UniMatch - Career Opportunities Platform

🎯 Project Overview

UniMatch is a comprehensive platform connecting students, universities, and companies for career opportunities including internships, research positions, and graduate jobs.

🏗️ Architecture

This is a full-stack MERN application:

• Frontend: React 19.2.0 with React Router
• Backend: Node.js + Express
• Database: MongoDB
• API: RESTful with JWT authentication

📋 Features

For Students

• Browse internships, research roles, and graduate jobs
• Create and manage profiles
• Apply for opportunities
• Track application status

For Universities

• Post research opportunities
• Manage student applications
• Review applicant profiles

For Companies

• Post internship and job opportunities
• Review student applications
• Connect with talent

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 19.2.0
• React Router 7.9.4
• Axios 1.12.2
• Bootstrap 5.3.3
• Framer Motion 12.23.24
• Lucide React (icons)

Backend

• Node.js + Express 4.18.2
• MongoDB + Mongoose 7.5.0
• JWT Authentication 9.0.2
• bcryptjs 2.4.3
• CORS enabled

📁 Project Structure

cs324-project/
├── frontend/                    # React app
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── App.jsx
│   │   ├── pages/              # Page components
│   │   ├── components/         # Reusable components
│   │   └── services/           # API calls (Axios)
│   ├── public/
│   └── package.json
├── backend/                     # Node.js/Express server
│   ├── server.js
│   ├── config/                 # Database config
│   ├── models/                 # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── controllers/            # Business logic
│   ├── routes/                 # API endpoints
│   ├── middleware/             # Auth, errors
│   ├── .env                    # Configuration
│   └── package.json
├── IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md   # What's been built
├── BACKEND_SETUP.md           # Backend setup guide
├── QUICK_START.md             # Quick reference
└── README.md                  # This file

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14+)
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB Atlas account (free at mongodb.com)

1. Frontend Setup

cd /path/to/cs324-project
npm install
npm start

Frontend runs on http://localhost:3000

2. Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install

Configure .env:

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster...
PORT=5001
JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

Start backend:

npm start

Backend runs on http://localhost:5001

📚 Documentation

• IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md - Complete overview of what's been built
• BACKEND_SETUP.md - Detailed backend setup and configuration
• QUICK_START.md - Quick reference guide
• backend/API_DOCUMENTATION.md - Complete API reference

🔑 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - Register user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login user
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user

Users

• GET /api/users/:id - Get user profile
• PATCH /api/users/profile/update - Update profile

Opportunities

• GET /api/opportunities - Get all opportunities
• POST /api/opportunities - Create opportunity
• GET /api/opportunities/:id - Get opportunity details
• PATCH /api/opportunities/:id - Update opportunity
• DELETE /api/opportunities/:id - Delete opportunity

Applications

• POST /api/applications - Submit application
• GET /api/applications/student/applications - Get my applications
• PATCH /api/applications/:id/status - Update application status
• PATCH /api/applications/:id/withdraw - Withdraw application

See backend/API_DOCUMENTATION.md for complete endpoint details.

🔐 Authentication

• JWT-based authentication
• Password hashing with bcryptjs
• Token-based authorization
• Role-based access control (student, university, company, admin)

📦 Database Schema

User

• Email, password, first/last name
• Role (student, university, company, admin)
• Profile info (bio, location, skills, etc.)
• Role-specific data

Opportunity

• Title, description, type (internship, research, etc.)
• Location, salary, duration
• Requirements, qualifications, skills
• Application tracking

Application

• Student, opportunity reference
• Status (pending, reviewed, accepted, rejected, withdrawn)
• Cover letter, feedback

🧪 Testing API

Use Postman to test endpoints:

1. Import endpoints from API_DOCUMENTATION.md
2. Set base URL: http://localhost:5001/api
3. Register and login to get JWT token
4. Use token in Authorization header for protected routes

Example cURL:

# Register
curl -X POST http://localhost:5001/api/auth/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"firstName":"John","lastName":"Doe","email":"john@test.com","password":"pass123","role":"student"}'

# Login
curl -X POST http://localhost:5001/api/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"john@test.com","password":"pass123"}'

🎨 Features to Implement

Frontend Pages

• Home page with role selection
• Login page
• Signup page
• Student portal (browse opportunities, apply)
• University portal (post opportunities, view applications)
• Company portal (post opportunities, view applications)
• User profile page
• Application tracking page

Backend Completion

• Database models
• Authentication system
• CRUD operations
• Error handling
• CORS configuration
• Email notifications
• Search/filter optimization
• Rate limiting

🔄 Frontend Integration

Use Axios to connect to backend:

import axios from 'axios';

const api = axios.create({ baseURL: 'http://localhost:5001/api' });

api.interceptors.request.use(config => {
  const token = localStorage.getItem('token');
  if (token) config.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${token}`;
  return config;
});

📝 Environment Variables

Frontend (.env)

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5001/api

Backend (.env)

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://...
PORT=5001
JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000
NODE_ENV=development
JWT_EXPIRE=7d

🐛 Troubleshooting

Backend won't start

• Check MongoDB URI is correct
• Ensure port 5001 is available
• Check .env file exists and is configured

Frontend can't reach backend

• Ensure backend is running on port 5001
• Check CORS is enabled
• Verify API URLs in frontend

MongoDB connection error

• Verify connection string in .env
• Check IP whitelist in MongoDB Atlas
• Ensure username/password are correct

📈 Next Steps

1. ✅ Setup MongoDB Atlas
2. ✅ Configure backend .env
3. ✅ Test backend API with Postman
4. Build frontend pages
5. Integrate frontend with backend APIs
6. Add email notifications
7. Deploy to production

👥 User Roles

• Student: Can view and apply for opportunities
• University: Can post opportunities and manage applications
• Company: Can post opportunities and manage applications
• Admin: Full system access

📞 Support

For issues or questions, refer to:

• BACKEND_SETUP.md - Backend setup help
• API_DOCUMENTATION.md - API details
• QUICK_START.md - Quick reference

📄 License

ISC

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Status: Backend complete, ready for frontend integration Last Updated: November 27, 2025 Version: 1.0.0