Candidate Referral Management System

A full-stack application for managing candidate referrals, built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) and AWS S3 for resume storage.

a. Features Implemented

• Authentication: Secure recruiter login (JWT-based). Registration is handled internally via API.
• Referral Management: Add, view, and delete candidate referrals.
• Resume Handling: Securely upload and store resumes on AWS S3 with Pre-signed URL access.
• Dashboard: Filter candidates by job title or status (Pending, Reviewed, Hired, Rejected).
• Security: Protected API routes and secure file access.
• Responsive Design: Fully responsive UI for desktop and mobile.

b. Steps to Run Locally

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14+)
• MongoDB (Local or Atlas)
• AWS Account (with S3 bucket and IAM credentials)

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/AyushCoder9/Candidate-Referral-Management.git
cd Candidate-Referral-Management

2. Backend Setup

Navigate to the backend directory and install dependencies:

cd backend
npm install

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

PORT=5001
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_aws_access_key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_aws_secret_key
AWS_REGION=your_aws_region
AWS_BUCKET_NAME=your_s3_bucket_name
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

Start the backend server:

npm run dev

3. Frontend Setup

Open a new terminal, navigate to the frontend directory, and install dependencies:

cd ../frontend
npm install

Create a .env file in the frontend directory:

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5001

Start the React application:

npm start

The app will run at http://localhost:3000.

c. Assumptions and Limitations

1. Render Cold Start: The backend is hosted on Render's free tier. Please wait 1-2 minutes for the initial request to process, as the service spins down after inactivity. if the login fails initially, simply try again after a minute.
2. Login Credentials: Use the mock credentials displayed on the Login page to access the system (Username: admin, Password: password123).
3. Resume Format: Only PDF files are supported for resume uploads.
4. AWS S3: The application assumes valid AWS credentials are provided. If running locally without AWS keys, upload functionality will fail.
5. Single User Role: Currently, the system supports a single 'Recruiter' role. Multi-tenant or Admin/User role separation is a future enhancement.

d. API Reference

• POST /api/auth/login: Login user. (Default PORT: 5001)
• POST /api/auth/register: Create new user (Internal/Admin tool only, no UI).
• GET /api/candidates: Fetch all candidates.
• POST /api/candidates: Create a referral.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React.js, Context API, CSS.
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js.
• Database: MongoDB.
• Storage: AWS S3.