FirStep Job Finding App
Designing an inclusive seamless job finding app for students.
Role: UX Designer
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Project Type: Coursework
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Tools/Skills: User Research, User Interview, Prototyping
Prototype Overview
Problem
Undergraduate students face a complicated job market. While some have access to career resources through campus or family networks, many struggle with unclear eligibility, confusing application processes, and low confidence in resumes or interviews. International students face additional barriers like work authorization rules (CPT, OPT, on-campus restrictions).
FirStep was designed to support all undergraduate students in finding meaningful part-time jobs and internships, while explicitly addressing the overlooked needs of international students.
“How might we create a platform that simplifies the job search for undergrads while addressing the unique struggles of international and first-generation students?”
Understanding Students
To better understand the challenges undergraduates face in their job search, I conducted research and translated the findings into visual insights.
Unmet needs
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Career Readiness
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Unpaid Internships
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Priorities
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Equity Gaps
Competitive Analysis
Strengths
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Massive professional network and reach
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Strong recruiter visibility and company discovery
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Rich job cards with details, logos, and connections
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Well-established brand credibility
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Weaknesses
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Overwhelming interface for undergraduates (too professional, not student-specific)
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No visa/work authorization filters
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Career prep resources (LinkedIn Learning) are separate from job search flow
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Application tracking is minimal and scattered
Strengths
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Built for students and recent graduates
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Verified employers through university partnerships
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Collects work authorization info during profile setup
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Provides application tracking within the platform
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Weaknesses
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Job pool limited to campus and partner employers
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Work authorization information hidden in profiles, not visible upfront
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Career prep tools are scattered across sections
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Job cards lack detailed context like benefits, pay, and stability signals
User Persona
To ground insights in real stories, I developed user personas that reflect the diverse needs of undergraduate students, specifically for international students
Ideation
Home Page (Job Search & Recommendations)
Screen 1
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Focused only on search & recommendations
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Too similar to LinkedIn-style job boards
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No visibility of prep tools or added value
Screen 2
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Surfaces career prep features upfront
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Highlights trusted companies for credibility
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Directly addresses student needs from research & persona
Search Page (Job Suggestions)
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Verified jobs through universities
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Limited job pool
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Work authorization not visible upfront
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Huge variety of jobs + recruiter visibility
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Overwhelming feed, not student-focused
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No visa/work authorization filters
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Streamlined layout: Suggested jobs + Trending
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Student-friendly navigation, not overwhelming
Iteration
After identifying key gaps in LinkedIn and Handshake and mapping them to student needs, I moved into low-fidelity prototyping.
What I Learned from Testing
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Students liked the category browsing (clearer than LinkedIn’s overwhelming feed).
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They valued having prep features visible on the home page, not hidden in menus.
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Filters were helpful but needed to include eligibility tags (CPT/OPT, on-campus) to save time.
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Overall, they wanted job clarity + prep support in one flow, which guided the hi-fi refinements.
High Fidelity
After validating the structure with low-fidelity wireframes, I refined the designs into high-fidelity screens.
Reflections
Building FirStep was both insightful and challenging. Early on, I realized that just creating another job board wasn’t enough — the real value was in making the job search clearer, more inclusive, and less overwhelming for students.
This project taught me:
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The importance of connecting research to design choices so every feature solves a real need.
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How to balance clarity and support — giving students both job listings and prep resources in one place.
Most importantly, I learned how a student-first approach can turn a job app into an empowering tool that helps undergraduates, especially those facing barriers, feel more confident in their career journey.