AI Interview Question Generator

A Next.js web application that uses Google Gemini AI to generate realistic, tailored interview questions based on job title, seniority level, and question category.

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Features

• Generate 10 interview questions per request
• Select seniority level: Junior, Mid-Level, Senior, or Lead
• Choose from 4 question categories:
  • Technical Architecture
  • Behavioral & Leadership
  • Culture & Core Values
  • System Design
• Each question is assigned a difficulty level (Easy / Medium / Hard)
• Smart job title validation and auto-correction

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Prerequisites

• Node.js v18 or higher
• A Google Gemini API key (free — see below)

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Step 1 — Get Your Gemini API Key

1. Go to https://aistudio.google.com/app/api-keys
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Click "Create API key"
4. Select an existing Google Cloud project or create a new one
5. Copy the generated API key — you will need it in the next step

For full documentation on the Gemini API key, see: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/api-key

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Step 2 — Choose a Gemini Model

The app uses the model name you set in the .env file. Recommended free models:

Model Name	Notes
gemini-2.0-flash	Fast, free tier, recommended
gemini-1.5-flash	Stable, free tier
gemini-1.5-pro	Higher quality, lower rate limits on free tier

You can view available models in the Google AI Studio sidebar or in the Gemini API model docs.

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Step 3 — Set Up Your Environment File

In the root of the project, create a file named .env:

GEMINI_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
GEMINI_MODEL=gemini-2.0-flash

Replace your_api_key_here with the key you copied in Step 1.

.env is listed in .gitignore — it will not be committed to Git, so your key stays private.

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Step 4 — Install Dependencies

Open a terminal in the project root and run:

npm install

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Step 5 — Run the Development Server

npm run dev

The app will start at http://localhost:3000.

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Available Scripts

Command	Description
npm run dev	Start the development server with hot reload
npm run build	Build the app for production
npm start	Start the production server (run build first)

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Project Structure

ai-question-generator/
├── src/
│   └── app/
│       ├── api/
│       │   └── generate-response/
│       │       └── route.ts       # Gemini API integration
│       ├── page.tsx               # Main UI
│       └── layout.tsx             # Root layout
├── .env                           # Your local env vars (create this)
├── .env.example                   # Example env file for reference
└── package.json

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Troubleshooting

Error: GEMINI_API_KEY is not set — Make sure .env exists in the project root with the correct key.

API key not valid — Double-check the key was copied correctly with no extra spaces.

Model not found — Check the model name spelling in .env. Use gemini-2.0-flash if unsure.

Port already in use — Run npm run dev -- -p 3001 to use a different port.