Steply

Steply's Home Page
architectural diagram
White version of the dashboard
Dark version of the Dashboard
User's applications page
Resume Analysis Page
Access job details, save/share, practice mock interviews, build an action plan, and generate AI-powered tailored cover letters. All in one!
Interview prep page
Profile Page
Settings page

The Problem We Saw

Traditional career platforms overflow students with irrelevant opportunities, creating a frustrating search experience. Worse—these platforms suffer from sector bias, disproportionately promoting tech and IT roles while marginalizing equally valuable fields like business, healthcare, law, and design.

We realized: "What if matching was intelligent and inclusive instead of biased?"

Our Solution

Steply is an AI-driven opportunity matching platform that revolutionizes how students discover careers tailored to their skills and aspirations—across ALL sectors.

Key Features Built:

Bias-Free Matching Engine

Smart algorithm that scores opportunities based on skills, education, goals—not sector stereotypes
Database expanded to include 12+ diverse opportunities across tech, business, healthcare, finance, law, and creative fields
Field of study choices expanded from 16 to 40+ disciplines

Inclusive Onboarding

Multi-step profile creation (personal, academic, skills, goals)
30+ skills across business, design, marketing, finance, healthcare, legal domains
Progressive difficulty: starting easy (personal info) to engaging (career goals)

Personalized Dashboard

Real-time opportunity recommendations
Save favorites, track applications
Deadline notifications and alerts

Dark Mode & Google Auth

Seamless Google OAuth login
Dark/light theme with persistent preferences
Mobile-responsive design

Recruiter Portal

Post opportunities with AI-assisted descriptions
Target candidates by skills and academics
Track applications

How We Built It

Frontend Stack:

React 18 + Vite for blazing-fast development
Tailwind CSS + Radix UI for beautiful, accessible components
TanStack Query for efficient data management
Custom hook system for clean code architecture

Backend & Database:

Base44 serverless backend
Express.js API layer
Persistent data storage for profiles and opportunities

AI & Matching:

Custom multi-factor scoring algorithm
Skill similarity detection
Geographic + academic alignment
Career stage compatibility

What We Learned

Bias is Systemic – Tech platforms naturally default to tech opportunities; we had to intentionally design for inclusion
UX Matters for Engagement – Onboarding needs to be smooth yet comprehensive; users drop off at poor forms
Local-First Development – Testing matching algorithms locally with mock data before production was essential
Data Persistence is Critical – Mock APIs work great locally but fail in production; always use real backends for final deploy
Accessibility Scales – Using Radix UI from day one prevented costly accessibility retrofits

Challenges We Faced

IT Bias in Datasets – Initial mock data was 100% tech-focused. Required manual expansion to 12+ diverse sectors
Matching Algorithm Complexity – Balancing relevance with diversity was tricky; our multi-factor scoring solved this
Production Deployment Issues – Data persistence broke when deploying to Netlify; fixed by updating to use real database client
Mobile Responsiveness – Onboarding forms needed redesign for small screens