Farnaz Labbaf
ProJET is an application that helps students work on real-world projects defined by companies which are looking for hiring talented employees.
It also helps the hiring managers by decreasing the risks of hiring new employees and getting to know their employees in advance.
Instructors and mentors help students by training and guiding them to work better on peojects, learn team-working, gain soft-skills, and get hired ASAP.
The competitive job market is a nightmare for recent graduates or for people with no degree. They need a nicely done package of resume, work samples, and networking to be seen by hiring managers and get their first job. They also have to learn many things in a short time when they get their first job. They have to get used to the company culture, follow the rules, be aware of the limitations, etc.
On the other hand, “As stated in a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, the average cost to hire an employee is $4,129, with around 42 days to fill a position. According to Glassdoor, the average company in the United States spends about $4,000 to hire a new employee, taking up to 52 days to fill a position.”
This is one of the biggest problems of companies when hiring new employees.
It’s helpful for students to collaborate in teams and work on projects to gain practical experience and develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and project management.
The idea is to design an application that has real or simulated projects that students can join and work on under the supervision of their mentors and instructors. Mentors from industry monitor the students’ activities and help them become more ready to get their first job.
Competitive Analysis:
Most of the competitors are platforms which train students and help them become ready fot the market (e.g. Bootcamps). ProJET won't train students and won't charge them. Students already have knowledge from their schools and use ProJET to work on a project to showcase on their profile. Other competitors like, Linkedin and Behance, are popular for job-seekers.
SWOT analysis
Personas:
There are two main personas:
1. Students who are looking for a job
2. Hiring managers who are looking for talented employees.
Student1 Persona
Student2 Persona
Indirect personas are:
1. Instructors who are training the students
2. Mentors who are representatives from companies and define projects for students
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The Usability testing was conducted by Farnaz Labbaf, the designer of the application. Each session took 10 minutes at users' place. Each user was provided with the prototype link to do the tasks on their own phones.
The purpose of the test was to assess the interface design and information flow.
Four students participated in the usability test and all thought that the app is easy to use.
The test identified only a few minor problems including:
Most of the participants found ProJET a great idea and an easy to use app. Having implemented the recommendations and continuing to work with users will ensure a continued user-centered application.