass”); and Dr. Jaana Kettunen on the international considerations of artificial intelligence. Dirk also shares his leadership goals focused on accessibility, scholarships, and an organizational assessment to guide NCDA's next strategic plan. Dirk Matthews, MS, CMCS is the current NCDA President (2025-2026). He brings a diverse background of experience to career development that is fueled by his work as a therapist, educator, photographer, and filmmaker. He is a leader in career services and an educator at Columbia College Chicago. He is a private practitioner in career development and the owner of an architectural photography business. Dirk has provided career services in higher education and to adults for the past 23 years while teaching film and career preparation courses for 26 years. In addition, he is a Facilitating Career Development instructor. Dirk previously served as chair of the NCDA Training and Education Council, and as co-chair of the Technology Committee for three years. Currently, he is the Senior Director of Alumni Relations at Columbia. Dirk received his master’s degree in organizational psychology from California Southern University. He has been published in several journals including Career Developments and has an extensive history of presenting on subjects ranging from film analysis, portfolio development, and career development. His recent research focuses on the impact of the pandemic on organizations. Resources NCDA 2026 Global Career Development Conference

    NCDA Updates: 2026 Conference Overview with Dirk Matthews

  8. Apr 7

    DEI Symposium Series - Concluding 2025 and Looking Ahead to 2026

    This episode closes a podcast series from the DEI symposium at NCDA’s 2025 Conference in Atlanta. Dr. Cheryl Love, who highlights the NCDA Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion Committee (DICI), encourages listeners to access symposium workshops via the podcast, and invites participation amid efforts to minimize DEI work. Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, DICI co-chair, previews the fourth annual DEI symposium in Minneapolis, including content on ethics, multicultural competence, supervision, working with diverse populations, a State of the Union, and mentoring. She describes DICI’s subcommittees, resources, publications, a new group for new professionals and students, a membership meeting, and a reception. Dr. Frank Gorritz FitzSimons issues a call to action to join DICI for support, impact, and community. Dr. Cheryl Love is a Career Counselor and a College Specialist for the Arts, Humanities, School of Education and School of Public Policy in the Career Center at the University of California, Riverside. In this role she also serves as the Liaison to the African Student Programs, the Black Student Success Initiative, Basic Needs, UCR Transfer Work Group, and the Kessler Scholar Program. Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, CCC, NCC, FCD-I is a Clinical Professor at Southern New Hampshire University. She also serves as a career consultant through her private practice, Increasing Our Understanding (I.O.U.) Consultation, LLC. Dr. Barnes-Gwynn is a newly appointed board member for the Council of Accreditation and Related Educational Programs. Dr. Frank Gorritz FitzSimons, LPC, is a counselor educator in Florida. He is a nationally recognized scholar and counselor educator on topics including providing affirmative counseling care to queer and transgender communities of color, providing multicultural supervision, utilizing diverse approaches to counseling work, as well as addressing and disrupting white supremacy in counselor education.  Resources: NCDA CommitteesNCDA 2026 Global Career Development Conference - Minneapolis

    DEI Symposium Series - Concluding 2025 and Looking Ahead to 2026
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Career Practitioner Conversations is a podcast series from the National Career Development Association (NCDA). NCDA provides research, resources, and support to career development professionals all over the world in their work to empower others to achieve their career and life goals. These conversations with industry leaders cover a wide variety of relevant topics for today's career practitioners. Legal Disclaimer: NCDA provides these episodes solely for educational and informational purposes. Opinions expressed in these episodes do not necessarily reflect the views of NCDA. NCDA disclaims any liability relating to any podcast content. 

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