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PHP

Posted by ammarkhan
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ammarkhan
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 21,661 Points

How to pass a PHP job interview when your switching

I been trying to make a jump from front end developer to backend or maybe i get lots of php offers because i got many years experience as a "web developer", now given this, i have been to many interviews but not able to get job. I find php some sort of strange and hard to get but i keep on trying. My question is how can i apply for php knowledge, as in you apply your knowledge when you have a project on your hands but while i learn new language i don't have a project. what should i do? and when do i get to know i am good at php? How do i make myself learn to be hardcore programmer?

Alicia Leslie
Alicia Leslie
4,209 Points
Alicia Leslie
Alicia Leslie
4,209 Points

My advice to you would be to study up on what they ask in interviews, such as http://phpinterviewquestions.co.in/ because as a developer, it often comes down to what kind of questions you get in the interview and if you are lucky to know them or not. As well, keep working on projects on the side (make websites for friends with php functionalities, etc) and push them to your Git profile and show that to your possible future employer, they then might not even need to test you because they have seen your code.

ammarkhan
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
ammarkhan
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 21,661 Points

Alicia Leslie It all comes down to hands on experience. Few days back i had interview in which they told me to fix the error wth chrome inspector and although it was a easy fix, i couldn't find it as i don't know php on a huge level like OOP or MVC, although the web inspector showed the error (the interviewer showed me later and i wonder how was he able to do that). Same like this, i have many interview lined up but don't know anything. How do i check on my hands on knowledge?

1 Answer

Curtis Schrum
Curtis Schrum
10,174 Points
Curtis Schrum
Curtis Schrum
10,174 Points

I would start by completing the PHP Developer course here. Then learn an MVC like CakePHP (http://cakephp.org/) follow their tutorials. Once you have a solid understanding of MVC and the seperation of concerns your going to want to round that out with Git Knowledge (another course here) and SQL (Great Database foundations course here). The MVC training will thrust you into the world of OOP PHP.

About knowing when your good, that depends on the definition of good. Programming is a skill, one you only improve by doing. It helps immensely if you have someone to review your code and provide feedback. When you apply for the jobs explain you have been a web developer for many years but are more of a Jr. Engineer however you are willing and capable to learn.

The training here is excellent, I learned PHP here and then got a job as a Jr. Software Engineer for an ecommerce company as a PHP Developer on Magento.