Given the need for high school students to discover more career options prior to high school graduation, there is a need to place emphasis on career counseling. This dissertation examines what the research says about career counseling at the secondary level. What education is appropriate? What counseling methods are working? What are some of the issues facing both the counselor of secondary schools and the students they serve? Each school year, new students enter classrooms with different interests and past life experiences. It is the responsibility of the educators to provide innovative instruction and counseling designed to foster critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity in their learners. Few studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of career counseling for those students not pursuing a four-year degree. Both inside and outside of the classroom, life experiences have helped students develop some of the ideas which may or may not push them in a certain career path. The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to assess the characteristics of counseling designs that have a positive impact on students not seeking a four-year degree. Counselors and principals from 12 public schools in southwest Pennsylvania participated in this study. Based upon the responses generated, recommendations for future counselor practices and future studies were developed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]