**Introduction** In today's digital-first world, creating a job portal isn’t just about displaying listings—it’s about providing users with a seamless, real-time experience. In this article, I'll walk you through building a scalable job board using React and Node.js, with Google Authentication for user logins. This step-by-step guide will cover everything from backend setup to UI/UX design best practices. **Why This Project?** With this project, you'll gain hands-on experience with skills highly sought after in web development, including real-time data processing, authentication, and component-based architecture. Plus, by deploying this project, you’ll have an impressive portfolio piece that stands out! **1. Setting Up the Backend: **_Node.js & Express_ First, create a new directory and initialize it as a Node.js project: **mkdir job-board-portal cd job-board-portal npm init -y** Install essential packages: npm install express mongoose passport-google-oauth20 Database Design We’ll use MongoDB Atlas to store job postings and user data. Here’s a simple schema: **const jobSchema = new mongoose.Schema({ title: String, description: String, skillsRequired: [String], applicationLink: String, postedAt: { type: Date, default: Date.now }, }); const Job = mongoose.model("Job", jobSchema);** API Routes Create API endpoints for CRUD operations on job listings: app.get('/api/jobs', async (req, res) => { const jobs = await Job.find(); res.json(jobs); }); app.post('/api/jobs', async (req, res) => { const newJob = new Job(req.body); await newJob.save(); res.status(201).json(newJob); }); 2. Integrating Google Authentication Authentication is critical for a job board. We’ll use Google OAuth with Passport.js to allow users to sign in using their Google accounts. const GoogleStrategy = require('passport-google-oauth20').Strategy; passport.use(new GoogleStrategy({ clientID: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, callbackURL: "http://localhost:5000/auth/google/callback" }, function(accessToken, refreshToken, profile, done) { // Find or create user in database } )); --- 3. Building the Frontend: React + Drizzle ORM To manage UI state effectively, we'll use React alongside Drizzle ORM for efficient database interactions. Job List Component Display job listings with real-time updates: import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react'; import axios from 'axios'; function JobList() { const [jobs, setJobs] = useState([]); useEffect(() => { async function fetchJobs() { const response = await axios.get('/api/jobs'); setJobs(response.data); } fetchJobs(); }, []); return (

{jobs.map((job) => (

{job.title}

{job.description}

Apply

))}

); } Styling with CSS Modules Make the UI stand out with CSS Modules. Here’s a quick style guide to make components look clean and modern. .jobList { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(250px, 1fr)); gap: 1rem; } .jobItem { background: #f4f4f9; padding: 1rem; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); } --- 4. Deploying with Netlify and Heroku Once everything is working locally, deploy your frontend on Netlify and backend on Heroku. This setup ensures fast, reliable access for users. --- 5. Going the Extra Mile: Adding Real-Time Notifications Want to impress further? Integrate real-time notifications with Socket.io so users can receive updates on job listings as soon as they’re posted! **Conclusion** By following these steps, you've built a feature-rich, scalable job portal using modern tech. This isn’t just a learning project; it’s something you could genuinely deploy and use. Let me know your thoughts, questions, and how you customized your job board in the comments!

abhijeetx1

Building a Scalable Real-Time Job Board with React, Node.js, and Google Authentication

Join Our Newsletter. No Spam, Only the good stuff.