Career Practitioner Conversations with NCDA

NCDA’s Research Committee Co-Chairs, Dr. Deb Osborn and Brian Calhoun, host Ville Puonti, winner of The Career Development Quarterly’s Article of the Year, about a Finnish longitudinal study of ninth graders who must choose between vocational or academic tracks. Addressing limited European research on early adolescents’ work values and dropout-related mismatch, the study identified three replicable value profiles ...

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 s...

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 caree...

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 Form
• Information and Agenda
• Join t...

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, u...

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—Lau...

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-gener...

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 bene...

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, ...

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Debra Sgro and Dr. Karen Ingram discuss barriers to women’s advancement in male-dominated careers and the concept of the “broken rung,” noting representation drops sharply at higher leadership levels in technology and education. Dr. Ingram describes ...

NCDA's Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion (DICI) Committee introduces a series of discussions that support graduate students in career counseling programs and other new workforce and career development practitioners. This episode is the first in the Career Practitioners of Tomorrow (CPT) series. It introduces the L.E.A.D. (Legacy, Equity, Advocacy, and Development) approach for career professionals to navigate changes in ...

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Alicia Monroe and Ruben Britt share highlights of their conference session -- No Barriers! No Disruptions! SOLUTIONS!: Empowering Underrepresented Students for Today's Workforce -- which addressed intergenerational workplace conflicts, validating students’ n...

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Cheryl Love (UC Riverside) hosts Mount Holyoke College career development leaders Dr. Jaime Grillo and Meaghan Murphy-Rennie on strategies for implementing identity-driven career readiness programming. They outline Mount Holyoke’s demographics and describe a...

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

In this episode Dr. Frank Gorritz hosts Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, a clinical professor and career consultant. The conversation centers around supporting at-risk students through innovative strategies. Dr. Barnes-Gwynn discusses her unique Instagrowth concept, which us...

In this episode, Melissa Venable, NCDA Director of Professional Development, interviews Jordan Maness, a career advising specialist at the University of Colorado Boulder. Jordan shares his journey into career development, inspired by a high school psychology class and experiences in sports journalism. He discusses his diverse career path, which eventually led him to become a certified life coach and a career advisor. Jordan's philo...

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

In this episode Dr. Cheryl Love hosts a conversation with Shelby McIntyre about updating career development classes and workshops with relevant DEI materials and activities. The discussion focuses on integrating liberatory outcomes into career development work. Shelby...

In this podcast episode, Melissa Venable, NCDA's Director of Professional Development, co-hosts with Dr. Michael Stebleton a conversation about a new NCDA publication titled, Analyzing Current and Future Workforce Issues, Students' Perspectives on Career Development. Written by students enrolled in Dr. Stebleton's University of Minnesota course in Spring 2025, the publication explores various career development topics through the l...

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium sessions presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Maisie and Nulty Lynch are veteran teachers and a husband and wife duo. They address the communication nuances between neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, the significant barriers in traditional interview processes, and the importance of inclusive pr...

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Erik Hines and Angie Thompson, co-chairs of the NCDA Technology Committee. They discuss their roles, experiences, and the committee's key focus areas, including the integration of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in career development. Angie recounts her journey to joining the committee and emphasizes the importance of community and mentorship. Erik highlights the significanc...