PrepAI - Your Personal Interview Coach 🚀

Got an interview coming up? Let PrepAI help you practice and crush it. This is a full-stack app built with Spring Boot and modern web tech that uses AI to give you real-time feedback on your interview responses.

What This Does

Think of it as having a 24/7 interviewer in your pocket. You answer interview questions, and the AI analyzes your responses and gives you actionable feedback to improve. Pretty cool, right?

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Java 11+
• MySQL
• Node.js (if running frontend separately)

Backend Setup (Spring Boot)

1. Set up the database

   CREATE DATABASE prep_ai_db;

2. Configure your DB credentials in application.properties:

   spring.datasource.username=your_username
   spring.datasource.password=your_password

3. Run it

   • Open spring-boot-backend/ in IntelliJ or Eclipse
   • Run PrepAiApplication.java
   • Server starts at http://localhost:8080

Features in Action

Login & Get Started

Start here. Simple, clean sign-in to access your practice sessions.

Dashboard

Your hub. Track your progress, see completed interviews, and jump into new sessions.

Interview Mode

Answer the AI-generated interview questions. The more you practice, the better you get.

Instant Feedback

Get detailed feedback on your answer right after you submit. The AI breaks down what you did well and where to improve.

Review Your History

Look back at all your past interviews. Track your improvement over time.

How the Magic Works

Frontend: HTML/CSS/JavaScript for a smooth user experience

Backend: Spring Boot handles all the logic

• Controllers route your requests
• Services manage the interview flow and AI integration
• JPA repositories talk to MySQL

AI Integration: Powered by Google's Gemini API

• Generates relevant interview questions
• Analyzes your answers in real-time
• Provides semantic feedback on how well you answered

Project Structure

PrepAI/
├── prepai-frontend/          # Your UI (HTML/CSS/JS)
│   ├── index.html
│   ├── interview.html
│   ├── dashboard.html
│   ├── history.html
│   └── js/                   # Logic for frontend
├── spring-boot-backend/      # The engine
│   └── src/main/java/com/prepai/
│       ├── controller/       # Handles HTTP requests
│       ├── service/          # Business logic & AI calls
│       ├── model/            # Data structures
│       └── repository/       # Database access
└── images/                   # Screenshots (this readme's best friends)

Key Tech Stack

Part	Technology
Backend	Spring Boot, Spring Data JPA
Frontend	HTML5, CSS3, Vanilla JavaScript
Database	MySQL
AI	Google Gemini API
Build	Maven

Interview Questions? 🎤

The app generates questions based on common interview patterns and your chosen topic. Each session is independent, so you can practice different areas.

Feedback System

After you submit your answer:

1. Gemini analyzes your response
2. Checks for key points and clarity
3. Rates your answer quality
4. Gives you specific tips to do better next time

It's like having a mock interviewer who actually cares about your improvement.

Building It Yourself

Backend Build

cd spring-boot-backend
mvn clean install
mvn spring-boot:run

Frontend

The frontend is already in prepai-frontend/ - just open the HTML files in your browser or serve them with a local server.

Database Schema Highlights

Interview Sessions: Stores your practice sessions with timestamps and results

Questions: Pre-populated with interview questions across different domains

Responses: Your answers get saved here so you can review them later

Tips for Using This (From the Build Team)

1. Practice regularly - The more interviews you do, the better the AI can track your progress
2. Read the feedback carefully - It's not just a score, it's actual advice to get better
3. Review your history - You'll be surprised how much you improve over time
4. Try different topics - Don't just stick to one area

Viva/Interview Prep Tips 💡

For explaining this project:

• "We integrated Gemini AI using REST APIs to analyze interview responses in real-time"
• "Spring Data JPA abstracts the database layer, letting us work with data as Java objects"
• "The MVC architecture keeps our concerns separated: Spring Boot handles logic, MySQL handles data"

Troubleshooting

"I can't connect to the database"

• Check MySQL is running
• Verify credentials in application.properties
• Make sure the prep_ai_db database exists

"The AI isn't giving feedback"

• Check your Gemini API key is configured
• Make sure you have internet connection
• Look at the backend logs for errors

What's Next?

Ideas to make this even better:

• Add video recording for practice interviews
• Implement different difficulty levels
• Create industry-specific question banks
• Add collaborative practice with friends

License

Built for learning. Feel free to use and modify.

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Good luck with your interviews! 🎯