Career Practitioner Conversations with NCDA

In this episode Erica Mattison and Mike Wysocki discuss their work and insights on career readiness. Erica Mattison, an executive coach and author, integrates narrative assessment and strengths-based coaching in her approach, while hosting her own podcast. Mike Wysocki, also an author, discusses his upcoming book, which reports on career readiness insights gathered from college students. The conversation highlights the significance of developing soft skills, such as public speaking and teamwork, which are often overlooked in traditional education. Mike shares his journey and his passion for understanding job satisfaction, leading him to interview professionals for his books. Erica and Mike also reflect on the shifting focus of educational institutions towards better preparing students for the workforce, underscoring the importance of career exploration courses and involvement from career professionals.

Mike Wysocki is a speaker and author focusing on career readiness. Wysocki published the two-time award-winning and Amazon best-selling book, Careers By the People: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals. It got rave reviews from Forbes and Kirkus Reviews. Moreover, Careers By the People received endorsements from educators of Harvard, Stanford, UMass, Northeastern, Boston University, Alcorn State, Western Kentucky, UHawaii and many more. Wysocki produced over 120 YouTube videos on career readiness and built a Udemy course. Wysocki has spoken at Boston University, UMass, Hawaii Pacific University, Suffolk University, UNH, Cal State University and many more colleges and high schools. Also, Wysocki has spoken at ACTE Hawaii, ACTE Alabama, ACTE Region V and Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMWorks.

• Website: www.careersbythepeople.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-wysocki/
• YouTube Channel @careersbythepeople
• Email: [email protected]

Erica Mattison is an executive coach, speaker, and author who supports organizations and professionals to strengthen direction, sharpen focus, and achieve lasting impact. Drawing on her background in sustainability and social impact, she works with leaders and teams to enhance effectiveness, navigate change, and build thriving workplace cultures. For individuals, she provides career coaching and development support, helping professionals clarify goals, build confidence, and move forward with intention. Erica is the author of Clarifying What Matters: Creating Direction for Your Career and host of the Conversations with Erica podcast, where she explores themes of purpose, leadership, and growth. Her approach integrates narrative assessment and strengths-based coaching to foster clarity, resilience, and meaningful progress. A certified career coach and Master Certified Life Coach, Erica holds degrees in psychology (BA), public administration (MPA), and law (JD), and has supported thousands of professionals across higher education, government, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses.

In this episode, Dr. Pankaj Desai, Ellen Zold Goldman, and Leigh Oliveras from NCDA’s International Student Services Committee (ISSC) introduce the annual ISSC Mini-Conference taking place on Friday, August 8, 10:00-4:00pm CST.

The conference theme – Cultivating Confidence and Career Readiness in a Changing World – includes presentations related to a strengths-based micro-coaching model tailored for Gen Z international students, a micro-session on valuable topics such as NCDA Credentialing, the International Student Resource Guide, leveraging AI for career practitioners, strategies for enhancing campus collaboration, developing cultural competence as career coaches, immigration updates, and more. The discussion also includes information about the International Student Services Committee and how you can get involved. 

Registration is free and open to all NCDA members. Attendance earns up to 5 CEs.

• Registration Form
• Information and Agenda
• Join the NCDA ISSC Committee (Interest Form) 

 Resources

• ISSC and other NCDA Committees
• ISSC YouTube Channel

Dr. Pankaj Desai currently serves The Career Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as the Senior Assistant Director for Inclusion Initiatives. Multiculturalism in higher education, career education, international student support, globalization in education, college student persistence and engagement, and student development are some of his areas of interest. Dr. Desai currently serves the NCDA ISSC as the Chair of the annual mini-conference planning committee within the Professional Development and Community Connections Team. Dr. Desai is honored to be also a part of the 2026 cohort of the NCDA Leadership Academy.

Ellen Zold Goldman is the Co-Chair of the NCDA ISSC and Associate Director of Career Design at Northeastern University, where she specializes in career counseling and programming for international students. She also served as an NCDA conference proposal reviewer and currently serves on the NCDA Higher Education Advisory Board for the Higher Ed Career Counselors and Specialists Constituency. Combining her love of cross-cultural work with experiential education, her background includes teaching a Working in the U.S. course for international students, advising Malaysian government-sponsored students, and supporting home country co-op programs. She was a J1 Alternate Responsible Officer, oversaw study abroad, and volunteered with refugees in an early employment program. Her M.Ed. in College Student Development and Counseling focused on cross-cultural counseling, international student support, and career development.

Leigh Oliveras is the Associate Director of Career Services at Carnegie Mellon University, Silicon Valley. She is a career consultant who is passionate about helping students see their strengths and how they can create positive change in their community. Leigh serves as the Co-Chair of the NCDA International Student Services Committee (ISSC) for 2024-2026. She holds a master’s degree in Organization and Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of San Francisco.

In this podcast episode, Melissa Venable hosts a discussion on mentoring relationships with Dr. Sharon Givens and Rasha Madkour. Sharon, a former NCDA president, and Rasha, a career coach from Saudi Arabia, share their cross-continental mentoring journey. They detail how their mentoring relationship began through a formal NCDA program and evolved organically. Both talk about the mutual benefits and growth they experienced, including Rasha becoming an instructor and learning to market her practice. Sharon and Rasha emphasize the importance of trust, commitment, and the potential future of mentoring programs, especially with the aid of emerging technologies. They conclude by discussing the value of their relationship and its ongoing positive impact.

Dr. Sharon Givens is a psychotherapist specializing in individual, family and group therapy. Among her areas of expertise are career and work issues, depression, domestic violence and depression. In addition to being a therapist, Dr. Givens is a life coach, career counselor, and a  prominent career development consultant that has presented at global and national conferences speaking on the topics of self concept, career exploration and integrating mental health and career development. Sharon is also the former president of the National Career Development Association.

Radha Madkour is a CCSP credential holder and FCD instructor certified by (NCDA), and ACC certified career and team coach (ICF) with a pharmaceutical background and more than 20 years experience as a sales manager and trainer in a multinational company. Her diversified experience in coaching and training makes her passionate about supporting partner clients (individuals & students) to find their career pathways, unleash their potential for career development and career transition. Rasha supports team members in organizations to develop better alignment and performance to achieve their goals.

In this episode, Melissa Venable, NCDA's Director of Professional Development, talks with NCDA President Marty Apodaca about the upcoming NCDA 2025 Global Career Development Conference, scheduled for June 18-20 in Atlanta, Georgia. Marty discusses the theme he selected, Autonomy to Change: Evolving and Adapting Career Development in Revolutionary Times, drawn from the significant changes in the career development landscape, especially influenced by AI and workforce dynamics. He highlights key speakers, including Sonny Wong, Dr. Marian Higgins, and JP Michel, and emphasizes this year's DEI symposium and the event's historical and cultural significance, being held during Juneteenth in Atlanta. Additionally, Marty introduces new conference formats, including mini-sessions on diverse topics such as AI and resilience. He reflects on his tenure as NCDA President, sharing the establishment of an AI task force, the organization's commitment to DEI, and his personal and professional growth through global relationships.

Marty Apodaca, MA, LPCC, CCC, NCC is a Senior Counselor at the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Student Health and Counseling where he assists his clients in exploring the intersections of career and mental health. For over a decade, he previously served as a Career Development Facilitator at UNM Career Services, where he supervised and trained both individual and group counseling interns. Marty presents to counseling graduate students on career related topics and has taught undergraduate career development courses.

Marty’s NCDA roles include being the Trustee-at-Large for Leadership Academy and a co-associate editor for the Features section of NCDA's web magazine, Career Convergence. Previously, he served on the President’s Strategic Planning committee and is an alumnus of Leadership Academy. Marty is an active board member and former president of the NMCDA, where he helps facilitate workshops aimed at educating community providers, career practitioners, and school counselors on serving their populations' career needs. Marty has also been faculty at two Career Construction Institutes and offers supervision and guidance to UNM staff and graduate students who use the Career Construction Interview with clients.

Marty has publications in the Career Development Quarterly, Career Planning and Adult Development Network, and Career Convergence. Marty has also been published in the Journal of Individual Psychology, Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, and ACA’s VISTAS web magazine. Marty received his BA in English and MA in Counseling from UNM. While working on his MA, he served as a board member and president for Chi Sigma Iota, the counseling honor society. Marty is a Professional Clinical Counselor, Certified Career Counselor, and National Certified Counselor. At UNM, Marty has received the People Appreciate Wonderful Staff Award and was recognized as an American Indian Student Services Campus Partner.

Resources

NCDA 2025 Global Career Development Conference

NCDA AI Task Force - Artificial Intelligence Resources

In this episode, Melissa Venable, NCDA Director of Professional Development, discusses writing and publishing career development books with guests Sujata Ives and Paula Brand. They discuss their motivations, the long and challenging process of publishing, the costs involved, and the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing. Sujata and Paula offer practical advice, including the importance of planning, asking critical questions, and reading extensively. The episode provides valuable guidance for anyone interested in writing a book.

Sujata Ives, PhD, GCDFI, OWDSI, is a workplace global consultant and leader in the field of career development and employment counseling. She is a sought-after international speaker and international best-selling author of the book and workbook “Activate Success, Tips, Tools, & Insights to Be a Leader in Your Niche” available on Amazon & Kindle. Her keen approach to leadership takes a novel approach through storytelling, self-leading and introspection as foremost to change management, conflict-resolution, and sustainable impact. She was the first to publish an article for SHRM association on the topic of “Common Sense Leadership” and published her counselor story as a foreign-born counselor in ACA’s Counselor Stories series. Sujata is the 2023 recipient of the National Career Development Association’s Diversity Initiatives Award. She was chosen to participate in the 2024 NCDA Leadership Academy class, where she conducted a national and international study through a needs analysis on intercultural leadership, and after graduating she was chosen to become Chair of the Leadership Academy Class of 2026. In addition, she is also Chair of Programs at the Asia Pacific Career Development Association; member of the Awards Committee; member of the Global Connections Committee; Treasurer of the MCA; and Community Coordinator for the World Council on Global & Intercultural Competencies, UNESCO. Sujata has a limited private practice and can be reached at www.drsujataives.com

Paula Battalia Brand is the author of The Purple Parachute: A Woman’s Guide to Navigating the Winds of Career Change. This DIY manual walks you through a step-by-step process to learn about yourself and move you through career transitions successfully. It’s available in all formats (eBook, audiobook, and hard copy). This book is a manifestation of Paula’s passion to empower women in the workplace. Paula is a Global Career Coach & Consultant, LinkedIn Expert, Speaker, Trainer and Author with a background in human resources, workforce development, training and career counseling.  She founded Brand Career Management to provide career services to individuals and employers. Organizational clients have included the World Bank Group, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Executive Educations programs at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Her formal education includes a master’s degree in applied psychology (Industrial/Organizational) from the University of Baltimore and a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Greensboro. Additionally, Paula currently holds three industry certifications including Global Career Development Facilitator, Certified Salary Negotiation Specialist, and Job and Career Transition Coach. Learn more about Paula’s book at http://www.purple-parachute.com/. You can learn more about Paula at www.brandcareermanagement.com.

Resources

Resources for Aspiring Authors

This episode features a conversation about representation in the workplace in which LaChish Rigg, CEO of LJR Training & Coaching and Past President of the New Jersey Career Development Association, hosts Blanca Rosales-Ahn, founder of BRAHN Career Educational Consulting Services. The discussion covers the impact of representation on workplace culture, profitability, and the inspiration it can provide for all employees. LaChish and Blanca also discuss overcoming challenges, professional courtesy, and the need for open communication and mentorship. This episode provides actionable advice for career practitioners helping clients embrace their authentic selves while maintaining professionalism, leveraging their cultural backgrounds, and advocating for inclusion and representation.

LaChish J. Rigg is the owner of LJR Training & Coaching, a private practice based in South Florida offering the Facilitating Career Development training course along with career coaching services. LaChish has over 15 years of experience in higher education, including experience providing career and academic advising services to diverse populations. She also has experience as a K-12 teacher, college instructor and workshop presenter. She teaches high school social science courses, college and career readiness courses and has presented workshops on resume writing, networking, interview skills, and job fair professionalism. She is a counseling student and talk show host for the Black Mental Health Matters show. She served as President of the New Jersey Career Development Association, Sub-committee co-chair of the New Jersey Association for Multicultural Counseling, and Member-at-large for the Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association. Her educational background includes graduate studies in counseling, education, and business. Connect with LaChish: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram

Blanca Rosales-Ahn is the Founder and Chief Executive Director of BRAHN Career Educational Consulting Services. A strategic professional with over 20 years of experience, she specializes in Career and Leadership Development, Career Counseling, Education and Business Management. She has extensive expertise in assessment and program development for diverse populations. Blanca earned her M.A. in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Student Affairs in Higher Education and a B.S. in Business Management. She is also a Certified Master of Career Services (CMCS). Blanca has held numerous leadership roles, including serving as President of the New Jersey Career Development Association (NJCDA), the New Jersey Employment Counseling Association (NJECA), and LUPE Fund, Inc. She has also served on the Executive Boards of organizations such as the New Jersey American Council on Education for Women in Higher Education, the Hispanic Association of College Employees, the National Career Development Association (Professional Development Committee), the New Jersey Counseling Association (NJCA), and the United Way’s Hispanic Leadership Advisory Council, among others. She is an Adjunct Professor at Kean University and Union College of Union County.

Resources

• https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact
• https://www.eeoc.gov/data/eeo-1-employer-information-report-statistics#Explore

In this episode hosted by Melissa Venable, NCDA Director of Professional Development, Deborah Sgro, founder of Beyond the Glass Ceiling, LLC, and the global mentoring director for Women in Big Data, explains the work and interconnectedness of data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity career fields. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the rapidly growing and transforming tech landscape, highlighting market trends, job roles, essential skills, and training paths. Deb also addresses common misconceptions and the need for continuous learning and adaptability in these professions. The discussion underscores the non-technical career opportunities in these fields and provides advice for career counselors and coaches on how to stay current and support their clients effectively.

Deborah Sgro is a certified career professional with a private practice, Beyond The Glass Ceiling, LLC.  She specializes in coaching technology and business professionals at all levels to achieve their envisioned career. As a former senior financial technologist professional, she worked on Wall Street for over 40 years developing technical solutions addressing business objectives for the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, and BNY Mellon. Throughout that time, she also groomed emerging talent by establishing and running mentoring programs, providing on-the-job training sessions, and personally coaching to assist people with their career advancement goals. 

Deborah holds a CCSP certification from the National Career Development Association.  She is also a certified project manager and certified Agile Professional from the Project Management Institute. Deborah holds two master's degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology, one in Computer Science and the other in Technology Management. 

She is on the Board of Advisors for Women in Big Data, and is the Global Mentoring Director for that non-profit professional association. Deborah also addresses corporate women resource groups, university audiences, and presents at NCDA conferences on all aspects of career advancement.

For more information: www.linkedin.com/in/deborahsgro

Resources

• World Economic Forum - Future of Jobs Report 2025
• McKinsey and Company - Featured Insights
• Women in Big Data
• Udemy

In this episode, Melissa Venable hosts Dr. Resa Lewiss, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Dr. Adaira Landry, an emergency medicine doctor at Harvard/Brigham and Women's Hospital for a discussion of takeaways from their book: MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact. The conversation emphasizes skills like communication, conflict resolution, and self-care, applicable across various industries and in the context of career development. The authors highlight their personal experiences, the importance of rest, the role of an employer in employee self-care, and the power of storytelling in career development.

More about Adaira and Resa:

Adaira Landry, MD, MEd, is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her academic interest focuses on mentorship of early career professionals. She has been awarded for her dedication to mentorship and education. Dr. Landry speaks nationally on mentor-mentee relationships and strategies for career development. She is a healthcare contributor for Forbes. She has published in Academic outlets such as Nature, Science, New England Journal of Medicine and for the general public audience in Vogue, Teen Vogue, Harvard Business Review and Fast Company. She is co-author of MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact, a book to help early-career professionals navigate the workplace. She is also a wife and a mother to 3 children. She hopes to raise her 3 children to understand and value the importance of supporting others in need. Website | LinkedIn

Resa E Lewiss, MD, is a Professor of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, TEDMED speaker, designer, and award winning educator, mentor, and point-of-care ultrasound specialist. She studied at Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the NIH Howard Hughes Research Scholars Program, Harvard Emergency Medicine, and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt. She hosts the Academic Emergency Medicine Education & Training podcast, and her own The Visible Voices Podcast, amplifying content in the healthcare, equity, and current trends spaces. Her writing is widely published in science journals, and the popular press. She has written for CNBC, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Nature, the Philadelphia Inquirer, MedPage Today, Doximity,and Slate. Her podcast has been featured in the Guardian, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Brown Alumni Monthly. She is co-author of MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact, (HarperCollins) published in April 2024. Website | Instagram | LinkedIn 

In this podcast episode, Melissa Venable, NCDA's Director of Professional Development, hosts a conversation on creating neurodiverse-affirming practices with Janine Rowe, a licensed mental health counselor, and Elle O'Flaherty, Principal of Interlace Solutions Coaching. They discuss the concept of neurodiversity, which includes conditions like autism and ADHD, and emphasize moving from a deficit to a strengths-based model. They share personal insights and experiences, highlight the importance of understanding individual needs, and offer practical advice for career development professionals working with neurodiverse clients. Key topics include understanding communication differences, the importance of interest-based strengths for ADHD clients, and navigating the complexities of the disclosure process under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The conversation underscores the need for flexible, collaborative approaches to support neurodiverse individuals in career development.

Janine Rowe is a doctoral student in Counselor Education at the University of Rochester, in Rochester, NY. She is a licensed mental health counselor, a certified career counselor, and nationally certified counselor in private practice in Rochester, NY. She is currently a counselor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She was most recently a career counselor and Assistant Director of Disability & Career Services at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She is the winner of the New York State Career Development Association (NYSCDA) Early Career Professional award (2014) and the RIT Presidential Award for Excellence (2018). Janine was a participant in National Career Development Association’s Counselor Education and Leadership Academies and is the previous Vice-President and President of the NYSCDA. 

Elle O’Flaherty, JD, PCC, is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and founder of Interlace Solutions Coaching. Specializing in performance optimization and ADHD strategies, she empowers professionals and organizations to excel. She has been featured in national media outlets including Medium, Yahoo Finance, and Atlassian. Elle delivers research-backed insights and practical tools with humor to enhance productivity, leadership, and career growth. In her previous life, Elle was a litigator and international trade negotiator for nearly 17 years.

Resources

• Person-first language
• ADA and Disclosure
• Investigating Markers of Rapport in Autistic and Nonautistic Interactions - Autism in Adulthood

Want to learn more? Career Planning Academy:

• Certified Autism Career and Employment Specialist - Instructor: Janine Rowe
• Certified ADHD Career Strategist - Instructor: Elle O'Flaherty

This episode concludes our series of DEI conversations originally featured in the DEI Symposium of the NCDA 2024 Global Career Development Association Conference in San Diego, CA. Thank you to Dr. Elif Balin & Ivette Mekdessi, Kelly Woods, Sanaz Nabati, and Delyash Tsartsaeva who were all presenters for the original DEI Symposium session.

In this episode, Dr. Elif Balin and Sanaz Nabati discuss challenges international students face at the intersection of career development and mental health. They emphasize the importance of culturally-responsive practices and the need to normalize mental health support. The Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) framework is introduced as a tool to promote cultural competency and advocate for holistic career development. The conversation highlights acculturative stress, the impact of policy changes, and the importance of community support and proactive resources.

Elif Balin, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, GCDF is an Associate Professor of Counseling and the Coordinator of the Career Counseling Program at San Francisco State University. Elif actively volunteers in community settings to support the cultural transition and work/career experiences of international students, new immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. She served as a co-founding chair of the NCDA International Student Services Committee (ISSC)(2013-2015) and later led this committee’s research team until 2020. Elif also serves in the NCDA task force as one of the subgroup chairs to revise multicultural career counseling competencies and on the NCDA research committee.

Sanaz Nabati, M.S. is an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Education and Development at University of California, Los Angeles, serving Students with Disabilities and International Students. As liaison to international students, she has become very knowledgeable and passionate about their employment issues and strives to support their unique challenges in their career development. She also leads the Pre-Law Advisor and Professional Graduate School Programming initiatives. 

Resources

• NCDA Committees – International Student Services Committee (ISSC)
  • NCDA’s ISSC Committee LinkedIn Group
  • ISCC Resource Guide
  • ISSC YouTube Channel
• NCDA Code of Ethics
• NCDA’s Multicultural Counseling Competencies
• NCDA Webinars
• CDQ article by the NCDA International Student Services Committee
• ACA Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC)
• CPT and OPT

To learn more about this topic, consider the following:

• HUB Course: MON004 - NCDA Monograph: The Mental Health and Career Development Nexus: A Framework for the Role and Function of Career Practitioners (3 CEs)
• Monograph: The Mental Health and Career Development Nexus: A Framework for the Role and Function of Career 
• Web page: Mental Health Resources

Corrections/Clarification:

• The study and publications referenced at 8:29 began almost 5 years ago, not 3.
• The initial task force, which began in 2012 was not half international like the committee formation and status in 2015.