MERN Job Portal

A full-stack Job Portal application built using the MERN stack that connects job seekers with employers through a secure and scalable recruitment platform. The system enables employers to post and manage job listings while allowing job seekers to search, apply, and track applications seamlessly.

🚀 Features

Authentication & Authorization

• Secure JWT-based authentication

• Role-based access control

• Separate workflows for:

  • Job Seekers
  • Employers

• Password encryption using bcrypt

• Protected routes and secure session handling

Job Management

• Create and publish job listings
• Update and delete jobs
• View all available jobs
• Search and filter jobs by category and location
• Track posted jobs

Application Management

• Apply to jobs with resume upload
• Upload resumes through Cloudinary integration
• Submit cover letters and applicant details
• View submitted applications
• Employer-side application management

Employer Dashboard

• Post new job opportunities
• Manage active job listings
• Review candidate applications
• Access applicant details and resumes

Job Seeker Dashboard

• Browse available opportunities
• View job details
• Submit applications
• Track applied jobs

Responsive User Interface

• Modern React-based frontend
• Mobile-friendly design
• Fast navigation using React Router
• Interactive notifications using React Hot Toast

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🏗️ System Architecture

Frontend

• React.js
• React Router DOM
• Axios
• React Hot Toast
• Vite

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• JWT Authentication
• RESTful APIs

Database

• MongoDB
• Mongoose ODM

Cloud Services

• Cloudinary (Resume Storage)

---

📂 Project Structure

Job-Portal/
│
├── backend/
│   ├── controllers/
│   ├── database/
│   ├── middlewares/
│   ├── models/
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── utils/
│   ├── app.js
│   └── server.js
│
├── frontend/
│   ├── public/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   ├── App.jsx
│   │   └── main.jsx
│   └── vite.config.js
│
└── README.md

---

🔐 Authentication Flow

User Registration

1. User registers as:

   • Job Seeker
   • Employer

2. Password is hashed using bcrypt.

3. User information is stored in MongoDB.

4. JWT token is generated upon successful registration.

User Login

1. Credentials are validated.
2. Password is compared using bcrypt.
3. JWT token is issued.
4. Protected resources become accessible.

---

🗄️ Database Design

User Schema

{
  name,
  email,
  phone,
  password,
  role,
  createdAt
}

Job Schema

{
  title,
  description,
  category,
  country,
  city,
  location,
  fixedSalary,
  salaryFrom,
  salaryTo,
  expired,
  postedBy
}

Application Schema

{
  name,
  email,
  phone,
  address,
  coverLetter,
  resume,
  applicantID,
  employerID
}

---

📡 API Modules

User APIs

• Register User
• Login User
• Logout User
• Get User Profile

Job APIs

• Post Job
• Get All Jobs
• Get Single Job
• Delete Job
• Get Employer Jobs

Application APIs

• Apply for Job
• Get Applicant Applications
• Get Employer Applications
• Delete Application

---

☁️ Cloudinary Integration

Resumes are uploaded and stored securely using Cloudinary.

Benefits:

• Scalable cloud storage
• Secure file hosting
• Easy retrieval of applicant resumes
• Reduced backend storage overhead

---

⚙️ Installation

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/job-portal.git
cd job-portal

Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install

Create a .env file:

PORT=4000

MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string

JWT_SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key
JWT_EXPIRE=7d

FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

Run backend:

npm start

---

Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install

Run frontend:

npm run dev

Application runs at:

http://localhost:5173

---

🧪 Key Engineering Highlights

• JWT-based secure authentication
• Role-based authorization system
• RESTful API architecture
• Cloudinary-powered resume management
• Modular backend architecture
• MongoDB schema design for scalability
• Error handling middleware
• Secure password hashing with bcrypt
• Separation of concerns using controllers, routes, and models

---

🎯 Future Enhancements

• Email notifications
• Job recommendations using AI
• Resume parsing
• Advanced job filtering
• Company profiles
• Interview scheduling
• Real-time messaging
• Application analytics dashboard
• Admin panel
• Docker deployment

---

📈 Learning Outcomes

Through this project, I gained hands-on experience in:

• Full-stack MERN development
• Authentication and authorization
• REST API development
• MongoDB schema design
• Cloudinary file storage
• Backend architecture and middleware
• Agile development workflows
• Git version control and collaborative development

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👩‍💻 Author

M Gowthami

B.Tech, Computer Science Engineering IIITDM Jabalpur