Senpai - AI-Powered Career Coach 🚀

A comprehensive AI-powered career development platform built with Next.js 15, featuring resume building, cover letter generation, interview preparation, and personalized industry insights.

✨ Features

🎯 Core Features

• AI Resume Builder - Create professional, ATS-optimized resumes with AI assistance
• Cover Letter Generator - Generate tailored cover letters for specific job applications
• Interview Preparation - Practice with AI-generated interview questions specific to your industry
• Industry Insights Dashboard - Get real-time salary data, market trends, and skill recommendations
• User Onboarding - Personalized experience based on your industry and experience level

🔐 Authentication & Security

• Secure authentication with Clerk
• Protected routes and API endpoints
• User profile management

🎨 UI/UX

• Modern, responsive design with Tailwind CSS
• Dark mode support with next-themes
• Beautiful UI components with Shadcn UI
• Smooth animations and transitions

🤖 AI Integration

• Google Gemini AI for intelligent content generation
• Personalized industry insights
• Smart resume and cover letter suggestions
• Adaptive interview questions

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• Framework: Next.js 15.1.4 (App Router + Turbopack)
• UI Library: React 19
• Styling: Tailwind CSS 3.4
• UI Components: Shadcn UI (Radix UI primitives)
• Forms: React Hook Form + Zod validation
• Markdown: React Markdown + MD Editor
• Charts: Recharts
• Icons: Lucide React

Backend

• Database: PostgreSQL (Neon DB)
• ORM: Prisma 6.2.1
• Authentication: Clerk
• AI: Google Generative AI (Gemini 1.5 Flash)
• Background Jobs: Inngest
• API: Next.js Server Actions

Developer Tools

• Language: JavaScript (with JSConfig)
• Linting: ESLint 9 + Next.js config
• Package Manager: npm
• Version Control: Git

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js 18+ installed
• npm or yarn package manager
• A Neon DB account (free tier available)
• A Clerk account (free tier available)
• A Google AI Studio account for Gemini API (optional)

💕 Flowchart

🚀 Quick Start

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/echoAbhinav/Senpai.git
cd Senpai

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Environment Setup

Create a .env.local file in the root directory:

# Database (PostgreSQL - Neon DB)
DATABASE_URL="your_neon_database_url"

# Clerk Authentication
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=your_clerk_publishable_key
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=your_clerk_secret_key

NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_IN_URL=/sign-in
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_UP_URL=/sign-up
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_AFTER_SIGN_IN_URL=/onboarding
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_AFTER_SIGN_UP_URL=/onboarding

# Google Gemini AI API Key (Optional - uses mock data if not provided)
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

Also create a .env file for Prisma CLI:

DATABASE_URL="your_neon_database_url"

4. Database Setup

Run Prisma migrations to set up your database:

# Deploy migrations
npx prisma migrate deploy

# Generate Prisma client
npx prisma generate

5. Run Development Server

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

📝 Detailed Setup Guide

Setting Up Neon DB

1. Go to neon.tech and sign up
2. Create a new project
3. Copy your connection string
4. Add it to both .env.local and .env files

Setting Up Clerk Authentication

1. Visit clerk.com and create an account
2. Create a new application
3. Copy your publishable key and secret key
4. Add them to .env.local
5. Configure sign-in/sign-up URLs in Clerk dashboard

Setting Up Google Gemini AI (Optional)

1. Go to Google AI Studio
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Create a new API key
4. Add it to .env.local

Note: The app works without Gemini API key by using default mock data for industry insights.

📁 Project Structure

Senpai/
├── actions/              # Server actions
│   ├── cover-letter.js
│   ├── dashboard.js
│   ├── interview.js
│   ├── resume.js
│   └── user.js
├── app/                  # Next.js app directory
│   ├── (auth)/          # Authentication routes
│   ├── (main)/          # Main app routes
│   ├── api/             # API routes
│   └── lib/             # App-specific utilities
├── components/           # Reusable components
│   ├── ui/              # Shadcn UI components
│   └── ...
├── data/                # Static data
├── hooks/               # Custom React hooks
├── lib/                 # Utilities and configs
├── prisma/              # Database schema & migrations
└── public/              # Static assets

🎯 Key Features Explained

Resume Builder

• Rich markdown editor for resume content
• Real-time preview
• Export to PDF functionality
• ATS score and feedback (with AI)

Cover Letter Generator

• Template-based generation
• Job-specific customization
• Company and role information
• Multiple cover letters per user

Interview Preparation

• Industry-specific questions
• Multiple choice format
• Performance tracking
• Detailed analytics and improvement tips

Industry Insights Dashboard

• Real-time salary ranges by role
• Market growth rates
• Top in-demand skills
• Industry trends and outlook
• Personalized skill recommendations

🔧 Available Scripts

# Development
npm run dev          # Start dev server with Turbopack

# Production
npm run build        # Build for production
npm start            # Start production server

# Database
npx prisma migrate dev      # Create and apply migrations
npx prisma migrate deploy   # Deploy migrations
npx prisma generate         # Generate Prisma client
npx prisma studio          # Open Prisma Studio

# Linting
npm run lint         # Run ESLint

🐛 Troubleshooting

Database Connection Issues

• Ensure DATABASE_URL is correct in both .env and .env.local
• Check that Neon DB instance is running
• Verify network connectivity

Clerk Authentication Errors

• Verify API keys are correct
• Check that redirect URLs are properly configured
• Ensure environment variables are loaded

Build Errors

• Clear .next folder: rm -rf .next
• Delete node_modules and reinstall: rm -rf node_modules && npm install
• Run npx prisma generate to regenerate Prisma client

👨‍💻 Author

Abhinav

• GitHub: @echoAbhinav

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with Next.js
• UI components from Shadcn UI
• Authentication by Clerk
• Database hosted on Neon
• AI powered by Google Gemini

Made with ❤️ by Abhinav