Yellowbrick’s Founder on Career Path Trends, Benefits of Online Courses
“Fashion Styling Foundations,” the five-module course created by Yellowbrick in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and WWD, is helping participants reinvent themselves by learning new skills and taking new career paths.
But what’s driving that desire for change?
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Here, Rob Kingyens, founder and chief executive officer of Yellowbrick, shares insights into the “Great Resignation” and how it is impacting careers as well as how online courses have evolved.
WWD: What were some of the factors behind “The Great Resignation,” which saw people reprioritizing their lives and careers?
Rob Kingyens: When the pandemic hit and lockdowns started, it forced millions of people to take a pause all at once. I think for many of them, it served as a wake-up call as they found their jobs either in jeopardy or gone completely. Even after years of loyalty and hard work, one thing was clear: everything can evaporate in an instant.
Lots of people began to wonder what it was all for. If everything is so tenuous anyway, shouldn’t they be taking a chance on something they’re passionate about? Shouldn’t they take a chance on themselves? Could they restructure their lives to focus more on what matters, and prioritize the friends, family and experiences they love?
In answer to these questions, millions decided to leave their jobs. A great number chose to strike out on their own. In 2020, 4.4 million Americans filed with the IRS to start new businesses. It was a record jump — that is, until the very next year, when 5.4 million more Americans made the leap into entrepreneurism.
WWD: What role does online learning play as people look to reimagine their careers? What are the benefits for consumers looking to take online classes?
R.K.: Online learning has evolved rapidly over the past decade, and it’s now driving all kinds of career changes. At no other time has it been easier to train for a new occupation or career path. Online programs allow people to gain knowledge and vital skills without having to move anywhere, commute to or from physical classrooms, and offer a huge array of options that would not be available if learners had to stay local.
Many programs, like FIT x WWD Fashion Styling Foundations, also make it possible to hear directly from experts in a given industry, whereas they would not be able to participate in a more traditional class. Armed with industry-based degrees or certificates from these online programs, learners can show new employers that they have the skills and knowledge to succeed. And for those with more entrepreneurial goals, they can hang their shingles with more confidence after having heard the success stories of those who’d come before them.
WWD: What is the value proposition for consumers taking Yellowbrick courses? And how does Yellowbrick differentiate itself from other online learning companies?
R.K.: Yellowbrick courses, such as Parsons x WWD Fashion Business Essentials, are unique in this space. Most other career-focused programs assume that learners already know what they want to do and then teach the granular skills needed for those roles. But that degree of certainty — especially for people entering new careers — is almost always the exception, not the rule. So many career-switchers only have a vague notion of what they could do or where they would excel in a new industry. They often don’t know where to begin at all.
That’s what our courses are designed to do best: they offer more holistic views of creative industries. Yes, learners will walk away having gained important skills and will have completed projects that illustrate their talent. But most importantly, they’ll have built a fundamental understanding of a complete industry and they can pursue a path with open eyes. It’s a kind of education that really isn’t provided anywhere else.
About Rob Kingyens:
Rob Kingyens is the founder and CEO of Yellowbrick, a global leader in online education for the creator economy and career exploration in the arts, media, sports and entertainment industries. The company develops exciting, accessible online programs in collaboration with top brands and world-renowned universities. Prior to starting Yellowbrick, Kingyens served in various executive and founder roles within online education, including chief operating, chief technology and chief marketing officer roles — leading learning solutions for global brands and educational organizations, including Cornell University, Global Learning Systems, Discovery Education, Intel, Red Cross, GE, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Goodwill, Boston Consulting Group and others.
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