Beginner · 1–2 weeks
Employee Directory REST API
HR-style directory API: departments, employees, managers, and org hierarchy. Supports search by name/department, org chart retrieval, and CRUD with audit fields (createdAt, updatedAt).
Why this project
Self-referential relationships (employee → manager) are a common interview topic. Clean CRUD with search demonstrates fundamentals.
Tech stack
Java 17Spring Boot 3Spring Data JPAPostgreSQLSpring Data JPA Specifications
Skills demonstrated
- Self-referential JPA mapping
- Dynamic queries
- Audit fields
- Hierarchical data
Interview talking points
- Modeling manager as ManyToOne self-reference on Employee
- Fetching org tree — recursive query vs iterative approach
- Using JPA Specifications for dynamic search
- Soft delete for terminated employees
Problem statement
HR-style directory API: departments, employees, managers, and org hierarchy. Supports search by name/department, org chart retrieval, and CRUD with audit fields (createdAt, updatedAt).