About HKCDA
Hong Kong's first professional community built specifically for career development practitioners — by practitioners, for practitioners.
Career development is becoming
an increasingly recognised profession.
As the labour market shifts rapidly, career boundaries blur, and awareness of workplace wellbeing rises, demand for career development support in Hong Kong continues to grow. At the same time, more practitioners are choosing to pursue formal training and internationally recognised qualifications — entering the field as credentialled professionals.
As the labour market shifts and new career paths emerge, more people in Hong Kong are actively seeking professional career development support.
More people are now completing PCCDF, GCDF and other recognised certification programmes — the profession is gaining recognition.
Despite a growing practitioner base, there has been no unified professional community — resources and experience rarely flow between practitioners.
Why now. Why Hong Kong.
With a background spanning counselling psychology, business psychology, and career development, I received my foundational career development training in Hong Kong, then pursued further studies in the UK, and went on to work at universities in both Hong Kong and Oxford. That experience across two very different contexts made something clear to me.
In the UK, career development practitioners have a well-established professional network — regular sector events, an active peer community, and a mature culture of continuing professional development. Practitioners are not alone, because they know there are others around them doing the same work, facing the same challenges.
what we are missing is each other."
Career development practitioners in Hong Kong — whether career advisers in university career centres, life planning teachers in secondary schools, or independent career coaches — are each doing meaningful work in their own roles. But they have long operated in a loose, disconnected way. Resources are not shared. Experience does not flow. Challenges have nowhere to be discussed.
Demand is growing. The practitioner base is growing. Recognition of the profession is growing. This is the moment to build a proper community.
HKCDA starts with a simple idea: connect Hong Kong's career development practitioners. Build a community with roots and warmth — so that alongside our individual work, we have a shared professional home.
Diana Lee
Founder, HKCDA
Guided by global expertise
HKCDA is honoured to be advised by two international career development experts, who guide the association on professional standards, training direction, and the development of the field.
With over 30 years of experience spanning counselor education, vocational rehabilitation, and academic leadership, Tina has trained career development professionals nationally and internationally. She is an NCDA Fellow, past Chair of the NCDA Credentialing Commission, and co-author of the NCDA Career Practitioner Supervision Training Program. Her work integrates career development, disability-inclusive workforce strategy, and executive leadership in higher education.
Brian received his doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Pennsylvania State University and has worked as a career, school, and mental health counselor, coach, and clinical supervisor. Operating under the brand Global Career Guy, he specialises in consultation, research, speaking, and training focused on how career development fosters mental health, well-being, school engagement, and social justice. He has worked in more than 50 countries and authored more than four dozen publications and four books, including the 12th and 13th Editions of School to Career and the International Practices of Career Services, Credentials, and Training Monograph.
To connect career development practitioners in Hong Kong — providing a professional community, continuing education, and a platform for sector exchange that advances the profession.
A grounded, connected professional ecosystem for career development in Hong Kong — where every practitioner has a community to belong to, and every client receives truly professional support.