Career Services launches revamped website

Career Services launches revamped website

Career Services has unveiled a new-look website that promises to be even easier to use than its hugely popular predecessor.

The government agency already boasts one of the most popular New Zealand websites – last year it attracted more than 2.6 million New Zealand-based visits and visitor numbers are steadily growing.

So why change a winning formula? Career Services website content manager Bernie Burrell said the website revamp builds on work done over the last 18 months to move the site from a static information website to a more interactive self-service channel, enabling users to have the information and tools necessary to make smart career choices.

“It’s really important to our users that our website is organised in a way that is quick and easy to use with practical information that helps people to plan their futures. We did user-testing with well over 1000 website visitors – including secondary students and adults, to better understand how people use the site and how it can be improved.”

Ms Burrell said the extensive testing showed that Career Services has excellent information, tools and resources but they were not always easy for people to find. In response, they redesigned the website to make it more user-friendly and improve the client experience.

“We were very mindful of the fact we have more than two and a half million New Zealand-based people that come to our site every year to find career, job, study, training and work information, guidance and advice. We didn’t want to lose our regular visitors so the new-look site is very much a progression of the old site and retains many of the brand elements that are so recognisable to people.”

Ms Burrell said the biggest change people would notice with the new website was in the set-up of the homepage. In the past the site was organised to meet different audience needs. The new-look site now works on a task-based navigation, which means it focuses on the typical tasks users come to the site to do, for example, preparing a CV.

“We’re incredibly proud of the quality, content and popularity of our website and these changes will only serve to improve New Zealanders’ access to the huge range of free information and tools that we have. If you need help with anything careers-related, like creating your own CV, tips on writing cover letters or you just need some information on a particular job or changing your career, then our website needs to be your first port of call.”

Visit Career Services’ website www.careers.govt.nz to see the range of free information and online tools, webchat with a careers expert while you’re on the website or phone their advice line on 0800 222 733 to talk through your options.

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