Your students won't pick a career. They'll invent one.
Nothing in school prepares them for that. With Career Compass, students work on a real company project alongside mentors who do the job, and find out what work they enjoy.
Mentors from across the globe.
Students from a number of schools have already taken part in Career Compass sprints.
The precision behind a week-long program of this depth was truly impressive. Age-appropriate, engaging and genuinely constructive.
One of the best experiences I've had when it came to figuring out what I might want to do. I walked away with a completely new perspective on careers.
The problem
Most career guidance was built for a world of fixed job titles. That world does not exist anymore.
Many of the jobs your students will do one day don’t have names yet. Career guidance hasn’t kept up.
Students will need to invent their careers, and nobody teaches them how. Building a path starts with knowing what kind of work energises you. A list of job titles won't tell you that.
Most guidance is passive. Students sit through talks, panels and aptitude tests, which say little about what the work feels like day to day. Many people only find out what suits them at their first job, long after they've picked their subjects and degree.
Career Compass gives students hands-on time in real industries while those choices are still open.
What Career Compass is
Students learn about a career by doing the work.
Each industry has several roles, and each role comes with a real project set by a company in that field. Students can take on a project in two ways:
Dash
90 minutesA short, hands-on version of a project. Run one on its own, or put 2–3 together in a half or full day as a taster.
A quick feel for a role.
Sprint
15–20 hoursStudents go deep into one role's project, work with mentors and finish with something to show.
Repeated across industries and grades, Sprints build up a picture of the work each student enjoys and is good at.
- 15–35
- students per sprint
- 12+
- industries to explore
- Real projects
- set by working companies
- Grades 6–12
- three tracks that grow with the student
Mentors, industries and partners
Mentors who do the job today
Each project is built with a company working in the industry. Its people set the project, explain how the work actually gets done and give students direct feedback on what they make. Mentors join in person when they can and online when they can't, so students meet professionals from across the globe.
12+ industries to explore
- 01Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- 02Robotics & Automation
- 03Digital Entrepreneurship
- 04Health Science & Nutrition
- 05Mental Health & Wellbeing
- 06Renewable Energy Systems
- 07Data Science & Analytics
- 08Creative Technology & Digital Arts
- 09Environmental Engineering
- 10Financial Technology
- 11Space & Deep Technology
- 12Law, Policy & Governance
New industries added every year.
Sprints and Dashes
Two ways to take on a project
A Sprint runs 15–20 hours and fits around your timetable. Some groups do it as a week of half-days, others over a few full days or in weekly sessions across a month. A facilitator guides the group throughout, and industry mentors lead their own sessions.
A Sprint moves through five stages
- 01PrepareStudents question what they assume about the industry and look at their own strengths.
- 02ExploreThey meet professionals and map the roles inside the industry.
- 03AnalyseSkill-based challenges show what comes easily and where they'd need to grow.
- 04BuildStudents take on a problem set by the company and make something they can show.
- 05Kick startThey present their work, add it to their portfolio and decide what to do next.
Sprint at a glance
- Duration
- 15–20 hours, scheduled to fit your timetable
- Group size
- 15–35 students
- Delivery
- In person, online or hybrid
- Who leads
- A facilitator throughout, plus sessions with industry mentors
Outcomes
What students leave with
Over several sprints, students see patterns in what they enjoy, and that gives them a much clearer sense of where to head.
For schools and communities
Bring Career Compass to your students
We work with schools and with organisations that run communities of young people, such as student clubs, youth programs and learning networks. Sprints and Dashes sit alongside your academic or extracurricular program.
Set it up in four steps
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1Pick a trackGrades 6–7 Foundations Get curious about different industries and make early connectionsGrades 8–10 Explorers Compare pathways, develop skills and create portfolio-ready workGrades 11–12 Launch Pads Tie exploration to real goals and plan for life after school
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2Pick a formatSprint · 15–20 hours Dash · 90 minutes Both are explained above, with the same company project behind them.
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3Pick one or more industriesChoose one or more of the 12+ industries. See the industries ↑
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4Schedule itDuring the school term In the holidays We'll work around your timetable.
What it means for you: Students make subject and career choices with more confidence, and they can see why their learning matters. Parents get to see the work their children produce, and your school can point to a career program few others offer.
Plan a taster dayHow is this different from a career day or a careers talk?
Career days are mostly talks. Students work on a project set by a company, guided by mentors who do that job, either in a 90-minute Dash or a 15–20 hour Sprint.
What age is it for?
Grades 6–12, split into three tracks: Foundations (6–7), Explorers (8–10) and Launch Pads (11–12).
How long does it take?
A Dash is 90 minutes. A Sprint is 15–20 hours, arranged around your timetable as a week of half-days, a few full days or weekly sessions over a month.
Is it online or in person?
It can be either, or a mix of both. A facilitator leads the group, and mentors join in person where possible.
Show 4 more questions
Who are the mentors?
Professionals working in each industry now, from companies in India, Japan and elsewhere.
How many students can take part?
Between 15 and 35 per sprint.
We're not a school. Can we run Career Compass?
Yes. If you run a club, youth program or learning network, we can run Dashes or Sprints for your group.
How do we get started?
Many start with a taster day of 2–3 Dashes, then add Sprints for the grades or groups that want more.
Start with a taster day
Tell us about your students, and we'll help you pick an industry, a format and dates.
We reply within 1 business day. Or call +81 80 4119 0700.
Not a school?
There's a place for you in Career Compass too
Parents and students
Open cohorts are on the way. Register your interest and you'll be the first to hear when places open.
Organisations
Mentor the next generation. Share how your team works, and we'll build a Sprint around a real project from your company.