🚀 JobHuntly - Backend API

RESTful API built with Express.js, MongoDB, and Socket.io for a modern job search platform

📖 Overview

JobHuntly Backend is a robust, scalable REST API that powers the JobHuntly job search platform. Built with Express.js and MongoDB, it provides comprehensive endpoints for job management, user authentication, application tracking, real-time notifications, and payment processing.

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Admin Dashboard - Next.js Admin Panel

✨ Key Features

Core Functionality

🔐 Authentication & Authorization - JWT-based auth with role-based access control
👤 User Management - Job seekers, recruiters, and admin roles
💼 Job CRUD Operations - Complete job posting and management system
📝 Application System - Job application submission and tracking
🏢 Company Profiles - Company information and branding management
🔔 Real-time Notifications - Socket.io powered instant updates
💳 Payment Integration - Stripe for premium subscriptions
📧 Email Service - Nodemailer for verification and notifications
📁 File Upload - Multer for resume and document handling
🛡️ Security - bcrypt password hashing, JWT tokens, input validation

API Modules

Auth - Registration, login, password reset, email verification
Jobs - CRUD operations, filtering, search, recommendations
Applications - Submit, track, update application status
Companies - Profile management, job listings
Applicants - Profile, resume, application history
Admin - User management, platform analytics
Notifications - Real-time updates via WebSocket
Stripe - Payment processing and subscription management
Settings - User preferences and account settings
Skills - Skill management and matching

🛠️ Tech Stack

Core Technologies

Express.js 5.2.1 - Fast, minimalist web framework
MongoDB 9.0.0 (Mongoose) - NoSQL database with ODM
Socket.io 4.8.3 - Real-time bidirectional communication
Node.js 18+ - JavaScript runtime

Security & Authentication

bcrypt 6.0.0 - Password hashing
jsonwebtoken 9.0.3 - JWT token generation/verification
crypto-js 4.2.0 - Encryption utilities
cors 2.8.5 - Cross-origin resource sharing

Validation & Email

Joi 18.0.2 - Schema validation
Nodemailer 7.0.11 - Email sending service

File Handling & Payments

Multer 2.0.2 - Multipart/form-data file uploads
Stripe 20.1.0 - Payment processing

Development Tools

Nodemon 3.1.11 - Auto-restart during development
dotenv 17.2.3 - Environment variable management

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Node.js 18 or higher
MongoDB (local or Atlas)
npm or yarn

Installation

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/shehabgamaleldeen/JobHuntly-Backend.git
cd JobHuntly-Backend

Install dependencies

npm install

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory:

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/jobhuntly
# OR for MongoDB Atlas:
# MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/jobhuntly

# JWT Secrets
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_here
JWT_REFRESH_SECRET=your_refresh_token_secret_here
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d

# Email Configuration (Nodemailer)
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
EMAIL_PORT=587
EMAIL_USER=your-email@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-specific-password

# Stripe
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_your_stripe_secret_key
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_your_webhook_secret

# Frontend URL (for CORS)
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173
ADMIN_URL=http://localhost:3001

# File Upload
MAX_FILE_SIZE=5242880
UPLOAD_PATH=./uploads

Run the server

# Development mode with auto-restart
npm run dev

# Production mode
npm start

The API will be available at http://localhost:3000

Available Scripts

npm start        # Run server in production
npm run dev      # Run with nodemon (auto-restart)
npm run watch    # Run with Node.js --watch flag

📁 Project Structure

src/
├── Config/              # Configuration files
│   └── database.js      # MongoDB connection
├── DB/
│   └── Models/          # Mongoose schemas
│       ├── UserModel.js
│       ├── JobModel.js
│       ├── ApplicationModel.js
│       └── CompanyModel.js
├── Middlewares/         # Express middlewares
│   ├── auth.middleware.js
│   ├── validation.middleware.js
│   └── upload.middleware.js
├── Modules/             # Feature modules
│   ├── auth/            # Authentication
│   ├── job/             # Job operations
│   ├── applicant/       # Applicant features
│   ├── company/         # Company management
│   ├── jobApplications/ # Application handling
│   ├── admin/           # Admin operations
│   ├── notification/    # Real-time notifications
│   ├── Stripe/          # Payment processing
│   ├── settings/        # User settings
│   ├── Skills/          # Skill management
│   └── upload/          # File uploads
├── Utils/               # Utility functions
│   ├── routerHandler.utils.js
│   └── validation.utils.js
└── Main.js              # Application entry point

🔌 API Endpoints

Authentication

POST   /api/auth/register          # Register new user
POST   /api/auth/login             # User login
POST   /api/auth/verify-email      # Email verification
POST   /api/auth/forgot-password   # Request password reset
POST   /api/auth/reset-password    # Reset password
POST   /api/auth/refresh-token     # Refresh JWT token

Jobs

GET    /api/jobs                   # Get all jobs (with filters)
GET    /api/jobs/:id               # Get single job
POST   /api/jobs                   # Create job (recruiter only)
PUT    /api/jobs/:id               # Update job (recruiter only)
DELETE /api/jobs/:id               # Delete job (recruiter only)
GET    /api/jobs/search            # Search jobs
GET    /api/jobs/recommended       # Get recommended jobs

Applications

GET    /api/applications           # Get user applications
POST   /api/applications           # Submit application
GET    /api/applications/:id       # Get application details
PUT    /api/applications/:id       # Update application status
DELETE /api/applications/:id       # Withdraw application

Companies

GET    /api/companies              # Get all companies
GET    /api/companies/:id          # Get company profile
PUT    /api/companies/:id          # Update company (recruiter only)
GET    /api/companies/:id/jobs     # Get company jobs

Admin

GET    /api/admin/users            # Get all users
PUT    /api/admin/users/:id        # Update user status
GET    /api/admin/analytics        # Platform analytics
DELETE /api/admin/users/:id        # Delete user

Stripe Payments

POST   /api/stripe/create-checkout # Create payment session
POST   /api/stripe/webhook         # Stripe webhook handler
GET    /api/stripe/subscription    # Get subscription status

Notifications (Socket.io)

Socket Events:
- connection              # Client connects
- notification:new        # New notification
- application:status      # Application status update
- disconnect              # Client disconnects

🔐 Authentication Flow

User registers → Email verification sent
User verifies email → Account activated
User logs in → JWT access token + refresh token returned
Client includes token in Authorization: Bearer <token> header
Protected routes validate JWT via middleware
Token expires → Use refresh token to get new access token

🗄️ Database Schema

User Model

{
  email: String (unique),
  password: String (hashed),
  role: Enum ['applicant', 'recruiter', 'admin'],
  profile: Object,
  isVerified: Boolean,
  isPremium: Boolean,
  createdAt: Date
}

Job Model

{
  title: String,
  company: ObjectId (ref: Company),
  description: String,
  requirements: [String],
  salary: { min: Number, max: Number },
  location: String,
  type: Enum ['full-time', 'part-time', 'contract'],
  status: Enum ['active', 'closed'],
  createdAt: Date
}

Application Model

{
  job: ObjectId (ref: Job),
  applicant: ObjectId (ref: User),
  resume: String (file path),
  status: Enum ['pending', 'reviewed', 'accepted', 'rejected'],
  answers: [Object],
  appliedAt: Date
}

🛡️ Security Features

Password Hashing - bcrypt with salt rounds
JWT Authentication - Secure token-based auth
Input Validation - Joi schema validation
CORS Protection - Configured allowed origins
Rate Limiting - Prevent brute force attacks
SQL Injection Prevention - Mongoose parameterized queries
XSS Protection - Input sanitization
File Upload Validation - Type and size restrictions

🔔 Real-time Features (Socket.io)

The backend implements WebSocket connections for:

New job application notifications
Application status updates
New job postings matching user preferences
System announcements

📧 Email Templates

Automated emails sent via Nodemailer:

Welcome email
Email verification
Password reset
Application confirmation
Application status updates
Premium subscription confirmation

🧪 Testing

# Run tests (if configured)
npm test

🚀 Deployment

Environment Setup

Ensure all environment variables are configured in your hosting platform.

Recommended Platforms

Heroku - Easy deployment with MongoDB Atlas
Railway - Modern deployment platform
DigitalOcean - VPS with full control
AWS EC2 - Scalable cloud hosting

Production Checklist

Set NODE_ENV=production
Use MongoDB Atlas or managed database
Configure CORS for production domains
Set up SSL/TLS certificates
Enable rate limiting
Configure logging and monitoring
Set up automated backups

🤝 Contributing

This is a capstone project for the NTI Full-Stack Development Program. Contributions are welcome!

👨‍💻 Authors

Shehab Gamal El-Deen

GitHub: shehabgamaleldeen
LinkedIn: Shehab Gamal El-Deen

📄 License

This project is part of the NTI Open-Source Applications Developer Program.

🙏 Acknowledgments

National Telecommunication Institute (NTI)
Open-Source Applications Developer Program
All team members and instructors

⭐ If you find this project helpful, please give it a star!

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