COACH by CareerVillage

CareerVillage.org envisions a world where every young person, regardless of background, can access the career guidance they need to thrive. By harnessing the power of community and technology, we create open pathways for underrepresented youth to connect with professionals who inspire and guide them toward meaningful futures.

At the heart of our mission is the belief that career readiness should be democratized and accessible to all students. We leverage innovative AI tools alongside a passionate volunteer network to provide personalized, insightful advice that empowers young people to envision and realize their potential.

Through strategic partnerships and a commitment to inclusivity, CareerVillage.org builds an ecosystem of support designed to transform how career information is shared, helping to cultivate the next generation of professionals who will drive societal progress and opportunity.

We stumbled across CareerVillage.org while researching career guidance platforms, and honestly? We're impressed by what founder Jared Chung built from his living room back in 2011. This isn't your typical Silicon Valley success story — it's a nonprofit that's quietly democratizing career advice for students who need it most.

The concept is refreshingly simple: students ask career questions, and real professionals answer them. No paywalls, no premium tiers, just free guidance from people who've actually walked the walk.

What Makes It Work

CareerVillage has cracked the code on volunteer engagement in a way that most platforms struggle with. They've managed to attract over 100,000 professionals who donate their time to answer student questions — from Cisco employees whose advice has been read 3.6 million times to countless other industry experts.

The quality control is solid too. Volunteers register with their professional backgrounds, so students aren't just getting random internet advice. They're learning from people who actually work in their dream fields.

The Numbers Tell a Story

With 6 million users and counting, CareerVillage has achieved remarkable scale for a nonprofit operating on less than $5 million in total funding. That's the kind of efficiency that makes venture capitalists weep — in a good way.

Their partnership with Google's Kaggle shows they're thinking strategically about using AI to improve their matching algorithms. Smart move when you're trying to connect the right professionals with the right student questions.

Who Benefits Most

This platform shines brightest for high school students from underserved communities — exactly the demographic that traditional career counseling often misses. If you're a first-generation college student trying to figure out what software engineers actually do all day, or a rural student curious about marketing careers, CareerVillage fills that gap.

We also appreciate that they're not just focusing on college-bound students. Career switchers and young adults get value here too, which reflects the reality of today's work landscape.