MentorcliQ

Online video career mentoring platform built with CakePHP and OpenTok for real-time sessions

Reach : Global

Time Frame : 3 months

Deliverables:

Video Chat Integration
Mentor & User Profiles
Skill-Based Mentor Search
Session Scheduling System
Payment & Refund Module

Connect With an Expert

Overview

MentorcliQ approached us with the idea of launching an online career mentoring site. They needed a strong backend to support mentor listings, real-time video chat, payment, and user management. The challenge was integrating all of this into a scalable and user-friendly platform.

We used CakePHP and MySQL to build the core system, along with OpenTok for video chat. The result was a secure and functional mentoring platform where users and mentors can connect, schedule, and hold productive sessions easily.

About MentorcliQ

MentorcliQ is an online platform designed to connect users with expert career mentors via video chat. With hundreds of listed mentors, users can browse profiles, check availability, and book sessions quickly. Each mentor profile includes a resume, expertise areas, and pricing. Users can create accounts, schedule sessions, and interact directly with mentors online. The platform emphasizes flexibility, privacy, and personalized support and facilitates various mentoring formats, such as one-on-one, group, and reverse mentoring, catering to diverse organizational needs. With its proven impact, MentorcliQ's solutions have been shown to increase employee engagement and reduce turnover..

Project Goal

The main objective was to build a career mentoring platform that enables real-time, session-based video consultations between mentors and users. The platform needed to support profile creation, secure payments, scheduling, and live video calls. To ensure flexibility, security, and quick deployment, we chose CakePHP as the core backend framework. Its MVC architecture helped streamline user role management, session control, and form validation.

The client wanted mentors to easily register, list their services, and manage availability, while users should be able to search, schedule, and pay seamlessly. They also needed a strong admin panel to manage users, monitor sessions, and handle refunds efficiently. Integration of OpenTok was essential for in-browser, real-time video sessions.

The Challenge

The most significant challenge was combining video chat, session scheduling, and payment workflows into one system without overloading the server. Ensuring seamless coordination between user roles, time zones, video calls, and real-time availability required precise backend logic using CakePHP and smart API handling.

Our Approach & Solution

Structured Profile Management

We utilized CakePHP’s ORM and form validation to build structured mentor and user profile modules. Each profile includes a resume, skill tags, pricing, and availability. This modular approach helps in easy updates, secure data entry, and smooth display, ensuring that both mentors and users can manage their accounts without confusion.

Overall Collaboration and Experience

Working with MentorcliQ was smooth and goal-focused. The client provided clear direction and trusted our technical judgment, especially on backend structuring with CakePHP. Communication was open, and feedback cycles were quick. We ensured transparency in each sprint and focused on building the platform phase-wise to stay aligned with their timelines. Their team was responsive and prompt in testing each module.

Overall, the experience was collaborative and effective, allowing us to deliver a reliable and scalable mentoring platform. Our technical choices aligned well with their business vision, and the mutual respect helped make the project successful.

The End Result

MentorcliQ launched as a full-featured career mentoring platform powered by CakePHP and OpenTok. It fulfilled the client’s core objective of enabling efficient, real-time career mentoring sessions online. Key deliverables include:

Significant growth in user registrations and mentor sign-ups
3x faster session scheduling with real-time availability updates
98% successful payment processing and refunds via admin tools
Smooth video calling experience with OpenTok integration
Reduced average profile load time using CakePHP’s efficient ORM

The platform is now actively connecting mentors and users, offering a smooth session experience with secure backend controls. We built it to grow with their user base and stay adaptable for future features.