HelpfulHand AI aimed to support professionals affected by tech layoffs by helping them upskill and discover unorthodox career opportunities.

With an increasing number of layoffs in the tech industry, many professionals were struggling to transition into new roles. Traditional job platforms focused on conventional career paths, leaving little room for nonlinear opportunities—for example, a UX Designer who is also a DJ finding gig work in music while transitioning to a new tech role. HelpfulHand AI sought to bridge this gap by providing resume feedback, skill-based anonymized profiles, and AI-powered job matching for both conventional and unconventional opportunities.

Racial bias in hiring – anonymization was needed to shift focus to skills and achievements.

High competition from layoffs – users needed stronger personal branding and messaging.

Struggles with career transition – people had marketable skills beyond their primary roles but lacked the tools to explore alternative income sources.

If fully developed, HelpfulHand AI could have:

The project was driven by insights from a CEO and UX Researcher, whose work highlighted how layoffs were pushing professionals to rethink career pathways. Using these insights, a user journey map was created, identifying key pain points:

Bias in hiring processes was making it harder for marginalized candidates to compete.

Users had skills beyond their primary job titles but weren’t leveraging them effectively.

The job search process was too rigid, not accounting for hybrid careers.

People were open to nontraditional opportunities but unsure how to find them.

The resume upload & feedback process was slow, creating friction.

The initial designs had too many screens and too much text, making it harder for users to complete key tasks. The solution:

Progressive disclosure – Only showing relevant information at the right time.

Simplified resume upload – Reduced from 5 screens to 2 screens with a large CTA and minimal copy.

Anonymized profiles – Focusing on achievements and skills rather than personal identifiers.

HelpfulHand AI was tested with tools like DScout to gather feedback. Key findings:

The resume process was too slow → Solution: Fewer screens, more automation.

Users weren’t realizing they could explore unorthodox jobs → Highlighting alternative opportunities more clearly was needed.

Building a product takes time & deep problem exploration. Spending 4-6 weeks in the problem space before jumping to solutions is key.

AI-powered tools accelerate the process. Brainstorming and iteration with AI isn’t a shortcut—it’s a way to test ideas faster.

Helping people in financial hardship takes multiple approaches. While HelpfulHand AI didn’t go into full development, its insights led to the creation of Sentinel 16 and an upcoming bartering platform.

Although HelpfulHand AI wasn’t fully developed, it was a catalyst for rethinking how professionals navigate financial hardship and career shifts. The research continues to drive new solutions for skill-sharing, financial stability, and AI-driven career development.

HelpfulHand AI was an exploration into career adaptability in uncertain times. While it didn’t launch fully, it inspired new approaches to helping people find economic stability beyond traditional job search models.