Project Plan

THRIVE - Job Application Tracker

Target, Hunt, Reach, Interview, Validate, Employ

Project Overview

A comprehensive job application tracking system to manage the entire job search journey from targeting companies to employment.

Core Features

• 📊 Application Dashboard: Track all applications with status, dates, and details
• 📝 Document Management: Store and version resumes, CVs, cover letters
• 🎯 Company Tracking: Research notes, contacts, interview details
• 📅 Timeline View: Visual representation of application journey
• 🔔 Reminders: Follow-ups, interviews, deadlines
• 📈 Analytics: Application success rates, response times, insights

Tech Stack

Frontend Framework

• React with TypeScript
• Bun as runtime and package manager

UI & Styling

• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS
• shadcn/ui - Re-usable component library
• Radix UI - Accessible primitive components
• Framer Motion - Animations and transitions

Routing & State

• TanStack Router - Type-safe routing
• TanStack Query - Server state management
• Zustand - Client state management

Forms & Tables

• TanStack Form - Powerful form management
• TanStack Table - Headless table component
• TanStack Virtual - Virtual scrolling for performance
• Zod - Schema validation

Developer Experience

• Biome - Fast linter and formatter
• TypeScript - Type safety
• Husky - Git hooks
• Vitest - Unit testing
• Playwright - E2E testing
• Storybook - Component development

CI/CD

• GitHub Actions - Automated workflows

Additional

• React DnD / dnd-kit - Drag and drop functionality

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Development Phases

✅ Phase 0: Project Setup & Configuration

Goal: Initialize the project with all tooling configured

Tasks:

• Initialize Bun project with React + TypeScript
• Configure TypeScript (strict mode, path aliases)
• Setup Biome for linting and formatting
• Configure .gitignore and basic project structure
• Setup folder structure (src, components, features, etc.)
• Install and configure Husky for git hooks
• Create initial package.json scripts

Deliverable: Running React app with dev server

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Phase 1: Core UI Foundation

Goal: Establish the design system and base components

Tasks:

• Install and configure Tailwind CSS
• Initialize shadcn/ui
• Setup design tokens (colors, spacing, typography)
• Create base layout components (Header, Sidebar, Main)
• Implement dark mode support
• Add commonly used shadcn components (Button, Card, Badge, etc.)

Deliverable: Styled app shell with consistent design system

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Phase 2: Routing & Navigation

Goal: Setup navigation structure

Tasks:

• Install and configure TanStack Router
• Define main routes (Dashboard, Applications, Documents, Settings)
• Create route components and layouts
• Implement navigation menu with active states
• Add breadcrumbs for deep navigation

Deliverable: Multi-page app with working navigation

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Phase 3: State Management & Data Layer

Goal: Setup state management and data structures

Tasks:

• Install TanStack Query and configure query client
• Setup Zustand stores (user preferences, filters, UI state)
• Define Zod schemas for applications, documents, companies
• Create mock data for development
• Setup local storage persistence

Deliverable: State management foundation with mock data

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Phase 4: Applications Dashboard

Goal: Build the main application tracking table

Tasks:

• Setup TanStack Table with application data
• Implement columns (Company, Position, Status, Date, etc.)
• Add sorting, filtering, and search
• Create status badges and visual indicators
• Implement pagination
• Add quick actions (edit, delete, view details)

Deliverable: Functional applications table with CRUD operations

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Phase 5: Application Forms

Goal: Create forms for managing applications

Tasks:

• Setup TanStack Form with Zod validation
• Build "Add Application" form modal
• Build "Edit Application" form
• Add form fields (company, role, salary, location, etc.)
• Implement multi-step form for detailed applications
• Add date pickers, select dropdowns, text areas

Deliverable: Complete form system for application management

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Phase 6: Documents Management

Goal: Build resume/CV tracking system

Tasks:

• Create document upload interface
• Implement document list with versions
• Link documents to applications
• Add document preview/download
• Tag and categorize documents
• Track which resume was sent where

Deliverable: Document management system

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Phase 7: Virtual Scrolling & Performance

Goal: Optimize for large datasets

Tasks:

• Implement TanStack Virtual for application lists
• Add virtualization to document lists
• Optimize re-renders with React.memo
• Add loading states and skeletons
• Implement infinite scroll where appropriate

Deliverable: Performant app handling 1000+ applications

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Phase 8: Animations & UX Polish

Goal: Add delightful interactions

Tasks:

• Install Framer Motion
• Add page transition animations
• Implement drag-and-drop for status changes
• Add micro-interactions (hover states, loading animations)
• Create animated status transitions
• Implement drag-to-reorder functionality

Deliverable: Polished, animated user experience

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Phase 9: Testing Setup

Goal: Ensure code quality and reliability

Tasks:

• Configure Vitest with React Testing Library
• Write unit tests for utilities and hooks
• Write component tests for UI components
• Setup Playwright for E2E testing
• Write E2E tests for critical user flows
• Add test coverage reporting

Deliverable: Comprehensive test suite

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Phase 10: Storybook & Component Library

Goal: Document components for development

Tasks:

• Install and configure Storybook
• Create stories for UI components
• Document component props and variants
• Add interaction tests in Storybook
• Setup Storybook deployment

Deliverable: Component documentation and playground

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Phase 11: CI/CD & Quality Gates

Goal: Automate quality checks and deployment

Tasks:

• Setup GitHub Actions workflow
• Add PR checks (lint, type-check, test)
• Configure Husky pre-commit hooks (lint-staged)
• Setup automated testing on push
• Add build and deployment pipeline
• Configure branch protection rules

Deliverable: Automated CI/CD pipeline

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Phase 12: Advanced Features

Goal: Add power-user features

Tasks:

• Analytics dashboard (success rates, timelines)
• Interview preparation tracker
• Company research notes and links
• Email integration for application tracking
• Reminders and notifications
• Export data to CSV/PDF
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Advanced search and filters

Deliverable: Feature-complete application

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Data Models

Application

{
  id: string;
  companyName: string;
  position: string;
  status: 'target' | 'applied' | 'interview' | 'offer' | 'rejected' | 'accepted';
  appliedDate?: Date;
  location?: string;
  salary?: { min: number; max: number; currency: string };
  jobUrl?: string;
  notes?: string;
  contacts?: Contact[];
  interviews?: Interview[];
  documents?: string[]; // Document IDs
  createdAt: Date;
  updatedAt: Date;
}

Document

{
  id: string;
  name: string;
  type: 'resume' | 'cv' | 'cover-letter' | 'portfolio' | 'other';
  version: number;
  fileUrl: string;
  usedIn: string[]; // Application IDs
  tags: string[];
  createdAt: Date;
}

Interview

{
  id: string;
  applicationId: string;
  type: 'phone' | 'video' | 'onsite' | 'technical';
  date: Date;
  duration?: number;
  interviewers?: string[];
  notes?: string;
  feedback?: string;
}

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Getting Started (After Setup)

# Install dependencies
bun install

# Start dev server
bun dev

# Run tests
bun test

# Run linting
bun lint

# Build for production
bun build

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Future Enhancements

• Data export/import
• Email templates for follow-ups
• Browser extension for quick application capture
• Mobile app (React Native)
• AI-powered resume optimization
• Application deadline calendar
• Network/referral tracking