Problem
For the majority of people, the job search and application process is discouraging, exhausting and time-consuming.
Why should looking for a job feel like work in and of itself? It involves hours of online research, endless interviews, and complete uncertainty about what the next steps are and how long the process will take.
Introduction
Jooba is a mobile app for job seekers and recruiters to connect, manage their applications or candidates and complete the hiring process from start to finish. This project is solely focused on the job seeker’s side of the platform.
My Role
User research, wireframes and testing in collaboration with Zohar Argaman + my own UI design.
Background
A student project designed in Figma in 2022.
Our Solution
Job Preferences
When a user first opens the app, they are greeted by a four-step job preference questionnaire that prompts them to specify their preferable job sector, location, type of employment, and other relevant details. By gathering this information, the app can better match the user with relevant job opportunities that align with their preferences.
Job Matches
The job matches are presented as 30-second videos from recruiters showcasing the job positions they are hiring for. The user can swipe right to save a job they're interested in or simply move on to the next one by swiping left. The user also sets a short introduction video in their profile for recruiters to potentially get in their matches.
Documentation and Transparency
The user can easily apply for jobs, complete tasks, and communicate with recruiters within the app, with each step of the process being tracked and documented for a clear understanding of their progress.
Easy Communication with Recruiters
Updates and tasks related to applications are easily managed and tracked, ensuring that deadlines and feedback are not missed, and the user stays informed about the current stage of their applications, while also being able to recall previous stages, and view upcoming ones.
Our potential users, the job seekers, are discouraged by the long and tedious job search process. They often feel stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed due to the lack of transparency from recruiters and the uncertainty about what lies ahead in the process.
01
Job seekers rely on a variety of tools to help them in the process of looking for a job, including the internet and different apps to discover new job postings, email to communicate with recruiters and the hiring teams and calendars and notes to keep track of applications and tasks. This results in the process being split into distinct sections, such as searching, communicating and monitoring, despite it being a single comprehensive process.
02
Insights from Research
Research
The first step in constructing our solution was to familiarize ourselves with our potential users, their needs and challenges, and to gain a better understanding of our competitors.
Competitive Analysis
The competition had no tracking and managing job applications aspect.
After analyzing 3 popular job search platforms, we discovered that none of them offered a feature for tracking and managing job applications. This gap presented an opportunity for us to create a solution.
User Interviews
“It’s extremely stressful and frustrating. You are constantly rejected, everyone is looking for employees, but no one wants to hire you”
Our aim was to understand the routines and behaviors of job seekers within our target audience, so we interviewed 3 potential users. Among them were individuals actively seeking employment as well as those who had recently secured a new role. During the interviews, we asked questions such as:
Persona
Pain Points
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Feels frustrated from constant rejections and recruiters' lack of response.
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Uncertain about what is the next step of each application and how many more are left.
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Spends a lot of time trying to stay organized and on top of her tasks.
Needs
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Get a clear picture of the job application process at each company.
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Adapt the job search to her preferences.
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Easy way to communicate with recruiters.
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Keep track of her application related tasks.
Maya Tal
27, Tel Aviv
Empathy Map
Finally, we created an empathy map to gain a deeper understanding of our users and to better identify with our persona.
Wireframing
Before jumping into Figma to design beautiful screens, we started off by sketching designs on a piece of paper to see what ideas we could come up with.
Once we had a general idea of the screens layout and design, we moved on to creating medium fidelity wireframes.
Usability Testing + Improvements
After completing the design of the medium fidelity wireframes, we moved straight into user testing. We tested the app’s usability on 6 users both in person and via Zoom, and continuously refined our design with 2 major improvements:
“My Jobs” Tab
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We removed the task tab display because it caused confusion among some users who believed that there were two separate functions.
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The design was changed to a dashboard that collected all relevant information for the user.
Set Profile Reminder
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We recognized that it is too early for a "set your profile" reminder when the user saves their first job.
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We moved the reminder to the user's first job application attempt. This way, the user is more likely to have already explored the app and set up their profile, reducing the likelihood of needing the reminder in the first place.
Final Product
If I Had More Time
With additional time, I would be able to go further into the project's specifics and look for places where more improvements could be made. I have a few enhancements and additions in mind that I would incorporate into the final product, including:
Conduct more user research. Although we have completed initial user research, having more time would enable us to further investigate and better understand the needs and behaviors of job seekers. Conducting supplementary interviews or surveys, as well as performing additional usability tests, would provide us with more feedback from users. This, in turn, would allow us to continually improve and refine the product to better align with the needs and expectations of our users.
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Build a user community. One approach could be to integrate a forum or chat feature into the app, which would enable users to connect with each other and share helpful tips and advice. Another option would be to organize virtual events, such as webinars, to bring users together and encourage engagement. By fostering a strong sense of community within the app, we can build a loyal user base that will continue to utilize the platform over the long-term.
Develop additional features. Several potential features could be made to enhance the user experience of the app. For example, an in- app simple video editor for job seekers to edit their introduction video, a “meet the team” feature for each job posting, or an interview question preparation tool to help users feel more confident and prepared for their upcoming interviews.