e-mentoring, social networking with a purpose and the WYGU careers advice opportunity
December 2nd, 2010 by Tim Greenhalgh
We usually have a rule at Liberate Media blog-HQ – write about anything relevant, but avoid the client sell. I’ve talked with the team about this today and we’re agreed that, for this one time only, I can write about something that is close to my heart and which should make a big difference – and happens to be a client.
I hope you’ll forgive me for this, but I think that WYGU (or When You Grow Up) will fundamentally change the way we discover what we want to do in our lives. For the first time effectively, people of all ages can understand the jobs they are best suited to. WYGU can reinforce their vocational aspirations. It can guide, inspire and connect.
WYGU (pronounced ‘wiggu’) is a new form of social network. It has a purpose beyond friendliness and connection. The WYGU idea is Alun Baker’s, a successful businessman from Wales, who had a simple idea to improve the way we develop our careers and acted on it.
Alun has spent his own money, and raised difficult investment, to develop the WYGU platform. It’s basically a “Facebook for careers advice†and we most definitely need it now more than ever, given the cuts in state careers advice provision and the failings of careers advice in schools, colleges and universities.
What’s more, it’s free to use.
WYGU has now launched and today we have a much better way of finding out what we want to do in our working lives, which after all shapes so much of our personal lives. Please check out what Jemima Kiss at the Guardian had to say, and listen to Alun’s recent appearance on Radio 4 You & Yours consumer programme to find out more. Alun’s interview is also at: wygu-alun-baker-radio-4-you-and-yours-interview
The team at Liberate has already signed up as mentors and we’re looking forward to giving something back. As Alun says, to make a change you have to take Personal Social Responsibility.
I’ll shut up now but do look at the wonderful video created by Nonsense for WYGU that explains it all and also the expressions of support from people like broadcaster Andy Townsend, and if you feel like you would benefit from careers advice, or can offer it, please sign up. After that you can also try the excellent and unique WYGU careers matching engine to appreciate what type of career you could be suited to.
Let us know what you think.
Tags: Alun Baker, Andy Townsend, e-mentoring, Facebook for careers advice, Guardian, jemima kiss, Personal Social Responsibility, social network, WYGU