Fresh Spire

This app helps students of all levels settle into the job search, application, and interview process through a personalized, gamified, and AI-powered experience that turns stress into progress.

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Inspiration

I looked toward solving a problem most students face: the job application process. Applying for a job — especially as a student — is one of the most stressful experiences, statistically even more nerve-wracking than skydiving. The process is arduous, exhausting, and often discouraging, which takes a toll on mental health and scars young applicants with a fear of failure. I wanted to change that. My goal was to bring both education and support to students at every step: searching for jobs, building a strong and structured résumé, tailoring it to each role, and preparing for interviews. I incorporated AI — using ChatGPT and DALL-E — and APIs to bring advanced functionality connecting to services such as real job listings and navigation into every stage to make the process smarter, faster, and less overwhelming. In the end, I turned a process that students often struggle with into one that transforms stress into real, measurable progress.

What it does

FreshSpire is designed to guide users through the entire job-seeking journey by breaking the process into four clear, AI-supported steps. After customizing settings for personalized results, users begin by searching for real, relevant jobs — combining Adzuna API’s job listings, ChatGPT for processing roles, and a navigation API to show proximity to their address. The app then assists in crafting a professional résumé using a Harvard-Yale-inspired structure while offering ChatGPT-powered suggestions with a revision slider for easy control. Once a base résumé is complete, Fresh Spire helps tailor it for specific jobs using ChatGPT-driven advice and revision with another slider. Finally, the app prepares users for interviews by presenting a DALL-E-generated interviewer alongside ChatGPT-generated practice questions and feedback. To ease the mental strain, the entire process is gamified with an animated pixel-art tower on the home screen, growing with each milestone to make the process feel manageable.

How we built it

I built FreshSpire using MIT App Inventor, a visual programming platform that allowed me to easily prototype and develop the app’s core features. I integrated external APIs like Adzuna for real job listings, navigation services to map job proximity, and OpenAI’s tools — ChatGPT for text-based assistance and DALL-E for image-based support. MIT App Inventor’s flexibility and user-friendliness made it possible to seamlessly connect these systems while focusing on building a clean, step-by-step user experience. Through constant testing, refinement, and debugging, I tied each part of the app together to make Fresh Spire.

Challenges we ran into

One of my biggest challenges was debugging the complexities of integrating multiple APIs. Each service — from Adzuna to navigation to OpenAI — had its own structure, limitations, and quirks. Making all of these systems work together smoothly in one cohesive app was a difficult process requiring constant testing, adjustment, and creative problem-solving to find and work around the countless problems. Ensuring the final product was not only functional but also practical and user-friendly pushed me to think carefully about both technical flow and user experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I am most proud of my work with the APIs in Fresh Spire, as it required a deep dive to understand and connect with each one. It was incredibly satisfying, proving to be a moment of pride to witness how the integration of Adzuna, navigation, and OpenAI’s tools came together to provide a meaningful and actionable result for users — delivering real job listings.

What we learned

Throughout this Hackathon, I learned how to pace myself, developing important values like patience, persistence, and discipline. Additionally, I strengthened my problem-solving skills — identifying bugs, finding creative ways to add features or fix errors, and adapting to setbacks.

What's next for Fresh Spire

The next step for Fresh Spire is creating a custom AI made for the unique needs of students applying for jobs, optimizing feedback and providing students with personalized insight to enhance their experience.

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