I've been generally keeping track of the explosion in "paid career advice" schemes, and there are new ones popping up almost every day. Someone gets the idea that they can make a bundle by helping others in their job search, and instead of doing so out of the goodness of their heart, they decide they're going to do so as a business. While that's fine if they are a legitimate career counselor and they've had that training, unfortunately too many of these fall into the category of 'get rich quick' ideas.
Some posture themselves as "associations." Others are single proprietors, who build up some kind of private database of career information, and provide that to readers for a monthly fee. Others foster a network of people who exchange information much like we do here on the Forum, but again -- that's for a fee.
Today I read about one that is entirely focused on the profession of Medical Science Liaison or MSL. This company offers "Free Webinars" but then if you want to continue, you'll pay a hefty fee to stay in the loop. There are very similar programs for those who want to move from research into Sales and Marketing. Others start their involvement in your career at the point where you are working on finishing your thesis and they tout a paid membership at a very difficult time of your life.
I don't understand how people can literally buy into this stuff. It's sad to tap the market of PhD's who haven't yet had their prime income-producing years. While I would have thought that this would be like squeezing juice from a turnip (as they say), it turns out that PhDs (or wanna-be PhD's) are indeed spending their money on this stuff or they wouldn't be proliferating.
I'm curious as to what is missing in the ScienceCareers.org website (our host). Is it just that people don't know about all these resources? Or, is it that there's some crucial element missing -- something that puts people into the frame of mind that it's OK to spend money on these schemes instead of seeking it out, free, from this resource or others like it?
Dave Jensen