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community platform for job seekers
Download PDF Client Requirement
This application was built with the intention to collaborate all the Job applications and its details, pertaining to a specific user, under a single platform. It is a community site that allows sharing and comparing information among various users. It can also be called as a repository for Job seekers. Following are some of the important features that are included in this web application:
- Allows saving information from a variety of sites-automatically and manually-through toolbar implementation or APIs.
- Allows adding/viewing/editing job applications and its complete details.
- Allows uploading of multiple resumes, cover letter, and other document. Systematically divided sections for user convenience:
- Common documents
- Application specific documents
- Shows Interview ratings, status, and various responses received.
- Designing of a task section allows user to enter the following for each job:
- Desired "task"
- Desired "goal"
- Allows detailed analysis from specialists of the entire information entered such as:
- Shows comparison between details entered by users and his/her peers
- Deficiencies in the Resume
- Area of Improvement
- Suggestions to improve information
- Reason for no response from companies and much more
- Extensive research that shows Top companies, popular job titles, top countries, etc.
- Security was Vital throughout the project.
- Efficient searching and sorting methods.
- Copies RSS Feeds and redirects URL.
Challenges
Team faced the following challenges:
- Implementing certain web services like toolbar came as a challenge during the project. Development of a toolbar that captures entire user data and accessed URLs and automatically feeds all the information in the fields and saves it directly to application played a vital role.
- Grabbing, accessing, and saving data from other sites using APIs.
- Continuous comparing of information among peers was also of a significant concern.
Technologies Used
| PHP (Server-side Language) | Most appropriately suited to create dynamic web pages. Enables fast extraction of data out of a database for presenting it on the web page. |
| JavaScript and AJAX (Client-side Language) | (Client-side Language) Cross browser support & faster loading time with light web pages that require no plug-in downloads. Scalable JavaScript based controls to provide flexibility and enhance user experience and involvement. |
| MySQL Engine | A versatile low maintenance database management system which acts as a cross-platform compatible database component of the LAMP platform. |
| Linux | A sturdy platform with open source code for extensive customization and with powerful multitasking abilities. |
| Apache Web Server | Server Ideal for serving static as well as dynamic content on the web in a safe and secure manner. Supports a variety of features while offering extendable core functionality |
| Symfony Framework Server | Symfony provides architecture, components and tools for developers to build complex web applications faster. Choosing symfony allows releasing applications earlier, host and scaling them without problem, and maintaining them over time with no surprise. |
| Web services | Certain web services were used to incorporate toolbar and APIs |
Manpower
| Project Leader | 1 |
| Developers | 2 |
| Designers | 1 |
| Quality Assurance Testers | 1 |
Planning
Symfony framework was adapted to release, host and scale the application without problem, and maintain them over time. The design approach was built around PHP, AJAX and My SQL due to their performance, security, scalability and the nature of the website. In addition to this, development structure was built to adapt to market transition. In order to most effectively access the database in an object-oriented context, an interface translating the object logic to the relational logic was used to communicate with the relational databases in an object-oriented manner.
Flexible architecture ensured extensibility of the components or features. Database specific layer initiated database communication and retrieval of complex data from multiple tables was facilitated through stored procedures and everywhere else conditional syntax was implemented to ensure seamless performance of the website.
Images, applications and data were called from their respective servers keeping the UI layer free of any business logic and scalability was guaranteed by implementing sub-domains for various areas of the website.
Architecture
N-tier architecture was adopted to efficiently meet the needs of the enormous website. Following are the layers involved which are loosely coupled with each other:
User Interface Layer: This will include the page level layer which will be accessing the other layers beneath to present the data.
Business Specific Layer: This acts as a bridge between the User Interface layer and database layer. This will contain all the business logic for the different components involved in the project.
Database Specific Layer:This acts as a bridge between the physical database and the business logic accessing the data.
Physical Database Layer:This includes My SQL with the tables, views and stored procedures etc.
Development Highlights
Privacy and security is ensured through greater accuracy in handling various user validations, user status, and user statistics. Comprehensive search & browse options are offered within optimized query features. The entire framework was kept highly scalable in order to provide adaptability & ease while incorporating new features. Web usability guidelines were strictly adhered to during the development and the interface was easily navigable through the judicious use of CSS and HTML controls. Search Engine Optimization activities were regularly resorted to with a view to ensuring high visibility for the site over the internet. The site was developed and fully functional within a span of 4 months.
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