Full Stack Job-Board Web Application with Admin Panel

Building QuickHire: A Full-Stack Job Board with Real-Time Chat Using React 19 and Socket.IO

Introduction

Hello fellow developers! 👋 Today I'm excited to share my latest project: QuickHire, a modern job board application that connects job seekers and employers with real-time chat functionality.

The Problem

The job search process is often fragmented and inefficient. Job seekers have to juggle multiple platforms, while employers struggle to find the right candidates quickly. Communication between parties is typically slow, relying on email exchanges that can take days.

I wanted to build a solution that:

Centralizes the job search experience
Provides immediate communication between candidates and employers
Creates a seamless application tracking system
Works well for both sides of the hiring equation

The Solution: QuickHire

QuickHire is a full-stack application built with the latest technologies that addresses these pain points head-on. It features a real-time messaging system that allows job seekers and employers to communicate instantly, cutting down response times from days to minutes.

Key Features

Multi-user Authentication: Separate user types (job seekers, employers, admins) with role-based permissions
Job Listings: Browse, search, and filter job postings with advanced filtering
Application Tracking: Job seekers can track their application status in real-time
Employer Dashboard: Companies can manage job postings and review applications
Real-time Chat: Built-in messaging system using Socket.IO with read receipts
Responsive Design: Modern UI built with React and Tailwind CSS

Tech Stack

Frontend

React 19: Taking advantage of the latest React features
React Router v7: For client-side routing
Tailwind CSS v4: For rapid UI development
Socket.IO Client: Handling real-time communication
Zustand: Lightweight state management
Framer Motion: For smooth animations and transitions

Backend

Node.js & Express: For building the API
MongoDB & Mongoose: For database operations
Socket.IO: For real-time bidirectional communication
JWT Authentication: Secure user sessions
Multer: For file uploads (resumes, profile pictures)

Building the Real-Time Chat Feature

The most challenging and exciting part of building QuickHire was implementing the real-time chat functionality. Let me walk you through how I approached this:

1. Socket.IO Setup

On the backend, I set up Socket.IO to work alongside Express:

// server.js
import { createServer } from 'http';
import { Server } from 'socket.io';
import app from './app.js';

const httpServer = createServer(app);
const io = new Server(httpServer, {
  cors: {
    origin: "http://localhost:5173",
    methods: ["GET", "POST", "PATCH"],
    credentials: true
  },
  transports: ['websocket', 'polling'],
});

2. Socket Event Handlers

I implemented handlers for various socket events:

// Handle Socket.IO connections and events
handleChatSocket(io);

// In chatHandlers.js
export const handleChatSocket = (io) => {
  io.on('connection', (socket) => {
    socket.on('joinUserRoom', (userId) => {
      socket.join(userId);
    });

    // Other event handlers...
  });
};

3. Frontend Context Provider

For the frontend, I created a comprehensive context provider to manage socket connections and chat state:

// userContext.jsx
const [conversations, setConversations] = useState([]);
const [activeConversation, setActiveConversation] = useState(null);
const socketRef = useRef(null);

useEffect(() => {
  if (user?._id) {
    socketRef.current = io(BACKEND_WS_URL, {
      withCredentials: true,
      transports: ['websocket', 'polling']
    });

    // Set up event listeners...
  }

  return () => {
    if (socketRef.current) {
      socketRef.current.disconnect();
    }
  };
}, [user?._id]);

4. Real-Time Message Handling

The real magic happens with message handling:

const handleNewMessage = useCallback((message) => {
  // Update conversations list with new message
  setConversations(prev => {
    // Logic to update conversations...
  });

  // Update active conversation if relevant
  setActiveConversation(prev => {
    // Logic to update current conversation...
  });
}, [user?._id, activeConversation?._id]);

This approach ensures that messages appear instantly for both sender and receiver, creating a seamless chat experience.

Lessons Learned

Building QuickHire taught me several valuable lessons:

Socket Management: Properly handling socket connections and disconnections is crucial for performance and preventing memory leaks.
State Synchronization: Keeping the UI in sync with real-time events requires careful state management.
User Experience: Real-time features dramatically improve user engagement but need thoughtful implementation.
Error Handling: With real-time systems, robust error handling becomes even more important.
Authentication: Securing socket connections requires different approaches than traditional REST APIs.

Challenges Faced

The biggest challenges I encountered were:

Socket Authentication: Ensuring that socket connections are properly authenticated
Managing Connection State: Handling reconnections and disconnections gracefully
Optimizing Performance: Ensuring that the app remained responsive even with many active connections
Cross-Browser Compatibility: Making sure WebSockets work across all browsers

Future Plans

I'm not stopping here! Future plans for QuickHire include:

AI-Powered Job Matching: Using machine learning to match candidates with suitable positions
Video Interviews: Built-in video chat functionality for initial interviews
Enhanced Analytics: Providing employers with insights into their job listings
Mobile Apps: Native applications for iOS and Android

Try It Yourself!

QuickHire is open source and available on GitHub. You can check it out here:
https://github.com/Michaeldotenv/QuickHire

Feel free to star the repo, fork it, or contribute! I'm always open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Conclusion

Building QuickHire has been an exciting journey into the world of real-time web applications. By combining modern frontend frameworks with powerful backend technologies, I was able to create a seamless experience that I believe can make a real difference in the job search process.

What do you think about this approach? Have you built similar applications with real-time features? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Are you working on any exciting projects with real-time functionality? Share your experiences or ask questions in the comments!