JOBSCOUT
The product:
Jobscout is an app and website that offers a platform for workers to look for new jobs and switch to different career industry areas. It provides networking, educational courses, and other resources to help professionals take the step toward a new area.
Project Role:
UX designer and UX researcher
Project duration:
Start: December 2022
End: January 2023
The Problem
Nearly one in four workers (23%) say they are actively trying to change their job and/or move into another industry that they believe is more future-proof. Jobscout identifies the professional's concerns and aims to be a platform for job-searching exclusive for people wishing to change to another industry.
Research
A research study was conducted to determine the profile of professionals seeking to change industry areas. This research wanted to find out information such as demographics, barriers to making a career change, and statistics, such as how often workers commit to professional changes.
This secondary research was based on studies conducted by organizations and companies like The the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, ADP Research Institute, Mckinsey & Company, and news articles published in media such as Forbes, Business Insider, and BBC.
Seven in 10 workers (71%) have contemplated a major career move this year, and there’s a sense that they’re questioning what job security means post COVID-19. Of those, one in four have contemplated changing industries or requesting a sabbatical. Nearly one in four workers (23%) say they are actively trying to change their job and/or move into another industry that they believe is more future-proof (i.e. in growth sectors where their skills are likely to be in higher demand long-term, and where they see the best career development prospects and future earnings potential).
Most common barriers to change industry
57%
Lack of financial security
40%
Unsure what field to enter
37%
Lack of required education
These are the main problems Jobscout intends to solve for the worker seeking for a career change. Make sure they are well aware of how much the new area usually pays for their employees, give a skill match and help users identify what areas better match with them, and offer courses for the users to learn the required skills to enter the new industry
The Goal
Design a platform for workers changing to new career industry areas to find jobs and compare with their current jobs. This platform needs to be available via a mobile app, tablet, and website.
Persona
32,Las Vegas, NV
Software engineer
“I was tired of doing the same repetitive and meaningless work. I wanted a job with a greater purpose”
Robert started very young on technology and was curious and a self-learner. When the opportunity arrived, he enlisted for a Computer Science degree when he was 18. After he graduated he worked in multiple jobs, from startups to big tech companies until now. After the pandemic period, he started to reevaluate the work he was doing and its purposes. He concluded he want to steer his life into another path, with more meaningful work and with a higher impact on society. From there he is searching for tools to help him transition to this new job and understand what new skills he needs to pursue this new career.
Goals
Find a job with greater purpose
More flexible career path
Spend more time doing hobbies
Frustrations
Lack of innovation and discovery
Lack of relevant information on career change and paths to take
Ideation
Usability Study
- Information
Before opening job postings, users wanted to see the most relevant information about that job to quickly decide if it interested them.
- Navigation
Resources that were outside of the navigation bar were not easily found.
- Homepage
People wanted news feeds or relevant information on the homepage, similar to similar apps.
Mockups and changes
Based on the insights from the usability studies, I applied the information change to reflect more details about the job posting before opening it. Also, there's a search function at the top to help the navigation and quickly find the results you are looking for.
Based on the insights from the usability studies, the homepage will show relevant findings based on your searches or jobs that you have already applied for. It also will notify you on the top of the screen if you have notifications that you haven't checked yet.
High Fidelity Prototype
Responsive Design
The sitemap is pretty straightforward and helps organize each section with the resources they provide. It also aligns with the navigation from the mobile app and the navigation bar that is present there.
Website
Tablet
The designs for screens included mobile, tablet and desktop versions. Each one had its components resized and various elements had to be reallocated to better fit the screen.
Takeaways
Impact:
After the pandemic, professionals are more willing to make changes and migrate into different industry areas if that brings them more satisfaction, professions with better growth sectors and where they have a better prospects. The market doesn't have tools available specifically for these scenarios and being ahead with innovative solutions can be a game changer.
What I learned:
Much of what I learned through research, usability studies, and the design iteration are that the users feel more comfortable making career-changing moves if they are supported by resources that help them understand the new area they will enter. How skills translate and financial factors are very important and must be considered as this platform proposes.