Resume Optimizer
An AI-assisted resume workflow that guides users from raw input to structured review, targeted optimization, and export-ready output.
5-step
Guided optimization flow
The app moves the user from input to extraction, review, optimization, and export through a clearer sequence.
BYO key
Enhanced mode
Users can run stronger AI-assisted extraction and optimization with their own OpenAI API key, which is sent only with the request and not stored by the app.
PDF + DOCX
Export support
The optimized resume can be exported in the formats most people actually need for applications and sharing.
Problem
Resume tools often either rewrite too aggressively or force users through too much manual cleanup before the result is usable.
Approach
Rebuilt the experience around a structured workflow with upload or paste input, optional job context, local Quick Mode, enhanced BYO-key AI mode, profile review, optimization, and export.
Impact
The result is a more controlled and trustworthy resume-improvement flow that helps users move from messy input to polished output without hiding the important review steps.
Overview
This project is built around a better user journey for resume improvement. Instead of asking users to trust a black-box rewrite, it breaks the problem into smaller steps that are easier to review and control.
The public value of the project is not only that it uses AI. It is that the product design makes the AI output easier to work with.
Product workflow
The current version is organized around this sequence:
1. upload or paste a resume 2. optionally add job description and extra context 3. extract a structured profile 4. review only the fields that need edits 5. optimize and export PDF or DOCX
That progression makes the tool feel more reliable because the user stays oriented throughout the process.
Modes and privacy choices
The app supports two optimizer modes:
- Quick Mode runs without an API key and uses local extraction and optimization helpers.
- Enhanced Mode lets the user enter their own OpenAI API key in the browser for stronger AI-assisted results.
The BYO-key design is important for a public-facing demo because the app does not need to ship with an exposed shared key, and the key is not stored by the app.
What changed from a typical resume tool
Many resume apps either ask for too much information up front or rewrite everything at once.
This build takes a more product-minded approach:
- keep input flexible
- convert free-form content into structure
- let users review important fields before optimization
- support output formats people actually use
- avoid hardcoding personal data into the public UI
Engineering and quality decisions
The supporting codebase also reflects a more production-aware direction.
Key pieces include:
- extraction and enhancement logic
- prompt and schema definitions
- scoring and optimization helpers
- rate-limit handling with optional Upstash Redis
- export support for PDF and DOCX
- PDF, DOCX, and TXT input handling
From a quality perspective, the important part is keeping the workflow dependable even when input quality varies.
Why it belongs in the portfolio
This is a strong portfolio project because it demonstrates workflow design, AI-assisted product thinking, practical user trust decisions, and public-demo safety. It shows how to make a feature feel production-minded rather than experimental.
Project proof
Stack