Helping young people navigate their career journey with a new and improved altPath website

Areté Rising recently developed a solution that provides assistance with career development for prospective students aged 18-29 with non-traditional backgrounds who may feel limited by traditional education paths. Aptly named altPath, this free resource helps students explore career paths and industries they might not have otherwise considered as alternatives to traditional higher education trajectories. 

Students can filter results by industry, browse the career database, compare pathways or research training providers. Unlike traditional career guidance tools, altPath emphasizes curiosity and leverages bite-sized information in the form of TikTok and Instagram videos created by relatable influencers. The site also features visual career pathways that enable users to select what passions they have and explore what kind of training is needed to gain the certification for that career. If students are unsure of what path they want to explore, they can learn about various careers and positions through the Career Database. The goal was to reach young people online through influencers and paid ads, creating authentic connections that guide them to the altPath site to explore new opportunities.

Initially, Social Driver was brought on to identify and work with influencers who reach altPath’s target demo, provide scripting support or concepts for authentic social content, and disseminate accordingly through organic and paid channels that would connect with their 18-29 year old audience.

Then, while preparing for the launch, the nonprofit performed user testing, identifying accessibility and usability issues that needed to be addressed before they made the altPath tool available. Areté Rising looked to Social Driver to not only help them launch their new tool with paid ads and influencers but also enhance their website to maintain consistency and tone while improving navigation and streamlining user pathways.

Social Driver proposed a set of advertising campaigns across TikTok, Instagram and Spotify targeting young adults aged 18-29. Social Driver also utilized paid and non-paid influencers to promote the program and reach a specific audience that is aligned with the altPath mission. As one example, the altPath tool features Dr. Amira Collison, a psychiatrist who describes her non-traditional route to getting her doctorate. She was chosen because her story resonates with the intended demographic, and her message was crafted in a way that aligned with the existing interests of the audience.

In order for the altPath solution to be as impactful as possible, Social Driver provided a thorough design and user experience review. The output was a list of recommendations that led to a redesign of certain parts of the website. Specifically, Social Driver proposed a solution to ensure consistency between the existing web content and the altPath resource, including tone, style and brand. The updated website now reflected the new content, more intuitive navigation and better accessibility. In the next version of the tool, the user interface will feature a system of badges, nudges and rewards to keep users on track to their career goals. Income-qualified altPath members can even turn rewards into financial support for their education and job training costs.

By partnering with Social Driver, Areté Rising successfully launched its altPath tool. Because Social Driver utilized influencers who had an authentic connection to the intended demographic, this significantly increased the adoption of the altPath solution.

The launch campaign earned over 6.9 million impressions, while TikTok operated at the highest average click-through rate, at 3.60%. On Instagram, Stories was the leading placement with 13,684 clicks. 

The nonprofit’s website now has new navigation and a complementary style for a smoother user experience. This makes it easier for prospective students to explore various career paths and gain knowledge from people who have earned degrees in those fields. 

Showcasing fellow peers who have succeeded in non-traditional roles enables prospective students to gain a clearer understanding of how to set goals based on a specific interest, paired with the training needed to achieve their goals. The collaboration between Areté Rising and Social Driver has fostered a partnership that keeps young adults at the forefront of career development, contributing to the success of the nonprofit’s mission and impact.

Based on the success of the launch, Areté Rising plans to release altPath V2.0 in 2025.

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