Career Practitioner Conversations with NCDA

This episode is the second in a three-part series of conversations about career development and collaborative negotiation with Justin Wright (moderator), Tad Mayer, and Carly Inkpen – authors of Finding a Job that Loves You Back. They are joined by Courtney Warnsman, NCDA Trustee for Private Practice, Business-Industry and Agencies. 

The discussion describes networking as a fundamental concept of connecting with other people, with an understanding that every conversation is a kind of negotiation or exchange. The challenges faced by those with trauma histories and doubts about the possibility of trusting relationships are also addressed.

• Episode 1 - Coaching, Advising, and Counseling Skills: When Do you Use Each one?
• Episode 3 - Working with Mid- and Late-Career Clients

Learn more about the panel participants:

Carly Inkpen is a social worker, writer, and visual artist. In each of these roles, they explore trauma, gender, migration, and how people inhabit their bodies as they move through the world. Carly holds an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and a BA from the University of Arizona. They work as a psychotherapist and are currently training to practice as a psychedelic therapist. Carly's writing projects focus on gender identity, third culture kid experience, science fiction as social commentary, and psychoanalytic theory.

Tad Mayer is a deeply curious one-on-one interaction junkie dedicated to rescuing clients’ inspiration and reaching that “A ha!” moment. He is focused on understanding motivation, enhancing behavior, and improving effectiveness. Tad is a career consultant and partner at Essex Partners, a national outplacement firm dedicated to helping senior executives find the right path forward. Tad’s previous roles  span Stage Electrician at Ballet West, Media Planner at DDB, Manager of Domestic Pricing at Northwest Airlines (now Delta), Director of Partner Marketing at Sheraton Hotels, and Director of Commercial & Corporate Programs at Mediation Works Incorporated (MWI).

Courtney Warnsman, Ph.D., a career development facilitator for nearly 20 years, works at Austin Career Connections in Austin delivering career transition and development services to individual clients across functional roles and industries. She is an Executive Development Program Consultant for the Baylor University Executive MBA Program and was recently tapped to serve on the advisory board of The Chiral Project, a startup venture exploring the unique challenges that women have experienced as they have either chosen or been forced to step back professionally during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Courtney received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Justin Wright is the CEO of Habitus, a certified B Corporation. His work focuses on facilitating complex decision-making processes and coordinating collaboration between multiple stakeholders to empower collective action. Justin has worked with organizations including PolicyLink, the Other and Belonging Institute, MIT Office of Sustainability, and the B Corp Climate Collect to further their commitments to social justice, racial equity, and environmental sustainability. Justin seeks out this kind of work because of his Quaker commitment to peace, equality, and stewardship. 

This episode is the first in a three-part series with Justin Wright (moderator), Tad Mayer, and Carly Inkpen - authors of Finding a Job that Loves You Back -  who are joined by Courtney Warnsman, NCDA Trustee for Private Practice, Business-Industry and Agencies. The discussion begins with the development of working definitions of coaching, advising, and counseling as they relate to roles, methodologies, and skills and encourages using different approaches for different needs when working with clients within an ethical scope of practice.

• Episode 2 – Working with Reluctant Networkers
• Episode 3 – Working with Mid- and Late-Career Clients

Learn more about the panel participants:

Carly Inkpen is a social worker, writer, and visual artist. In each of these roles, they explore trauma, gender, migration, and how people inhabit their bodies as they move through the world. Carly holds an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and a BA from the University of Arizona. They work as a psychotherapist and are currently training to practice as a psychedelic therapist. Carly's writing projects focus on gender identity, third culture kid experience, science fiction as social commentary, and psychoanalytic theory. Their peer-reviewed article "Fabulousness - What the Doctor Ordered: Exploring the Intrapsychic Significance and Social Meanings of Fashion" was recently published in Psychoanalytic Social Work.

Tad Mayer is a deeply curious one-on-one interaction junkie dedicated to rescuing clients’ inspiration and reaching that “A ha!” moment. He is focused on understanding motivation, enhancing behavior, and improving effectiveness. Tad is a career consultant and partner at Essex Partners, a national outplacement firm dedicated to helping senior executives find the right path forward. Tad’s previous professional roles have spanned Stage Electrician at Ballet West, Media Planner at DDB, Manager of Domestic Pricing at Northwest Airlines (now Delta), Director of Partner Marketing at Sheraton Hotels, and Director of Commercial & Corporate Programs at Mediation Works Incorporated (MWI). He has an MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a BS in Communication Studies from Northwestern University.

Courtney Warnsman, Ph.D. has been a career development facilitator for nearly 20 years. She works at Austin Career Connections in Austin delivering career transition and development services to individual clients across functional roles and industries. She is an Executive Development Program Consultant for the Baylor University Executive MBA Program and was recently tapped to serve on the advisory board of The Chiral Project, a startup venture exploring the unique challenges that women have experienced as they have either chosen or been forced to step back professionally during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Courtney received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Justin Wright is the CEO of Habitus, a certified B Corporation. His work focuses on facilitating complex decision-making processes and coordinating collaboration between multiple stakeholders to empower collective action. Justin has worked with organizations including PolicyLink, the Other and Belonging Institute, MIT Office of Sustainability, and the B Corp Climate Collect to further their commitments to social justice, racial equity, and environmental sustainability. 

This episode features a conversation with Yoko Kono, Director of Careers and Partnerships at the College Board, and Aurelia Moss, an experienced educator and middle and high school counselor. The conversation is led by NCDA’s Celeste Hall. Celeste has a long history with NCDA including serving as the Trustee for School Counselors and Specialists on the NCDA Board.

Most people think about College Board in terms of college admissions only (i.e., PSAT, SAT). But College Board’s mission is to connect all students to opportunities after high school with a goal of providing every student with the tools to make informed decisions about their future. This conversation includes information and actionable strategies for working with high school students.

Yoko Kono, Director of Careers and Partnerships at the College Board, has dedicated nearly a decade to the organization. Her focus lies in creating research-backed resources that empower students by enhancing their awareness of diverse career paths. With 15+ years of experience across U.S. and international contexts and a master’s degree in International Comparative Education from Stanford University, Yoko brings a wealth of insights to her role in advancing career and educational opportunities for students worldwide.

Aurelia Moss is a retired high school counselor with more than 32 years of experience as a Mathematics teacher, School Counselor, and Assistant Principal. As a school counselor, Aurelia was known for her passion in assisting students in post-secondary planning, regardless of the career paths they desired to pursue. During her career, Aurelia has served in the public and private school sectors, elementary, middle school, high school, rural, suburban, and urban settings. Aurelia credits her high school counselor, Mrs. Wilhelmina Dean at Savannah High School in Savannah, Georgia for guidance that she provided during Aurelia’s college admissions and financial aid process. Aurelia serves on the Chatham County Department of Family and Children Services Board of Directors and the Advisory Board for Tharros Place, a residential shelter for teenage girls that are survivors of human trafficking. Aurelia is a member of the Georgia School Counselors Association.

Celeste Hall, Coordinator of Career Coaching Certification for Virginia’s Community Colleges is a life-long educator. She currently provides training for career coaches, academic advisors, faculty and staff in career development concepts. She has been a teacher and counselor in K-12 schools and taught career development courses at the master’s degree level. Leadership roles in NCDA have included state chapter president, K-12 representative on the FCD Advisory Council, (now TEC) and the Board of Directors. She currently serves as the Credentialing Commissioner for the Certified School Career Development Advisor credential and as the editor for the K-12 section of NCDA’s Career Developments magazine.

RESOURCES

• College Board 
• BigFuture
• BigFuture-NCDA Family and Caring Adult  Table Talk Guide to Student Career Exploration and Planning - (PDF) – a College Board and NCDA collaboration 
• BigFuture Counselor Toolkit
• Career Insights Snapshot – connecting PSAT scores to high-demand careers at the state-level (coming Spring 2024)
• NCDA Webinar Series - College Board session on 4/10/2024!

This episode explores the mission and work of the Coalition for Career Development (CCD) Center. Dr. Sharon Givens, a past president of NCDA and CEO of Training Visions, hosts CCD Board Member and former Chair Dr. Bryan Albrecht, current Board Chair Dr. Annette Parker, and CEO Dr. Eva Mitchell. Dr. Givens also serves as a current CCD Board Member.

Demographics are shifting and the world is changing. The U.S. needs to prepare a premier workforce to maintain a role as a world leader and economic stability. The CCD’s founding was driven by industry to address the gap now taking place in the workforce. Its work is grounded in research to identify and understand what’s happening in schools and align that with what’s happening in industry. The discussion includes ways that career development professionals, education and training institutions, and business and industry leaders can expand their efforts and partnerships to accomplish this work at the community level creating access to career development guidance, training, and support as a right, not a privilege.

RESOURCES

Coalition for Career Development Center

Ways you can engage with the CCD:

• Subscribe to the newsletter.
• Learn about partnerships.
• Share your resources with the Center.

This episode continues our “Career Development Around the World” series led by Dr. Lakeisha Mathews. Lakeisha is joined by Elizabeth Thomas, an American career counselor working in Vienna, Austria. Elizabeth shares her personal experiences with the challenges of working, and looking for work, outside of your home country. From language barriers and work permit requirements to labor market needs and local hiring practices, it’s important to understand requirements, set expectations, and prepare for success.

Elizabeth also shares her perspective on career development work in Austria, which is often connected to career coaching and international relations. The conversation emphasizes the importance of the hidden job market around the world, the different role career can play in personal identity across cultures, and the many valuable skills that expats develop, such as problem solving and persistence.

Guest Bio

Elizabeth Thomas holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Career Counseling & Development from the University of Missouri – Columbia (USA). While a graduate student, Elizabeth worked in the MU Career Center, recognized as one of the most programmatically diverse centers in the country. Subsequently, Elizabeth continued helping university students in a career development context and, since moving to Vienna, Austria, in 2018, international and expatriate women. She has published and presented on a host of career development topics, most recently serving as the “Career Chat” columnist for the American Women’s Association of Vienna. Elizabeth is particularly interested in helping clients, no matter their age or stage, creatively and successfully navigate life transitions and discover how their unique talents, skills, abilities, and interests connect meaningfully to the world of work.

Resources

• Super’s Career Rainbow
• Krumboltz – Planned Happenstance
• NCDA’s Global Connections Committee
• NCDA on LinkedIn

The National Career Development Association is excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of NCDA’s Career Convergence web magazine! In this episode, Career Convergence Editor Melanie Reinersman leads a conversation about how this free, online publication can be used as a resource in your career development work. Melanie is joined by Field Editor Mason Murphy, Co-Associate Features Editor, Candina “Dina” Janicki, and Associate Editor for Post-Secondary, Billie Streufert.

The discussion focuses on practical tips for using the magazine to research and apply career development models, identify best practices, explore current trends, inform your research and writing, spark discussion in a training session, and source ideas for a course assignment. The current archive of more than 1,500 articles also offers an historical perspective on work in the field.

Listen in to learn how Career Convergence can keep you updated on the ongoing changes in the career development field, as well as in the needs of the diverse populations career practitioners serve. The conversation also includes tips for submitting your work to the publication.

Have a question or want to learn more? Contact Melanie or a member of the editorial team. All editors welcome emails from potential contributors!

Resources

• Career Convergence Web Magazine
• Submission Guidelines
• How to Subscribe

This episode continues our “Career Development Around the World” series led by NCDA Past President Dr. Lakeisha Mathews. And it’s our first bilingual episode. Lakeisha is joined by Marcela Mesa and Maria Clara Leal. Marcela is a psychologist and GCDF in Colombia. She is also co-chair of NCDA’s Global Connections Committee. Maria Clara is a psychologist and career guidance expert whose background in Colombia includes work with public policy and government agencies. She joins the conversation from Spain, with Katherine who provides translation.

Unemployment rates are high in Colombia and there is a gap between what employers need and what they can find in job candidates. The many challenges include population changes related to immigration, the high school to work and college transition, and differing career development needs of those at different career stages. Marcela and Maria Clara share information about current programs and innovations in Colombia, conducting research that connects career development work to the economy, and the emergence of a socio-occupational guidance model that addresses the dynamic nature of society and the labor market.

Marcela Mesa is a MSc Psychologist and GCDF in Cali, Colombia, with 24+ years of experience delivering career services in private practice, founder and CEO of Orientarte in Colombia (www.orientarte.com) and in the U.S., Orientarte LLC (www.liveyourdreamcareer.com ) aiming to deliver career services for Latinos living in the U.S. She can be reached at [email protected]

Maria Clara Leal  is a Psychologist with a Masters Degree in Anthropology and a Career Guidance Expert. For over a decade, from 2008 to 2020, Maria Clara Leal played a pivotal role in shaping Colombia's public policy on career guidance. Her contributions extended to various government agencies, including the Ministry of National Education, the Presidential Agency, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, the Family Welfare Institute, and the Secretary of Education in Bogotá. She can be reached at [email protected]

RESOURCES

• Reporte: El Futuro del Trabajo en América Latina 
• Colombia: Economía y demografía
• Nuevas tendencias del mercado laboral en 2023 
• Estas son las principales tendencias del mercado laboral para este 2023
• Tendencias del mercado laboral en 2023: ¿Qué valoran los trabajadores
• ESTADÍSTICAS DE DESERCIÓN Y PERMANENCIA EN EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR SPADIES 3.0 - Indicadores 2021 
• Diana Marcela Durán Muriel. Educación Superior en Cifras Edición No. 2 – II Semestre de 2023 Tránsito de la Educación Media a la Educación Superior: análisis comparativo del periodo 2016-2021 
• OECD Data - Population with tertiary education

In this episode, Dr. Sujata Ives talks with Melissa Venable, NCDA Director of Professional Development, about the important role of leadership in a world that is growing more diverse. Dr. Ives is the 2023 recipient of NCDA’s Diversity Initiative Award and the current president of the Maryland Career Development Association. She has a genetic condition that affects her vocal cords so that they don’t close completely, resulting in what she describes as a "jiggly" voice. 

What role are you taking in creating a world you can be proud of? Sujata shares her personal history adapting to a new culture and maintaining motivation for leadership work through experiencing self-discovery, developing change readiness, and focusing on sustainable impact at the individual level and locally. Sujata shares how she is incorporating these interests into her project as a current member in NCDA’s Leadership Academy. The conversation also explores ways we can all engage with NCDA’s growing international membership and issues a call for increased attention to mental health in career development.

RESOURCES:

• NCDA’s Global Connections Committee
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

BIO:
Dr. Sujata Ives is a Workplace Global Consultant and the 2023 recipient of NCDA’s Diversity Initiative Award. She is currently in the NCDA Leadership Academy. She is president of the Maryland Career Development Association, where she also is Newsletter Editor and PR chair.

Sujata is the Chair of the American Counseling Association’s International Committee; the Co-chair of the Programming Committee of the Asia Pacific Career Development Association; Community Coordinator for the World Council on Interculturalism and Global Competency, UNESCO; and a Board Advisor on the NFL Alum Performance Lab. 

She is in private practice where she works with clients through the bio-psycho-social-cultural-spiritual model. Look out for her book launch in April 2024, titled: Activate Success: Tips, Tools, & Insights To Be a Leader in Your Niche. 

In this episode, NCDA President Lakeisha Mathews (2022-2023) hosts Momoko Asaka, President of the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA) and CEO and Founder of Veriteworks, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan. Momoko shares that an aging population in Japan, with long life expectancy, is resulting in longer careers and post-retirement careers. The conversation includes the continued impact of remote work post-pandemic, and the increase in government support of career development. Japanese government agencies are picking up on the value of career development, career choice, career assessments, and other career decision making tools, as well as the importance of training career professionals to provide assistance. This is an example of how policy and career development can work together to support communities and the economy.

Resources

• Japan Career Development Association
• Planned Happenstance Theory - John Krumboltz

In this episode, NCDA President (2022-2023) Lakeisha Mathews hosts Ivy Liao, CEO of People Achievement Consulting (PAC), an NCDA strategic partner in Taiwan, Greater China, and Southeast Asia. Ivy provides an overview of career development trends in the region, which include the effects of globalization and geopolitics, an aging workforce, economic transformation, and education and training on the workforce and labor market. The conversation includes current challenges faced by job seekers and how government agencies, educational institutions, and business and industry are working together to create a total solution for career development across the lifespan. The discussion also recognizes the importance of parents in career decision making in Asian cultures. 

Resources

NCDA Global Resources