RoleReady Modern is a comprehensive job tracking platform that evolved from a simple weekend project into a production-ready SaaS application. The platform helps job seekers manage applications, track interview processes, and organize job-related documents efficiently.
Built with: Next.js 15 • TypeScript • PostgreSQL • Better-Auth • Zustand • Chrome Extension • Bun • Playwright
System Architecture
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ Chrome │ │ Next.js 15 │ │ PostgreSQL │
│ Extension │─────▶│ App Router │─────▶│ + Drizzle ORM │
│ (Universal │ │ │ │ │
│ Extraction) │ │ Better-Auth │ │ User Data │
└─────────────────┘ │ Zustand State │ │ Jobs/Interviews│
│ Zod Validation │ │ Documents │
└──────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Vercel Deploy │
│ Edge Functions │
└──────────────────┘The platform captures job information through browser extensions, processes it with AI-powered extraction, manages state optimistically through Zustand, and persists data using Drizzle ORM with PostgreSQL—all secured by Better-Auth’s authentication system.
Core Technical Features
Multi-Provider Authentication
The platform handles OAuth provider conflicts through automatic email conflict detection and account linking workflows. Better-Auth enables seamless integration between GitHub, Google, and email/password authentication methods while maintaining security and session management across providers.
The authentication system supports trusted provider linking, graceful conflict resolution, and session preservation during provider transitions. This architecture accommodates users who naturally mix authentication methods across different devices and contexts.
Universal Content Extraction
Instead of maintaining site-specific parsers that break with frequent DOM updates, the Chrome extension uses universal content extraction. The extension captures entire page context and sends it to backend AI processing, making the platform job-board agnostic and easily extensible to new platforms.
This approach shifts complexity from browser-limited extensions to server-side processing, where full control over the extraction pipeline enables sophisticated parsing without fighting each job board’s unique structure.
Advanced State Management
Zustand with persistence enables optimistic updates that provide instant UI feedback while synchronizing with the server in the background. When operations fail, the system automatically rolls back to maintain data consistency.
Cross-tab synchronization ensures users see consistent state across browser windows, while selective persistence optimizes localStorage usage by storing only essential data. The architecture balances performance with reliability through careful state partitioning.
Type-Safe Database Layer
Drizzle ORM provides SQL-like syntax with full TypeScript support, eliminating the runtime overhead of query generation while maintaining type safety. The migration system generates actual SQL files that can be reviewed and version controlled, ensuring predictable database changes.
JSONB support enables flexible storage of user activity logs and application metadata without schema migrations, while complex joins and aggregations perform efficiently through direct SQL queries.
Development Infrastructure
Comprehensive Testing Strategy
The testing approach spans multiple layers: Vitest for fast unit tests, API endpoint testing with realistic mocks, and Playwright E2E tests covering complete user journeys. Automated testing covers authentication flows, Chrome extension integration, and optimistic update scenarios.
This layered strategy provides confidence that changes won’t break existing functionality, especially critical for authentication bugs that users typically don’t forgive.
Modern Tooling Integration
Bun serves as both package manager and runtime, delivering 15x faster package installation and zero-config TypeScript handling. The development environment benefits from near-instant hot reloads and simplified dependency management.
Structured logging with Pino captures request context and performance metrics, while Zod validation ensures type safety across API boundaries. Comprehensive error handling provides users with meaningful feedback instead of technical stack traces.
Production Architecture
The deployment architecture intentionally avoids over-engineering: Next.js on Vercel with PostgreSQL database and comprehensive monitoring. No microservices, Kubernetes, or complex orchestration—just reliable, maintainable infrastructure.
Environment variables are validated with Zod schemas to prevent deployment errors, while error boundaries ensure graceful degradation when issues occur. The focus remains on simplicity and reliability over architectural complexity.
User Experience Features
Sophisticated Document Management
Document organization treats files as first-class citizens in the job search process. Smart categorization, grid/list view switching, and direct file-to-job linking create an integrated document management system that adapts to different workflow preferences.
The system supports multiple resume versions, cover letters, and portfolio materials with automatic organization and search capabilities. Users can track which documents were used for specific applications and maintain version history.
Interview Process Tracking
Interview management goes beyond simple status tracking by capturing detailed information about each interview round: type (technical, behavioral, cultural), interviewer details, feedback, and success patterns. This data helps users identify strengths and improvement areas in their interview performance.
The timeline view shows the complete journey from application through multiple interview stages to final decisions, providing actionable insights about conversion rates and time-to-hire metrics.
Professional Theme System
A carefully crafted theme system features five warm neutral variations (Base, Sage, Amber, Slate, Rose) inspired by high-end interior design. CSS custom properties enable instant theme switching with proper contrast ratios and accessibility compliance.
The attention to detail extends to shadows, accent colors, and typography scaling, creating a professional environment that reduces cognitive load during the stressful job search process.
Technical Performance
Measurable Improvements
The modern technology stack delivers quantifiable performance gains across development and production environments:
Development velocity:
- Package installation: 15x faster (3s vs 45s)
- Hot reload: Near-instant updates
- TypeScript compilation: Zero-config setup
- Build process: Simplified dependency management
Production performance:
- Bundle size: 40% reduction
- Time to interactive: 1.2s (vs 2.1s baseline)
- Server response time: 23% improvement
- Memory usage: 35% reduction
Scalability Considerations
The architecture supports horizontal scaling through stateless API design and database connection pooling. Caching strategies reduce database load for frequently accessed data, while CDN deployment ensures low latency across geographic regions.
The Chrome extension uses background processing to avoid blocking UI interactions, implementing rate limiting and retry logic for reliable operation across network conditions.
Production Insights
Authentication Complexity
Multi-provider OAuth introduces edge cases that require careful handling: email conflicts between providers, expired sessions during account linking, and permission variations across OAuth scopes. The solution involves defensive programming patterns and comprehensive error recovery mechanisms.
Account linking workflows must preserve user sessions while switching between authentication methods, requiring careful state management and security considerations to prevent unauthorized access.
Extension Development Challenges
Chrome extensions operate within significant security constraints that impact architecture decisions. Cross-origin communication, content script limitations, and background script isolation require careful design to maintain functionality while respecting browser security boundaries.
The universal extraction approach minimizes maintenance overhead by avoiding site-specific parsers that break with DOM updates, instead leveraging server-side AI processing for robust content identification.
Performance Optimization
Optimistic updates significantly improve perceived performance by providing instant UI feedback. However, they require careful error handling and rollback mechanisms to maintain data consistency when network operations fail.
State synchronization across browser tabs presents additional complexity, requiring event-driven updates and conflict resolution to ensure consistent user experiences across multiple contexts.
Project highlights:
- Production-ready SaaS platform with comprehensive authentication
- Cross-platform Chrome extension using universal content extraction
- Optimistic state management with automatic error recovery
- Type-safe API layer with comprehensive validation
- Professional user experience with sophisticated theming
- Robust testing strategy spanning unit to E2E coverage