Most students have a level of uncertainty on where to get help in how to choose a career and career guidance.
In the search for finding right platforms that can actually guide students in their journey of making right career choice, we came across CareerGuide, founded by Surabhi Dewra. In an interaction with her, we could find out about the way she is making the most of an online platform to guide students for all their career related questions in demand.
1. What would be an elevator pitch for someone who does not know about your company?
CareerGuide.com is a one stop destination for answers to all career related queries of a student.
Our Motto: Career Answers – Career Advice– On Demand
2. What is your company’s core value proposition? What problem are you solving and for whom?
We provide an “On Demand” career guidance system where an aspirant can come and get connected directly to a career expert who is perfectly matched by our algorithm to answer all their queries.
The objective of CareerGuide.Com is to help youths who do not have ready access to good mentors in their home situations and thus make uninformed career choices or one based on herd instinct. Furthermore, the overload of information and choices may confuse the learner compelling him/her to make hasty and conflicting career decisions. There is lack of career information and counselling at both rural and urban level which leads to mismatch of youth’s career aspirations and world of work.
This is a huge opportunity. India alone presents a $20Billion market with more than 50% population falling below age group of 25 years. With demographic dividend as advantage this could be huge. With Asian consumption pattern and residing population this is next billion dollar opportunity.
3. What has been the market response till now? How do you plan to check on the user (for whom you are solving problem) satisfaction?
We have got a very good market response till now. We have already impacted more than 1.25 Lakhs students by providing answers to their career questions.
We have put together a user rating system where a user can rate the career expert based on their personal experience. This helps us know how we are doing and how to improve user experience.
4. What inspired the idea of Careerguide? What is the driving passion for this company? What is your vision?
Education has always been a passion for me. I love teaching and had a few stab at it. There I realized that the students are taking wrong career decisions and wanted to do something about it.
My vision is to spread the awareness about the importance for right career guidance at the very onset of a student’s career and make it a part education system as in more developed countries like US & UK.
5. What is the stage of the product? Where do you see Careerguide in 6 or 12 or 18 months from now?
We are a very young company and are trying to impact the way people see career counseling primarily in our country but we shall soon be exploring other markets as the need and problems are mostly similar.
6. What is the biggest need for your company at this point of time?
The biggest need for this industry is massive awareness as people are reluctant to go to a career expert when they are making the most important decision which will impact their entire future. And as a startup company our primary need is right exposure and right associations.
7. What are your views about the growth of the eLearning industry in India?
India is a nation with over 50% of population below the age group of 25 and with the greatest demographic and geographic diversity. And here people spends more than 15% of their average income in education and the public sector spend is around $45B yearly. So an eLearning company which can provide creditable solution for the masses can become a billion dollar company in no time.
8. Tell us about your team, who do you have supporting you?
We are a very small team majorly focused on technology. Recently we’ve started to build a marketing team to spread our reach. And have already raised a round of funding from investors namely Ronnie Screwvala, founder of UTV; Vishal Gondal, founder of Indiagames; and Goqii & Rajesh Tekriwal based in Hong Kong.
9. Who would you call your competitors? And how are you different? How are you keeping a tap on the changing landscape of workforce?
There is no invention which can connect you instantly to a Career Expert for Guidance related to any career related query, other career counseling related websites or counseling centers schedules all the sessions but CareerGuide.com brings career experts to every student and connects them.
But for our Career Q&A section named ask.careerguide.com we can take Quora & Yahoo Answers of the world as a competitor.
