Career Accelerator

Bridging the gap in career advancement and increasing product user engagement

Meet Sarah

She’s a determined front-line worker who just completed a program through Guild. With her certificate and a heart full of hope, Sarah was eager to take her next step towards a better job and accomplish her dreams. But as she thought about the future, the excitement began to fade. The steps weren't as straightforward as she had imagined. Sarah, like so many others, was stuck.

The Challenge: Facing the Unseen Roadblock

Guild Education recognized a critical gap: members, despite completing programs, often found themselves stuck and needing more clarity about their next career steps.

We needed to create a solution that provided a clear, actionable path to getting the job. Our goal was to design a tool that offered interactive career navigation and personalized support to help members like Sarah transition seamlessly into their next roles.

Hypothesis: Paving the way forward

We believed that by embedding interactive, action-oriented career navigation content directly into our platform, we could create something that would guide Sarah and others like her through the job search process, while also moving the needle on product engagement. And when the journey got tough, they’d have the option to connect with career coaches for personalized support. This was more than just a product—it was a lifeline.

The team

This problem was tasked to a new career squad, which consisted of:

  • Product Manager

  • Front-end Engineers

  • Full Stack engineers

  • UX Writer

  • Staff Product Designer (mentor)

  • Product Designer (me)

Discovery: Understanding the Landscape

Getting this right meant answering some lingering questions using competitor analysis

  • How do competitors keep their users engaged?

  • What’s the most effective way to structure complex, overwhelming content?

  • Which mediums are users most drawn to?

  • What are the must-have elements that will truly make a difference?

The research pointed to users wanted a mix of video and text formats. Users crave balance; enough structure to feel guided, but with the freedom to explore at their own pace. They needed a tool that felt personal but wasn’t overwhelming, something that could provide direction without taking any independance away.

Findings

Lo-fi & HiFi Prototyping

Based on the requirements we received from career coaches and competitor analysis insights, we developed two distinct versions: a self-guided option and a personalized guided option. These prototypes were refined into high fidelity to ensure realistic user testing.

Process: We used iterative design methods, moving from sketches to detailed wireframes and then to high-fidelity prototypes.

User testing

To ensure we decided on the right version, we conducted unmoderated A/B tests via UserZoom, focusing on what mattered most:

Findings

  • Personalization: While appreciated, it wasn’t the main draw for the MVP

  • Landing Page: Simplicity and a clear, sequential timeline were winners; this provided users with a sense of direction.

  • Content Medium: Video was the favorite, but accessibility features like transcripts were essential for inclusivity.

Minimum viable product (MVP)

To deliver fast, we prioritized the self-guilded format, eliminating any complex personalization features due to lack of strong evidence that would support the work's value. For MVP we organized lessons into a simple module format and removing non-essential elements like testimonials.

We focused on combining video content with text. Encouragement prompts and a “continue” button were added to guide users through a linear content progression.

Project Outcomes

For Sarah, the Career Accelerator wasn’t just another tool—it was the bridge she needed to move forward. With clear guidance and the resources she could trust, Sarah began to see her future taking shape. The successful launch of this product was a milestone not just for Guild, but for every user who, like Sarah, needed a little extra help to find their way. Some key outcomes:

  1. Increased User Engagement: The Career Accelerator led to a 10% increase in overall product engagement, helping users like Sarah stay committed to their learning journey and boosting short-term persistence.

  2. Scalable Platform: The solution laid a foundation for future growth, enabling seamless integration of additional features like job boards and career coaching, making the platform more versatile and ready for expansion.

  3. Enhanced Brand Strength: The well-designed, branded experience not only supported users but also reinforced Guild’s position in the market, creating a stronger connection between the brand and its user community.

Conclusion

The successful launch of Career Accelerator marks a significant step towards bridging the gap in career advancement for Guild members. As we continue to iterate and refine the product based on user feedback, we aim to further enhance user engagement and job placement rates.

This work is property of Guild submitted with approval by Guild as an example of work I contributed to while employed by Guild.