Te Heke Mai
Using AI to guide users through the job seeking journey.
Overview
Job seekers know what they can do, they just can't find the words. Designed to close that gap, this AI-driven platform was built for the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development (MSD). Moving end-to-end from research through to product strategy, I designed an experience that draws out their authentic stories and shapes them into something recruiters actually respond to.
The result was a product that didn't just get used — it became the most used career tool among all MSD digital partners.
Discover the gap
Research insights into the disconnect between user struggles and recruiter expectations across the four stages of recruitment.
My research highlighted a significant misalignment between how job seekers approach the market and what recruiters actually prioritise. While users were often hindered by the "blank page" problem and struggled to articulate their skills, my interviews with recruiters showed that they value personalisation and authenticity above all else. They expressed a clear preference for genuine stories over the generic, robotic content often produced by standard AI tools.
By mapping the recruitment journey, I identified the need for a solution that does not just generate text but instead acts as a bridge. This informed our strategy to use Ruru as a guided companion that helps users unearth their unique experiences and present them in a professional format that resonates with human recruiters.
Meet Ruru: the AI career coach
Providing contextual support across the user journey without the chat-box fatigue.
Ruru functions as a supportive coach embedded directly into the user journey rather than a distracting chat box. Instead of a separate interface, Ruru appears contextually at the exact moments of need — helping users grasp complex information, articulate their authentic stories, or refine their answers through constructive feedback. A quiet mentor that empowers users to express themselves clearly without the technical burden of managing a complex system.
Ruru's Summary
Simplifies complex information into plain language, helping users instantly understand everything from daunting job descriptions to technical interview invitations.
Write with Ruru
Available whenever a user needs to communicate. Guides the creation of CVs, cover letters and written responses by anchoring to the user's authentic story.
Ruru's Feedback
During interview prep, it gives non-judgmental reactions on both what to say and how to say it — refining articulation and building genuine confidence.
Designing with prompts
Applying UX principles to AI logic, so user intent stays at the heart of the experience.
I treated prompt engineering as a core part of the UX process to keep the AI accessible to everyone. Traditional chat boxes often fail because they require users to write complex prompts — a barrier for those already facing the "blank page" problem.
To solve this, I designed Ruru to lead the conversation through a series of structured digital interviews. By asking the right questions, the system extracts authentic details from the user and handles the complex logic in the background. The user remains the source of truth without ever needing to master the skill of prompting.
Closing the loop
An all-in-one platform that replaces fragmented tools with a single, seamless journey.
The first stage of my design was about bringing order to the chaos of job seeking. Most users struggle with a fragmented process, jumping between different apps to search, write, practise and track their progress.
I developed My Jobs as a centralised hub that consolidates these scattered tasks into one cohesive experience — job search, AI-guided applications, interview prep and live tracking, all in one place. The journey is no longer a collection of disconnected chores but a clear, manageable path to employment.
Reflecting on impact
Delivering meaningful outcomes through human-centric AI design.
Te Heke Mai redefined the job-seeking experience for Ministry of Social Development clients by turning AI into a supportive career coach. By focusing on authenticity and restoring confidence, we achieved remarkable success — not through promotion, but because users kept coming back.
Highest-rated career tool among all MSD digital partners.
Satisfaction score, in a category where most tools feel robotic or transactional. Users found it intuitive and genuinely supportive.
Of users reported feeling more prepared for interviews and applications after using the tool — which was the whole point.
This project proves that embedding AI directly into the user journey is the most effective way to build both professional outcomes and genuine user confidence.
