AI Interview Practice Platform

An interactive web application that simulates job interviews using AI-powered voice conversations. Built with Next.js, this platform provides a realistic interview experience with real-time voice interaction and feedback.

Features

• 🎙️ Voice-based interaction with AI interviewer
• 🤖 Natural language processing for dynamic responses
• ⏯️ Pause/Resume interview functionality
• 📊 Progress tracking through interview stages
• 🔄 Real-time feedback on responses
• 🎯 Customized follow-up questions
• 🛡️ Rate limiting protection for API endpoints
• ♿ Comprehensive accessibility features

Accessibility Features

The platform is built with accessibility in mind, following WCAG guidelines:

Keyboard Navigation

• Full keyboard support for all interactive elements
• Visible focus indicators
• Logical tab order through the interface

Screen Reader Support

• Semantic HTML structure with ARIA landmarks
• Descriptive ARIA labels for all interactive components
• Live regions for dynamic content updates
• Status announcements for:
  • Interview progress
  • Recording states
  • AI response generation
  • Error messages

Audio Interface

• Play/Pause controls for AI voice responses
• Visual indicators synchronized with audio playback
• Clear audio status feedback
• Alternative text for all audio controls

Visual Accessibility

• High contrast color schemes
• Clear visual hierarchy
• Consistent layout and spacing
• Visual indicators for:
  • Recording status
  • Interview progress
  • System status
  • Error states

State Management

• Clear state indicators for:
  • Interview progress
  • Recording status
  • Processing states
  • Error conditions
• Proper ARIA states for all interactive elements

Tech Stack

• Framework: Next.js 14
• Frontend: React, TailwindCSS
• AI Services:
  • OpenAI GPT-3.5 (you can change it to GPT-4) for interview logic
  • Deepgram for Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech
• State Management: React Context
• API Protection: In-memory rate limiting
• Styling: TailwindCSS with custom animations

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ai-interview-platform.git

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install

3. Set up environment variables: Create a .env.local file with the following:

   OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key
   DEEPGRAM_API_KEY=your_deepgram_key
   
   # Rate limiting configuration
   RATE_LIMIT_POINTS=10
   RATE_LIMIT_DURATION=1
   RATE_LIMIT_BLOCK_DURATION=60

4. Run the development server:

   npm run dev
   # or
   yarn dev

Open http://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the result.

API Rate Limiting

The application implements rate limiting to protect API endpoints:

• Default limit: 10 requests per second per client
• Block duration: 60 seconds when limit is exceeded
• Tracked by client IP address
• Applies to all API endpoints:
  • Speech-to-Text conversion
  • LLM response generation
  • Text-to-Speech synthesis

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
OPENAI_API_KEY	OpenAI API key for LLM responses	Required
DEEPGRAM_API_KEY	Deepgram API key for voice features	Required
RATE_LIMIT_POINTS	Number of requests allowed per duration	10
RATE_LIMIT_DURATION	Time window in seconds	1
RATE_LIMIT_BLOCK_DURATION	Block duration in seconds when limit exceeded	60

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.