PathMatch Inc.

Product Intern Experience

PathMatch was an early-career talent platform designed to help students with career exploration, easy-apply applications, and job matching. As a Product Intern (July - September 2023), I joined the team during a period of significant transition, about six months after the product’s launch. In this dynamic environment, I had the freedom to explore various responsibilities, but my primary task was to analyze data to provide actionable product feedback. This experience sparked my passion for product development, showing me how data-driven insights can guide design and feature improvements. While PathMatch has since closed, I am deeply grateful for the chance to have worked alongside such a passionate, mission-driven team.

I. Project Scope

  1. Data Analysis: Analyze user data from the PathMatch product and company website across five key platforms: Mixpanel, FullStory, Google Analytics, Firebase, Vercel.

  2. Product Feedback: Conduct comprehensive product testing and feedback to identify bugs, optimize user flows, and improve the UI/UX.

II. The Process

Step Description
1. Understanding and Cleaning the Data
  • Challenge: PathMatch collected data from multiple analytics platforms - each with its own set of tools and tracked events.
  • I began by familiarizing myself with the data across platforms, aligining the tracked events with the product flows to ensure accuracy. This enabled me to identify next steps with potential questions and areas for exploration.
2. Event-Tracking Optimization
  • To improve event-tracking, I cleaned up duplicate events, added detailed descriptions to key events in Mixpanel, and created a Notion database to document event names and track their purpose across platforms. I also noted missing events, such as steps in the onboarding funnel, and recommended standardized naming conventions for consistency.
3. User Behavior Analysis
  • Using data from the various platforms, I conducted a thorough analysis of user behavior, focusing on key questions such as: Where are users dropping off in the onboarding funnel? Which pages receive the most traffic? What are the primary traffic sources?
  • Example: I used Mixpanel to visualize user retention throughout the onboarding funnel. Google Analytics to provide insights into top traffic sources and audience demographics. FullStory to identify user frustration points (e.g., rage clicks) and key entry points into the website.
4. Product Testing and Feedback
  • I conducted comprehensive testing across the PathMatch web and app platforms, focusing on bug identification, design inconsistencies, and the design flow.
  • Before providing my final recommendations, I wanted a strong understanding of the market space and user experience, so I did the following:
    1. Competitor Analysis: I analyzed similar platforms like Simplified, Untapped, and LinkedIn to benchmark PathMatch against, identifying opportunities for differention in user flow and design.
    2. User Interviews: I held user interviews with UC Berkeley students to gain qualitative insights into pain points and preferences, particularly around navigation and dashboard clarity. This feedback informed recommendations for improving the onboarding process and overall user experience.

III. Key Recommendations

  1. Traffic Source Optimization
    • Issue: Blog posts on colleges and companies generated the most traffic to the website, but few readers actually explored the PathMatch product. 50% of visitors never reached the callout section, and clicks were minimal.
    • Recommendation: Replace the underlined text callouts, which blended into the posts, with more visible banners. Conduct A/B testing by placing the callouts at 50% scroll depth to evaluate whether this increases conversions.
  2. Navgiation Clarity
    • Issue: Around 50% of desktop users did not scroll beyond the first section of the landing page. FullStory user cases showed that users would click the "For Students" button even when they were already on the the student-facing site, or they would aimlessly navigate the "How it Works" section. User interviews revealed feelings of being "lost" and unsure of what they had already visited. While users understand the general purpose of PathMatch (career help), there was confusion about its specific and unique features.
    • Recommendation: Improve navigation clarity by visually emphasizing the current page to reduce user confusion. For example, highlight the "For Students" button on the student-facing site to making it more prominent. Additionally, clearly indicate on the navigation menu what page the user is currently exploring for a more intuitive browsing experience.
  3. Onboarding Funnel
    • Issue: Signficant user drop-off at multiple stages of the onboarding funnel. 42% of visitors stopped at the first registration page, and there was an additional 38.26% drop-off after the "What Bring You Here" page and another 35.81% after the "Your Ideal Compensation" page.
    • Recommendation: Allow potential users to (1) complete the onboarding process at a later time and (2) explore the platform without needing to register. The drop-off points indicated uncertainty about PathMatch's value proposition and fatigue from the extensive steps in the registration.

IV. Reflection

This internship gave me invaluable experience in data-driven product development, user behavior analysis, and UI/UX testing. I’m proud of my contributions to improving the product and deepening my passion for solving real-world user problems through data and design.

Initially drawn to PathMatch’s mission as an early-career job-seeker, I soon became inspired by the team’s trust, passion, and commitment to building a meaningful product. Observing their collaboration and resilience in navigating challenges solidified my interest in start-up environments and strengthened my desire to contribute to mission-driven teams making a real impact.