Creating Safe Spaces for Career Growth: Lessons from New Directions Career Center

An inspiring conversation with Ayanna Jordan reveals how holistic support transforms women's professional journeys

In a world where career development often focuses solely on skills and qualifications, one organization in Columbus, Ohio is taking a refreshingly different approach. Ayanna Jordan, Assistant Programs Director at New Directions Career Center, recently shared insights that challenge us to think beyond traditional career services and embrace what she calls a "holistic" approach to professional development.

Beyond Job Placement: Meeting People Where They Are

"We want to meet you where you are," Ayanna explains. "There is no judgment. It is a safe space for you to learn, grow, to really tap into what you want personally and professionally."

This philosophy drives everything New Directions Career Center does. Rather than simply helping women find jobs, they focus on the whole person—understanding their core values, addressing their unique challenges, and supporting their journey toward financial sustainability and career fulfillment.

The center offers comprehensive services including career education, counseling and coaching, employment support, and skill building. But what sets them apart is their commitment to understanding each individual's complete story.

The Power of Belonging in Professional Development

One of the most compelling aspects of Ayanna's approach is her emphasis on belonging. "Belonging is everything," she notes. "It creates community, it creates connection. It allows for us to be very conscious about our role and what we do for our clients and for each other."

This focus on belonging isn't just feel-good rhetoric—it's a strategic response to the diverse women who seek their services. Ayanna emphasizes the importance of being conscious and educated about different populations, ensuring that career support is culturally relevant and personally meaningful.

Adapting to Serve Emerging Needs

The organization's flexibility shines through their recent program expansions. Recognizing that career challenges don't end at a certain age, they launched "Mature Works," specifically serving women 55 and older.

"It's not over when you reach a certain age," Ayanna reflects. "It's just the next chapter in your experience." This program helps participants explore what their career looks like in this new phase, set goals, and think about sustainability as they move forward.

Four Pillars of Career Development

New Directions' signature program, "Your Employment Success," is built around four core areas:

1. Self-assessment - Understanding who you are

2. Exploration - Discovering what you want to do

3. Goal setting - Creating a clear path forward

4. Personal branding/self-marketing - Developing your professional toolkit

This framework ensures that career development starts from a place of self-knowledge and moves systematically toward practical application.

Responding to Current Challenges

Ayanna doesn't shy away from discussing the harsh realities facing many of their clients. With over 300,000 Black women losing their jobs in 2025 alone, the need for comprehensive support has never been greater.

The center's response includes intensive one-on-one career counseling that goes beyond resume writing and interview prep. "Not only are we providing career education, but those one-on-one services allow us to say, 'What are your challenges or barriers right now?' and to listen so that she can move forward and feel like she's thriving."

A Call for Self-Compassion

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from Ayanna's insights is her advice for anyone navigating career challenges: "Be patient with yourself. Doing things in increments of time with self-compassion, patience, and increments of time—that's always helpful to your pathway to anything that you want to achieve."

This wisdom extends far beyond career development. In a culture that often demands immediate results and constant progress, Ayanna's reminder to approach our goals with self-compassion feels both revolutionary and necessary.

Building Community Through Career Development

What emerges from this conversation is a model of career services that prioritizes relationship and community alongside practical skill-building. New Directions doesn't just prepare women for the workforce—they create a supportive ecosystem where professional growth happens within a context of belonging and mutual support.

Their upcoming LEAD symposium on inclusive leadership and their annual celebration honoring program graduates demonstrate this commitment to ongoing community and recognition.

Lessons for Leaders Everywhere

Ayanna's approach offers valuable insights for anyone supporting others' professional development:

• Start with the whole person, not just their professional needs

• Create psychologically safe spaces where people can explore and grow

• Adapt programming to meet emerging needs and diverse populations

• Focus on incremental progress rather than dramatic transformation

• Build community as part of the development process

As we face ongoing economic uncertainty and workplace challenges, New Directions Career Center's model reminds us that effective career support requires more than technical skills—it requires understanding, community, and an unwavering commitment to meeting people exactly where they are.

Connect with Ayanna!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newdirectionscc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16y6FfB58D/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/newdirectionscc?igsh=MTlsa2IxZW4waGdpaQ==

To learn more about New Directions Career Center's programs and services, visit newdirectionscc.org. Their next "Your Employment Success" course begins October 14th, and the LEAD inclusive leadership symposium takes place October 24th and 31st.