When CERIC decided to turn the page on our ContactPoint website and reinvent it as the modern, content-based CareerWise, we knew we were asking readers to make a leap with us. We consulted, we tested and we researched to try to ensure our new approach would meet the learning needs of career professionals – and then we jumped, launching on Nov. 27, 2018. The relaunch of our French sister site, OrientAction, followed two days later. A year later, I’m so grateful that you, our readers, have made this journey with us.
If there’s one thing that’s been clear in the past year, it’s that career professionals have an insatiable appetite for information that helps them serve their clients and students. We’ve heard from career professionals that you are keen to learn strategies for working effectively with specific client groups, such as people with disabilities, newcomers, jobseekers in the LGBTQ2+ community, veterans and older workers. We’ve heard about your desire for reliable labour market information and helpful advice to prepare clients/students – and yourself – for the future of work. We continue to see strong interest in interview advice and resume information. In our Podium guest blogs and In the Know resource and event listings, we’ve covered these subjects, and many more.
We’ve also seen that our readers’ hunger for career development information is matched only by their enthusiasm for knowledge-sharing. CareerWise has given us the opportunity highlight the voices of career professionals representing a diverse range of experiences and perspectives from across Canada (and beyond!). That’s over 120 people sharing their career development strategies, research, successes and challenges. When I look over the Podium blogs, I’m in awe of the expertise being shared and questions being raised, and thrilled by the sense of community that encourages career professionals to write for their peers.
But even as we are celebrating the successes of our first year, CERIC is committed to finding ways to keep making CareerWise better. We’re working on some aesthetic changes based on feedback from our earlier reader survey to improve your experience on the website. Most importantly, we want to feature more voices on a variety of topics that matter to career professionals. Whether it’s your first year in the field or your 15th, everyone has something to offer. And you don’t have to be a professional writer. In every corner of Canada, amazing career development work is happening – and, at the same time, career professionals are experiencing challenges in their day-to-day work. By telling these stories, you can help enhance the knowledge of your peers and connect with others in the field. If you’re been thinking about writing for CareerWise, check out our Submission Guidelines and send me an email, lindsay@ceric.ca.
I believe it’s a passion for career development and helping others that brings career professionals of all kinds to the pages of CareerWise. At CERIC, we’re passionate about supporting career professionals by helping build your knowledge and skill base and facilitating collaboration and community-building.
As we mark the first anniversary of CareerWise, I want to thank you for taking the leap with us. I’m excited to see where we can all go, together.
If you want to share what CareerWise has meant to you or ideas for how we can better meet your needs, comment below or share on social with the hashtag #MyCareerWiseStory.
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