What’s trending?
Career guidance goes virtual (in game or on social media). Making that all important decision on what career path to follow is difficult for many young adults. Career guidance is now going beyond the traditional campus career guidance counsellors into the virtual realm. There are now options available that meet the students where they are – in games and on social media. CareersCraft launched by Careers Wales is a virtual world hosted in Minecraft that helps students identify their strengths. Users complete challenges and activities and are presented with career paths that best meet their skills at the end. A career expo for South African students was held on WhatsApp and offered R20 million in bursaries. The Knowledge Trust Education and Career Expo, held entirely on WhatsApp through chat bots, started in October 2021.
Why is it important?
This trend highlights the demand for career guidance for young adults. In a world with a myriad of career paths, which may overwhelm the youth, organisations are tapping into this need for guidance. It is also important because it indicates where prospective employees and consumers are spending their time and money. Since its release in 2011, Minecraft has amassed 141 million active players worldwide. Today, WhatsApp is reported to have more than 2 billion monthly active users globally and is ranked among the most popular mobile messenger apps in the world. Career guidance coming from the more traditional channels may be lost on the youth, who are to be found elsewhere.
What can businesses do about it?
Businesses that are looking to attract employees could host their own open days virtually, and also find ways to advertise within these platforms. In general, when marketing to younger adults, it would be advisable to create innovative campaigns within platforms such as Minecraft and Whatsapp. Maybelline South Africa ran a Whatsapp campaign that rewarded their consumers for buying their ‘Fit Me’ Matte+Poreless Foundation. They stood to win incredible prizes and the chance to see their face on Maybelline’s nationwide billboards and buildings. A Zimbabwean life assurance company launched an innovative marketing campaign that was a Whatsapp drama series called Jabu’s Homecoming.
By Faeeza Khan
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Image credit: Flex Jobs
