SaaS
Resume-Matching Feature
Allowing users to match their resumes with potential hiring companies.
Role
Product designer — UX Design, Research, Usability Testing, User Interviews, Visual Design
Duration
3 months
Overview
Seirah is a SaaS company aimed to provide users with the opportunity to create resumes using one of their templates.
Recognizing the competitive nature of job searching, the company wants to offer an additional paid service to increase the odds of users securing job matches based on their resumes and answers to specific questions.
User Interviews
Ok, but do people even need this?
I identified two main groups that could benefit from the resume-matching tool: job applicants (B2C) and hiring companies (B2B).
Both have unique needs but for this case study, I’m zeroing in on the job applicants.
Simplification of the job search process.
“The job market is overwhelming. This seems like it would make things easier for me.” - User A
Time saving.
“If I can spend less time searching and more time applying to the right jobs, that's a game-changer.” - User B
Customized matching to jobs.
Competitive Analysis
Peeking — How are other companies doing this?
Company A
Ideation
After a ton of back and forth with the PM and legal teams...
It was vital to me to ensure that all user problems were solved during this phase. Here are the design solutions I came up with:
I made sure to offer users the ability to revisit and change their consent choices at any time using a simple back button.
I understand that users have the opportunity to modify their preferences at any time through settings, but it is likely that they are too lazy to do so. It’s simply frustrating not being able to change previous choices on the spot.
Exploration and refinement.
I started with an initial idea of going all out with a Typeform style, packed with gamification survey —because that's what my early UX research hinted at. Surprisingly, every single person I tested it with wanted things straight-forward and simple. I then shifted to simple dropdown menus with limited choices.
Clearly indicating that this feature is paid to avoid any perception of it being deceptive or scammy.
Making sure every survey question is intentional and beneficial for both the employer and applicant.
Simply put, every question in the survey should have a clear purpose for being there ensuring that each offers meaningful insights during the job-seeking and recruitment processes.
Showcasing value.
Introducing the tool as a hassle-free way to job hunt.
Design & Implementation
Take a moment to explore the final design:
Personal learnings
The good, the bad, and the ugly
The good: adapting to new inputs
One of the major learning lessons of this project came when I was dead set on a particular user journey that I believed, through previous UX research, would be a game-changer. However, user interviews were eye-opening.
I now know that letting go of a passionately held vision in favor of a more informed perspective will lead to better results.
The bad: transparency isn't just a buzzword
People don't like surprises, especially about money. I learned that it's really important to be clear about costs from the start. No one likes feeling tricked.
If there's one thing I've internalized deeply throughout this project, it's that transparency is non-negotiable.
The ugly: try, try again and then try more
Admittedly, I’ve had some sleepless nights working on this project.
This is a 3rd version of a previous design. The first and second weren’t perfect — they had their flaws and gaps. I genuinely believe that design is rarely a straight path.
The process might seem 'ugly' at times, but it's in these challenges that I think I grow and learn most.