Career Practitioner Conversations with NCDA
Strategies for Life and Career Fulfillment with Jordan Maness
Feb 10, 2026
Season 5
Episode 9
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 philosophy, 'like your job, love your life,' emphasizes the importance of aligning one's strengths with their job and incorporating positive psychology for overall happiness. The conversation concludes with advice for career development professionals, emphasizing self-care, resource-sharing, and partnership with clients.
Jordan Maness, M.Ed. is the Career Advising Specialist for the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also a Certified Life Coach with 20 years of experience career coaching and lecturing. His goal is to inspire individuals to live with passion and purpose. Maness has published a workbook entitled, Select An Ideal Life (SAIL): Your 59-minute Guide to Enjoying the Journey of Life, and he is the creator and instructor for the online Coursera course: “Thriving 101-Designing a Fulfilling Life & Career.” You can learn more about Jordan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmanesslifecoach/.