Podcast Season 6

You can find APCDA Podcasts here for Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4 and Season 5.

APCDA podcast is a series of career-related discussions. The podcast is in its sixth season in 2026, with the theme “On The Mic With Thought Leaders.” Co-hosts interview thought leaders across various disciplines to learn about their work and how career practitioners can utilise this knowledge, skills, and tools to serve our communities better. Please contact us at Podcast@AsiaPacificCDA.org if you have comments or want us to interview you.

Samantha Ng is an internationally certified Behavorial and Career Consultant, certified Career Services Provider, certified Job & Career Development Coach, and a provisional clinical member of the Singapore Association of Counselling. She is a dynamic career futurist and wellness advocate based in Singapore, recognized for her commitment to empowering professionals in their career journey. Over the past decade, she has worked with professionals from more than 15 countries, across industries and career stages: from university students and emerging talent to experienced professionals navigating career transitions and reinvention. Currently, she is actively engaging in initiatives that promote career wellness and personal growth, making a significant impact in the Asia Pacific region.

Michael_Stebleton

Michael J. Stebleton, PhD, is Professor of Higher Education in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He received his MA and PhD also from the University of Minnesota-TC in counseling and adult education. Stebleton received a Merit award from the National Career Development Association for his contributions to the career development field. His current interests related to career development include: college student decision-making, narratives, longevity issues, and the role of career play across the lifespan. 

S6E2: Mark Franklin (M.Ed,P.Eng) - From a Professional Engineer to a Career Practitioner

 Show Notes:
0000 Introduction
02:11 Who is Mark Franklin – A Deep Listener in a Wounded World 
04:50 From a Professional Engineer to a Career Practitioner
7:55 Transition to starting out Career Cycles 
12:30 Why “Career” is mostly misinterpreted 
15:45  What is a Narrative Approach 
22:12 One Life Tools Framework for a Holistic Assessment
32:25 Encouraging Clients with their What’s Next
37:23 Thriving in the AI Era
41:25 Doing Well AND Doing Good
45:50 Building a Community of Story Listeners
48:40 AI Stewardship Programme
52:30 What brings hope for Mark
54:50 Cross-pollinating #CDBee movement 
58:30 Question for the next speaker
1:00:50 Wrap-up from the co-hosts
 
Speaker’s Information:
Mark Franklin (M.Ed,P.Eng) leads the team at CareerCycles, a career management practice based in Canada, that has helped 5000+ people manage their careers for the future. He co-founded narrative tools leader, OneLifeTools, through which he co-authored the Who You Are Matters! game and Online Storyteller platform. Mark teaches career management at University of Toronto and received the Stu Conger Award for Leadership in Career Development. Mark consulted with hundreds of organizations in his earlier industrial engineering career. Changing careers, he earned a Masters in counseling psychology and led student services initiatives in two of Canada’s largest universities. Always seeking ways to unlock the power of storytelling, Mark hosts the Career Buzz podcast and radio show showcasing inspiring career stories. His career insights have appeared in Canadian media including Globe and Mail, National Post, CBC and CTV.  
 
Listen Now on Apple Podcast / Spotify
Watch Now
Links for more information:
Citations mentioned:
  • Stebleton, M. J., & Franklin, M. (2023). Applying narrative approaches to support undergraduate career decision-making. In M. Buford, M. Sharp, & M. J. Stebleton (Eds.), Mapping the future of undergraduate career education: Equitable career learning, development, and preparation for a new world of work (pp. 183-199). Routledge.

  • Franklin, M., Yanar, B., & Feller, R. (2015). Narrative method of practice increases curiousity and exploration, psychological capital, and personal growth leading to career clarity: A retrospective outcome study. The Canadian Journal of Career Development, 14(2), 12-23.

  • Franklin, M., & Feller, R. (2017). Using the One Life Tools framework: From clarification to intentional exploration with East Asian female. In L.Busacca & M. Rehfuss (Eds.), Postmodern career counseling: A handbook of culture, context and cases (pp. 273-284). American Counseling Association.

  • Stebleton, M. J. (2010). Narrative-based career counseling perspectives in times of change: An analysis of strengths and limitations. Journal of Employment Counseling, 47(2), 64-78. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2010.tb00091.x

  • Stebleton, M. J., Franklin, M., Lee, C., & Kaler, L. S. (2019). Not just for undergraduates: Examining a university narrative-based career management course for Engineering graduate students. Canadian Journal of Career Development, 18(2), 64-77. https://cjcd-rcdc.ceric.ca/index.php/cjcd/article/view/32

S6E1: Dr. Candy Ho - Every conversation can be a career conversation

Show Notes:
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Who is Dr Candy Ho and what drives her
05:10 Sharing on the “Career Influencer” concept – Every conversation can be a career conversation
11:11 Life-career as a constellation of one’s many life roles, paid and unpaid
12:50 Why is career development so important 
16:55 Working with young adults – Not all who wander are lost
22:11 The wisdom of indecision
24:10 Sitting with the discomfort of the unknowns and uncertainties
30:30 Dr. Candy Ho’s current works
32:27 Working with educators to incorporate the United Nations 17 SDGs into the curriculum 
39:15 Career service providers in the age of AI
43:30 What is giving you joy at this current phase of your life
49:00 Bee as a career metaphor
50:30 Question for the next speaker
52:00 Wrap-up from the co-hosts
 

Ho, C. T. Y. (2024). Enhancing a career development curriculum by embedding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 53(1), 24-35. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5304

Ho, C., & Stebleton, M. J. (2024). Not all who wander are lost: Redefining career exploration and indecision in undergraduate students. Journal of College and Character, 25(2), 196-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/2194587X.2024.2326220

Hoover, A. (2026, March 3).  RIP Resumes. Business Insider.

https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-managers-arent-reading-resumes-slop-2026-3

Klotz, A. (2026). Jolted: Why we quit, when to stay, and why it matters. Penguin Random House. 

Krumboltz, J. D. (1992). The wisdom of indecision. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 41(3), 239-244. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(92)90025-U

Michel, J. P. (2024). The world needs you: A new mindset for student career exploration. JP Michel. 

Stebleton, M. J., & Ho, C. (2023). Career development is everyone’s responsibility: Envisioning educators as career influencers. Journal of College and Character, 24(3), 189-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/2194587X.2023.2224577

https://padlet.com/candyho11181/share-your-cdbee-story-dufrpcxx4yhae439 

 

Listen Now on Apple Podcast / Spotify

Watch Now

Links for more information:
Speaker’s information:
Dr. Candy Ho is an internationally recognized career development scholar, keynote speaker, and author whose work advances career development as a critical lever for workforce development, education systems, and inclusive economic growth. 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. She is also President of Career Connections Consulting, Researcher in Residence with Challenge Factory, and an Associate with the Canadian Career Development Foundation.
 
Her work informs national conversations and has been featured in The Globe and Mail, BNN Bloomberg, and CTV News. She serves on the boards of the Counselling Foundation of Canada, CERIC, The Education Promise (People for Education), and the BCIT Alumni Association, contributing to policy, research, and practice that advance career development as public infrastructure.