Company launches Career Lab, the first structured AI career coaching experience that builds personalized career discovery plans at scale
Lexington, MA August 19, 2026 — College Guidance Network (CGN), the education content company known for using a Masterclass model to bring hundreds of America’s leading experts directly to students and families, today announced that it has changed its name to Career Guidance Network.
The company will continue to operate under the familiar CGN brand, but the new name reflects an important reality: In today’s AI-driven economy, college is increasingly one decision within a much larger career planning journey.
Says Dave Schuler, Executive Director of AASA- The School Superintendents Association, “This aligns nicely with where the market is headed. Career guidance is an area that AASA sees as increasingly strategic for our members”.
The Growing High Stakes of Career Navigation
The announcement comes as new research from the Stanford Digital Economy Lab highlights how rapidly the labor market is changing. The research found that early-career workers (ages 22–25) in highly AI-exposed occupations experienced a 16% relative decline in employment, while employment for more experienced workers remained stable. As AI reshapes entry-level work, students and families are placing greater emphasis on career planning before making postsecondary decisions.
“College remains one of the most important pathways to opportunity,” said Jon Carson, Founder and CEO of Career Guidance Network. “But it is no longer the only pathway, nor should it be viewed as the final destination. Today’s students need to understand where they want to go before deciding how to get there.”
For years, CGN has produced Masterclass-style content featuring more than 400 nationally recognized experts spanning college admissions, financial aid, career pathways, workforce trends, student wellness, and the future of work. The name change acknowledges the growing importance of helping students connect postsecondary decisions to long-term career outcomes.
“In the current AI moment, postsecondary choices have become more high stakes, more complex, and frankly, more risky,” adds Carson. “Every student deserves a plan, and every family deserves better guidance. The economic implications of these decisions have never been greater. Whether you’re a middle school student beginning to explore careers, a high school senior choosing among colleges, or an incoming freshman trying to make the most of your college experience, thoughtful career planning has become essential.”
In a recent benchmarking study (available on CGN’s website) between CGN’s AI agent EVA (Expert Virtual Assistant), human career coaches, and LLM frontier models EVA came out noticeably ahead. Says Jeff Riley, former Commissioner of Education for Massachusetts, “CGN’s masterclass model aligns well with the need for quality career advice”.
Introducing Career Lab
Alongside its new name, Career Guidance Network announced the launch of Career Lab, the company’s newest, expert AI-powered advising solution.
Career Lab is the first structured, one-to-one, AI career coaching experience designed specifically for students. Rather than relying on a single chatbot conversation, Career Lab employs a highly trained AI career coach to guide students through a five-module coaching journey that combines expert instruction, reflective exercises, labor market intelligence, and personalized AI coaching. Every student completes the experience with a customized 90-day Career Discovery Plan tailored to their interests, strengths, and goals. “Career Lab helped me build confidence and a plan for where I want to go”, said Peter, a rising Massachusetts senior who is a student tester. It’s like nothing I have at school”.
Says Andy Wulf, Principal of Newburyport school district in Massachusetts who is part of a national pilot between CGN and AASA, “We think of CGN as an AI career readiness solution first and college advising second. The world is changing and career readiness is becoming more urgent by the day.”
Career Lab is powered by CGN’s patent-pending integration architecture, which synchronizes AI coaching with a comprehensive career intelligence platform representing more than 710 career pathways. This enables AI coaching that is grounded in structured learning and connected to continually evolving labor market and career pathway data.
The result is a persistent coaching experience that helps students move from curiosity to action.
About Career Guidance Network
Career Guidance Network (CGN) is a college and career advising platform that unlocks Masterclass quality advising capacity. CGN serves students via their schools or colleges. Through its network of more than 400 nationally recognized experts and its Expert Virtual Assistant (EVA), CGN delivers personalized, one-to-one guidance at scale. Its solutions include its core high school advising solution as well as Career Lab which provides hours of expert coaching through a structured process that builds a career discovery plan for every student.
Media Contact:
Jon Carson, CEO Career Guidance Network (CGN)
Phone: 617-304-1773
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