2025 New Year Message from President

Stories of ”Impact Beyond”

This year marks eight full years since I became the president of JCDA. Upon my appointment, I advocated the slogan "Impact Beyond." As we begin a new year, I would like to reflect on the consequences this slogan has had—not only on myself but also on JCDA and its members.

Since its establishment of JCDA we have focused on enhancing the capabilities of Career Development Advisors (CDAs). The slogan “Impact Beyond” signaled a shift towards demonstrating, expressing, and engaging these capabilities outwardly—to society at large.  Naturally, capability enhancement and capability demonstration are two sides of the same coin and cannot be separated. However, when the membership reached around 17,000, there was a strong need among members for opportunities to demonstrate their skills. Additionally, there was a sense of stagnation due to the low recognition of career counseling.

With this in mind, I crafted the slogan to inspire a shift in perspective among members toward practical, outward-facing activities while also fostering pride and attachment to their organization, JCDA. This slogan was born from my inner desire to prove the existence of career counselors as professionals and to demonstrate the social significance of this professional group to society.

When the slogan was first launched, some members reacted with, "What is that?", "What does that mean?" or "Isn't that obvious?" I vividly remember passionately “shouting” at the JCDA Hokkaido Conference in 2018, “As long as I am president, I will continue to say ‘Impact Beyond’ thousands and even tens of thousands of times.”

To bring the slogan to life, we initiated the "Nationwide Free Real Career Counseling" project. My vision was to set up career counseling sessions simultaneously across the country over two days, reaching 1,000 participants. While I'm usually pessimistic, I thought, "This could really happen, and the media might even take notice." We launched a project centered on branch and district leaders nationwide, and most of them positively accepted the significance of "Impact Beyond." I felt a sense of accomplishment, thinking, “Finally, we can create a platform for CDAs to practice and also promote JCDA’s activities.

However, the following year, the global spread of COVID-19 made it difficult to hold in-person events. With a sense of urgency that all JCDA activities might come to a halt, we considered expanding career counseling using web conferencing systems. Regardless of the pandemic I had believed that online career counseling would be essential for its growth. However, at that time, web conferencing systems were technically unknown, and we had never operated such a system. 

Despite these challenges, branch and district leaders nationwide engaged serious discussions regarding the operation and expansion, sometimes exchanging opinions until around 10 PM. Opinions included, “We should refrain from external activities during the pandemic,” “We should postpone it due to the risks of web conferencing systems,” and “Now is the time to do it.” All were valid points. During my frustration, the words “Impact Beyond” seemed to speak to me.

“For what purpose is ‘Impact Beyond’? Is it to fulfill our selfish satisfaction (JCDA, CDAs)?” “No! We must be aware of what lies ahead of this activity. It is to help everyone in the world, especially during the uncertain and unstable pandemic, to reassess their core, think about their careers, and become energized.” With this conviction, we proceed with online career counseling. Thanks to the truly dedicated support and cooperation of Chairman Tatsuno, branch and district leaders, CDA volunteers, and project members, we were able to implement and enhance the program over three consecutive years.

The story doesn’t end here. “Impact Beyond” has further energized our activities. More members have expressed their desire to engage in activities for the local community. For example, one area of focus has been support for those diagnosed with cancer. CDAs passionate about this field have gradually accelerated their steady activities (such as Ribora and Relay for Life), expanding and deepening both the quality and quantity of events collaborating with government bodies and the Japan Cancer Society. Especially the events with the Japan Cancer Society are now in their sixth year. We have reached a point where we can not only support cancer patients but also, together with them, promote the societal significance of career counseling for these individuals. Another notable initiative is the Contest for Initiatives to Promote “Kin-no-ito (gold threads) Life Game”, (Golden Thread Award) now in its third year. The Kin-no-ito Life Game workshop embodies the essence of "Impact Beyond," aiming to share our mission with the general public.

These stories of “Impact Beyond” naturally include the personal stories of the members who participated in these activities. Why CDA members decide to engage in “Impact Beyond” activities? What did they feel and learn from doing it? How do they intend to utilize it? I believe that stories arise from sharing these experiences. These stories create the meaning of each individual’s life. Therefore, I think the grand story of “Impact Beyond” that JCDA has walked is actually a collection of the countless stories of the members JCDA has created platforms where members can thrive in their areas of interest and worked toward "happiness through connection," as Chairman Tatsuno describes, through the function of career counseling. Just as people mature, I hope that the slogan “Impact Beyond” will also evolve into a mature phrase for the future.

 

Review of Last Year and Initiatives for This Year
1. Career Dock Program
I would like to make Career Dock, a program for regular career check-ups, as a flagship JCDA project. Ideally, all CDA members would take part as career supporters. To achieve this, I encourage CDAs to continually focus on daily skill development to excel in their roles as supporters. From January to December last year, 37 CDAs were in charge of the Career Dock, and there were 149 applications. With the third phase now underway, it will be essential to implement various strategies to increase participation, particularly from the general public, in addition to the individual market. Expanding partnerships with corporate clients is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success and growth of this initiative.

2. Golden Thread Award / Continuous Development of CDA STUDENT Qualification Program
Last year's Golden Thread Award saw 32 entries. This year, the contest ceremony will be held on March 1. The implementation of Golden Thread workshops for the general public is a “place of connection” different from the daily platform. This place provides various learning opportunities for CDAs, so I consider it a JCDA version of cross-border learning. I hope many people will participate in the program.
Additionally, efforts to expand the CDA STUDENT program continue, with Gunma Women's University becoming the second accredited institution in April. We will continue to work on event planning and strive to expand and promote it.

3. 25th Anniversary Event
This year marks the 25th anniversary of JCDA’s founding. We plan to hold events to further strengthen our social position as an NPO and enrich the connection among CDA members. Stay tuned for updates.