When You Grow Up (WYGU), a social networking site for careers guidance, has been launched. The website provides people, young and old, the opportunity to contact professionals from various industries for e-mentoring, advice and guidance.

Individuals can create profiles on WYGU (pronounced wiggu), www.wygu.com, and participate in e-mentoring, a careers aptitude evaluation, and access an information database, which is claimed to be the largest careers wiki on the web.

Professional organizations are encouraged to create and manage their profiles on the site and are incentivised to contribute in the mentoring scheme by Professional Social Responsibility (PSR) ‘league tables’, which will rank organizations on the basis of their contribution to the programme.

CEO Alan Bunker explains: “WYGU has been developed to help people find the career they really want by connecting individuals who need advice with those able to give it.

“From my own personal experience, I know that most people end up in accidental careers through a lack of informed guidance at school or further education and, crucially, not being able to talk directly with those in the careers we aspire to, meaning we can never understand how to break into them.

“Careers advisors can’t be expected to be authorities or have first-hand experience of every career but WYGU offers a space for open, trusted conversations with people who want to share their knowledge and help others to achieve their goals, using a combination of facts and experience-based information.”

The website was developed by a team of 10 programmers over 14 months. The website was tested for four months as an invite beta webpage and now is open to the public. Alan Bunker had initially self-funded the project and then subsequently raised £350,000 through business sponsorship.

The website has already received high profile support. Andy Townsend, a former Premier League footballer and a well known sports commentator, commended the website saying: ‘“I think WYGU will make a big difference to people’s personal and professional lives as our career choices often shape our experiences."

He continued: "I know the value of a mentor when making difficult choices and I have benefited greatly in my own life from expert advice at the right time. I want my children to benefit from real advice and practical information before making their career choice, and WYGU will go a long way to helping them.”