The Problem
Job interviews are high-stakes situations where practice makes a real difference. But practicing alone lacks feedback, and coaching services are expensive. I wanted a way to practice with realistic AI interviewers who could evaluate my responses without uploading my career history to cloud services.
The Solution
HotSeatAI was envisioned as a desktop interview coach that runs 100% on your machine:
- Voice Conversations: Speak naturally with AI interviewers
- Real-Time Feedback: Body language and eye contact analysis via webcam
- Resume Tools: ATS optimization and job-specific tailoring
- Complete Privacy: No cloud, no telemetry, no data collection
Features
Interview Practice
20+ AI Personas across industries:
- Tech interviewers (behavioral, technical, system design)
- Business roles (consulting, finance, marketing)
- Various seniority levels and interview styles
Practice Modes:
- Quick Start: Jump into random practice
- Targeted: Paste a job description for tailored questions
- Random: Surprise questions to test adaptability
Performance Analytics
After each session, receive detailed scoring:
- Clarity: How well you communicated
- Confidence: Vocal patterns and body language
- Technical Accuracy: For role-specific questions
- STAR Method: Structure of behavioral answers
Body Language Feedback
Real-time webcam analysis using MediaPipe:
- Posture assessment
- Eye contact tracking
- Nervous habits detection
Resume Optimization
- ATS compatibility scoring with specific fixes
- Keyword gap analysis against job descriptions
- Professional critique and suggestions
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Tauri (Rust wrapper) |
| Frontend | React 18, TypeScript, Zustand |
| Backend | Python 3.11+, FastAPI |
| Database | SQLite with SQLAlchemy |
| LLM | Ollama (Gemma 3, Qwen 2.5) |
| Speech-to-Text | whisper.cpp |
| Text-to-Speech | Piper TTS |
| Vision | MediaPipe |
System Requirements
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB+ |
| Storage | 10GB | 20GB |
| GPU | Optional | Improves LLM speed |
Why Local?
Interview preparation involves sensitive information:
- Your resume and career history
- Salary expectations and job targets
- Recorded practice sessions
By processing everything locally:
- Your data never leaves your device
- No usage limits or API costs
- Works offline (great for travel)
- No risk of cloud service discontinuation
Development
Built with spec-driven development over several weeks, including:
- Full interview flow (greeting → Q&A → candidate questions → closing)
- Session recording and playback
- PDF export for session reviews
- Progress tracking with trend analysis
Related Articles
- Practicing Interviews Without Uploading Your Career: Building an AI coach that respects your privacy