03/01/2025

Becoming a Career Professional: Around the Globe

By Amy Zdanowski and the GCC’s Shared Insights Group

In the first article in this series based on interviews conducted by the Shared Insights Group, a subcommittee of the NCDA’s Global Connections Committee (GCC), we explored the diverse challenges and successes faced by career professionals across four regions: Colombia, Egypt, Finland, and Canada. Now, we turn our attention to the various training paths and requirements for entering the career development field in these regions. Understanding these different pathways not only broadens our global perspective but also offers valuable lessons on how to enhance and innovate within the field worldwide.

Formal Education and Credentialing

In some regions, such as Canada and Finland, becoming a career professional follows a structured path that includes formal education, professional standards, and ongoing development.

In Canada, career professionals typically pursue advanced degrees in psychology, counseling, education, or related fields. Many then obtain certifications such as the NCDA’s Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP), ensuring a high level of professionalism and adherence to ethical guidelines. Canada also offers the national career development professional certification, the CCDP, which recently replaced the provincial certification system. While a number of Canadian career professionals are opting to earn one of NCDA's certifications, the vast majority are getting the CCDP.

Similarly, in Finland, career professionals receive specialized training, often earning degrees in career education and guidance, psychology, or education. The Finnish system follows national frameworks and standards established by the Finnish National Agency for Education, with additional support from organizations such as the NCDA and the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance. These structures help maintain the quality and consistency of career guidance services.

In contrast, Egypt and Colombia present a different landscape. The absence of national credentialing systems means that those entering the field must take a more independent and entrepreneurial approach.

In Colombia, career training is largely shaped by individual initiative. Without standardized professional training, many practitioners come from backgrounds in the field of psychology and operate primarily in the private sector. One Colombian career practitioner emphasized the importance of creative solutions, such as partnering with private enterprises to provide employability training and career readiness programs in schools.

Similarly in Egypt there is no standardized career professional training. Many career practitioners have backgrounds in psychology, education, or human resources and learn on the job. They often supplement their knowledge by relying on personal networks, attending international conferences, and leveraging online resources. This self-driven learning approach fills the gap left by the absence of national certification and training. 

Diverse Pathways Drive Innovation

The journey to becoming a career professional varies widely across the globe. While countries like Canada and Finland emphasize formal education and certification, Egypt and Colombia highlight the power of adaptability and self-driven learning. These diverse approaches present opportunities for greater international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

As the career development field continues to evolve, fostering cross-regional partnerships can help bridge gaps in training and resources. By learning from both structured systems and entrepreneurial models, career professionals worldwide can develop more effective and innovative career guidance practices. The NCDA and the GCC encourage career practitioners to engage in global conversations, share best practices, and explore international collaborations.  By working together, we can build a more dynamic career professional training landscape for future generations.

Add a comment below, telling us how you entered the field of career development across the globe. Did you follow a structured system or an entrepreneurial model? Be sure to include your country.

The GCC Shared Insights Group thanks the following members for their participation in these interviews:

• Randa Helmi from Egypt (North Africa)
• Jaana Kettunen from Finland (Europe)
• Marcela Mesa Guerrero from Columbia (South America)
• Candy Ho from Canada (North America)

Look for the next article in our series in Career Convergence.

Amy Zdanowski, NCDA GGC Member, is a Career Advisor at Montcalm Community College and President of the Michigan Career Development Association. She has extensive experience as a school counselor and is the author of Kickstart Your Teen’s Career Exploration, a guide for parents and educators. She can be reached at amyz@montcalm.edu