InternMatch — Student Skill & Internship Matching Portal

A full-stack web application that connects students with companies for internships using a transparent, rule-based matching system. Built with Node.js, Express, MongoDB, and vanilla JavaScript.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Key Features
• Architecture
• Technology Stack
• Database Schema
• Matching Algorithm
• Getting Started
• Testing
• Project Structure
• Design System
• Contributing

---

Overview

InternMatch is a centralized platform that helps students discover internships by matching their skills against company requirements using a transparent, deterministic algorithm — no AI/ML involved. The platform supports three distinct user roles: Students, Companies, and Admins, each with a tailored dashboard and workflow.

Key Features

Students

• Create and maintain a profile with a structured skill set
• View internships ranked by match percentage
• Apply to internships in a single click
• Track application status in real time
• Set location and internship-type preferences

Companies

• Post and manage internship opportunities
• View a ranked list of matched candidates per posting
• Accept or reject applications
• Track all active and past postings

Admins

• View platform-wide statistics and analytics
• Manage all registered users
• Moderate internship postings
• Access a centralized admin dashboard

Architecture

┌─────────────┐
│  Frontend   │  HTML, CSS, JavaScript
│  (Vanilla)  │
└──────┬──────┘
       │
┌──────▼──────┐
│   Express   │  REST API, JWT Auth
│   Backend   │  MVC Pattern
└──────┬──────┘
       │
┌──────▼──────┐
│   MongoDB   │  5 Collections
│  (Database) │  Indexed for Performance
└─────────────┘

Technology Stack

Layer	Technology
Backend	Node.js, Express.js
Database	MongoDB with Mongoose
Authentication	JWT with bcrypt
Frontend	HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (ES6+)
Architecture	MVC Pattern

Database Schema

Collection	Purpose
users	Authentication data (email, password, role)
students	Student profiles and skill sets
companies	Company information
internships	Job postings with required skills
applications	Application tracking

Matching Algorithm

The matching engine compares student skills against internship requirements and applies eligibility checks and preference bonuses to compute a final match score.

Process:

1. Compare student skills with the internship's required skills
2. Calculate a base match score: (matched_skills / required_skills) × 100
3. Apply eligibility filters:
   • Minimum CGPA
   • Degree requirement
   • Year of study
4. Apply preference bonuses:
   • Location match: +5%
   • Internship type match: +5%
5. Display the internship if the match score is ≥ 40%
6. Flag as a Strong Match if the score is ≥ 70%

Example

Field	Student	Internship
Skills	javascript, react, html, css	Required: javascript, react, html
CGPA	8.5	Minimum: 7.5

• Matched skills: 3 of 3 required → base match = (3/3) × 100 = 100%
• CGPA check: eligible (8.5 ≥ 7.5)
• Final match: 100% (Strong Match)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js v18 or higher
• MongoDB v5 or higher (local installation recommended)
• npm or yarn

Installation

1. Clone the repository and navigate into the project

   cd "Smart Internship Checker"

2. Install backend dependencies

   cd backend
   npm install

3. Configure environment variables

   cp .env.example .env

   The default .env is preconfigured for a local MongoDB instance:

   MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/internship-matching
   JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key_here
   PORT=5000
   

4. Start MongoDB

   # Windows — MongoDB typically runs as a service; if not:
   net start MongoDB
   
   # macOS
   brew services start mongodb-community
   
   # Linux
   sudo systemctl start mongod

5. Start the server

   npm start

6. Access the application

   http://localhost:5000
   

Testing

Manual end-to-end testing steps:

1. Register as a Student — go to /register.html, select "Student," fill in details, and log in.
2. Complete the student profile — add skills (e.g., javascript, react, node.js) and set preferences.
3. Register as a Company — log out, register with the "Company" role, and complete the company profile.
4. Post an internship — define required skills that overlap with the test student's skills, and set eligibility criteria.
5. Verify matching — log in as the student, open "Matched Internships," confirm the match percentage, and apply.
6. Review applications — log in as the company, open "Applications," and accept or reject candidates.

Project Structure

smart-internship-checker/
├── backend/
│   ├── config/
│   │   ├── db.js                  # MongoDB connection
│   │   └── config.js              # Environment config
│   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── authController.js      # Authentication logic
│   │   ├── studentController.js   # Student operations
│   │   ├── companyController.js   # Company operations
│   │   ├── internshipController.js
│   │   ├── matchingController.js  # Matching algorithm
│   │   ├── applicationController.js
│   │   └── adminController.js
│   ├── middleware/
│   │   ├── auth.js                # JWT verification
│   │   └── roleAuth.js            # Role-based access control
│   ├── models/
│   │   ├── User.js
│   │   ├── Student.js
│   │   ├── Company.js
│   │   ├── Internship.js
│   │   └── Application.js
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── auth.js
│   │   ├── student.js
│   │   ├── company.js
│   │   ├── internship.js
│   │   ├── matching.js
│   │   ├── application.js
│   │   └── admin.js
│   ├── .env.example
│   ├── .env
│   ├── package.json
│   └── server.js                  # Main entry point
├── public/
│   ├── css/
│   │   ├── main.css               # Core design system
│   │   └── dashboard.css          # Dashboard styles
│   ├── js/
│   │   ├── api.js                 # API utilities
│   │   ├── auth.js                # Auth management
│   │   ├── utils.js               # Helper functions
│   │   ├── student.js             # Student dashboard logic
│   │   ├── company.js             # Company dashboard logic
│   │   └── admin.js               # Admin dashboard logic
│   ├── index.html                 # Landing page
│   ├── login.html
│   ├── register.html
│   ├── student-dashboard.html
│   ├── company-dashboard.html
│   └── admin-dashboard.html
├── test-data/
│   └── sample-data.json           # Sample/test data
└── README.md

Design System

• Dark theme with glassmorphism effects
• Gradient buttons with hover animations
• Responsive grid layout
• Custom CSS variables for design consistency
• Mobile-first approach

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. If you find this project useful, consider starring the repository.