“Part-Time”: Making Job Hunting for Students & Side-Hustlers Less Painful
If you’ve ever been a student in a new country, you know the drill: Week one, you’re pumped about the adventure. Week two, reality hits — rent’s due, groceries cost more than you thought, and you’re asking strangers if that “Help Wanted” sign is still relevant. That was my friends last year in the US and Ireland — walking from cafe to cafe, relying on word of mouth, WhatsApp groups, and random hiring boards taped to counters. Sure, Indeed and LinkedIn exist, but they’re designed for full-time, white-collar gigs. If you’re looking for a barista shift, tutoring gig, or retail weekend slot, you’re lost in a sea of irrelevant listings. I wanted to fix that.
Product Designer
Jan 2024 – May 2024
5 test users
Problem Statement: The Job Hunt Shouldn’t Be a Job in Itself
From interviews and surveys, I heard the same frustrations over and over:
I don’t know who’s hiring unless I ask in person.
Job info is scattered and out of date.”
Even if I apply, I have no idea if my application went anywhere.
For employers, it wasn’t much better:
We can’t manage applications easily.
We get too many unqualified candidates.
Bottom line: there was no central, mobile-first platform for part-time work discovery and management.
60%
Took over 30 days to find a part-time job
0%
Used a dedicated mobile app for part-time job search
93%
Task completion rate
Why Not Just Use LinkedIn or Indeed?
I did a quick comparative analysis: Indeed: Huge reach, but cluttered for part-time seekers. Search filters aren’t tuned for hourly or shift-based work. LinkedIn: Great for networking, terrible for finding that 6-hour Saturday barista gig. Part-Time: My concept — hyper-local, mobile-first, and built entirely for part-time seekers and hirers. Think “Uber for jobs,” minus the surge pricing.
Research & Insights
I ran:
Surveys (n=50): Found that 60% took over 30 days to land a part-time job; 50% got theirs purely via word of mouth.
User Interviews (5 international students): Learned that hourly wage, distance, and type of work were the biggest decision factors.
Usability Testing (5 prototype testers): Tested core flows like searching, applying, and tracking application status.
Key Insight: The less cognitive load I gave users — fewer taps, clearer application status, and upfront job details — the faster they engaged.
Research & Insights
Imagine an app that:
Knows your work radius (you set it).
Shows only jobs within that area.
Lets you filter by wage, hours, and type.
Lets employers chat with you instantly.
Tracks your application from “sent” to “you’re hired.”
That’s exactly what I designed.
Design Evolution
Early Versions: Focused on feature parity with competitors, but the flow felt disjointed.
Iterations: Reduced clicks, grouped related actions, improved discoverability of targeting & forecasting features.
Final Product: Balanced rich capabilities with an intuitive, guided flow for first-time and power users alike.
Create Campaign
Create Flight
Create Forecast
Generate Report
Through competitor analysis and calls with early adopters, I discovered: Users hated switching between tools to compare campaigns. Forecasting impressions by show and episode was a top priority. Placeholders for “empty states” weren’t just decorative — they guided first-time users to create campaigns without confusion.
Testing & Results
I gave users 3 tasks:
Find a job within 5 miles : Avg. time: 28 sec.
View job details, location, and pay : Avg. time: 51 sec.
Track application status : Avg. time: 3 sec.
Success rate: 93% (12 of 14 tasks completed without help)
System Usability Score: Avg. 83.3 (well above the industry benchmark of 68).
Future Scope
If you don’t get a job in a week, you get credits for featured applications.
Budget Dashboard: Track earnings, savings, and hours worked in one place.
Push Notifications: Immediate alerts for relevant openings so users don’t miss opportunities.