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Your first PHP job interview

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 3:04 pm
by aaronhall
Hello comrades

I recently quit my non-tech job to start contracting again, and I'm hoping to have a full-time PHP job interview lined up within the next month. This will be my first PHP experience outside of contracting, and I was hoping that any of you would share your first PHP job interview experience, i.e., how was the interview structured, what kind of technical knowledge you were expected to have... Also, what was the job like after you got it? Did you have any problems keeping up, anything different from what you expected?

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:29 pm
by Todd_Z
Like any other job, you will probably not be as efficient in all the required fields as you should be. You will easily be able to adapt however if you have a general knowledge of how everything works, from code to server admin. You should plan out how each of your major projects have demonstrated a strong knowledge of one or more specific skills. If you created an intense ajax application, concentrate on the ajax skills in that project, etc. Hope this helped.

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:10 am
by RobertGonzalez
My first job was more about me and how I feel about coding. My resume did a lot of talking for me, and when it was time for the final interview, it was more along the lines of them sizing me up with the team of folks that I was going to be plugging in to. So far (two months later) I have learned more Unix, Linux, OS and server stuff than I'd ever thought I know. As for the coding part of it, I am right at home. They like my work and I like the atmosphere. It is all good.

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:33 pm
by aaronhall
Thanks Todd and Robert. My resume only consists of 5-8 contact projects, and I still feel like I have some gaps in my knowledge, so I hope there are some entry-level gigs out there that'll get me started.

Do either of you remember where/how you found the job?

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:29 am
by RobertGonzalez
I posted my resume on Monster.com. I was absolutely blessed by the response. I posted one day, started getting emails and calls the next day. I got picked up by two different recruiters, one that aggressively pursued me. She put me in contact with the company that I am currently with and it was a done deal. Literally, the whole thing took about 10 days. In that time, my resume got 52 hits. 30 of them came from the first posting. 22 came on the revised version of my resume.

For a reference, my resume is available for viewing. I am not seeking employment at the moment, but there were some folks that liked the format and style of my resume, so I left it up for people to view.

PS The web site that my resume is on was set up as part of my job search. It never hurts to increase your potential exposure when looking.

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:33 am
by BDKR
Another thing to do would be to gather as much intel about the company before hand. if you can ascertain what kind of shop it is, you'll won't be blindsided so much by some of the questions you may be asked.

I've been doing a lot of interviewing lately. Some just want to know that I can do the stuff and ask questions concerning the things I've done. By the time I get to them, they've allready talked to the recruiters and seen test scores so verification of my skill set is known.

Some will ask you questions concerning certain scenarios. How you would or have dealt with them in the past.

One or two of those shops are going to ask you some dead serious questions that are coming from out of deep right field. This happened to me last week.

Hints:
  • a) Don't oversell yourself: It will be found out. Once found, it will be ugly.
    b) Make sure as much as you can that you are a fit for that shop. Are you Pro OO and will accept nothing else? Well then you may not want to be in a shop that rolls it's
    eyes on your development ideas.
    c) If at all possible, bring code samples.
    d) If you are unsure of the question, either ask them to clarify or tell them that you are answering but you are not sure what they are after.
Cheers

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 2:35 am
by jyhm
Everah wrote:I posted my resume on Monster.com. I was absolutely blessed by the response.....
Do you know if there is a market for someone who has had a few years of Multimedia training, but all of their .dev experience is from what they have done at home?

Reason I ask is because you mentioned monster.com. I have my resumé posted but for my "non-tech" job. I've been a driver for a number of years ever since my "education" if you call it that.

I love htm. css javascript and especially php. I wish to be a more proficient php/mysql developer. I have no idea why because I rack my brain sometimes trying to fix problems. But I do. :evil:



Post Script Edit: I just realized how old this post is! never mind!

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 2:42 am
by RobertGonzalez
It all depends on how you sell yourself. I was a fleet vehicle program administrator that learned PHP to work on some projects of my own. I essentially learned the ropes over the course of three years, and, after a bout with some stress at work, posted my resume and cover letter just to test the waters.

Bear in mind that I am pretty good with words and I am unusually confident in a non-confrontational and non-arrogant sort of way, so my writing kinda got me in the door and my personality helped me land the job. But without a doubt, my knowledge of the required technologies is what made the job offer possible.

So my suggestion is to know your stuff, know you are worth whatever you are asking for and know that you are absolutely the right person for the job. Sit in your interview not like a guy that is wanting to land the job but as the guy that is chitchatting with his future teammates.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:10 am
by jyhm
Thanx 4 u're advice Everah;

I got a long way to go yet,.. I'm still learning PHP .classes and just starting to climb the database mountain.

I've always been a bad typer too, "punch and peck", and I wonder if that holds me back speed wise,..

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:13 am
by RobertGonzalez
jyhm wrote:I've always been a bad typer too, "punch and peck", and I wonder if that holds me back speed wise,..
Yes, it will. Learn to input fast as speed is definitely a concern to employers. The faster you can input the faster you can output.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:35 am
by Ollie Saunders
Yeah typing speed does matter. But don't worry, you won't have to think about it, i'll just come as you learn everything else.
I spent a lot of type using gtypist (a linux utility for teaching you to touchtype) and it was a waste of time pretty much because you don't use your finger that way when typing PHP, what with all the symbols.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:29 am
by RobertGonzalez
You know,I agree with that. In fact, there are time when I am writing documents (or documentation) that I find myself looking at my keyboard. When I am coding, I seem to know where shift-4 is at, where shift-[ is at, where ; and _ are at. And since I seldom use capital letters in my code, I sometimes look at the keyboard to make sure I have shift-Xing the right key. So I would totally agree with ole.

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:57 am
by Kieran Huggins
Speaking of typing... I hate all the new keyboards coming out that have re-configured the buttons above the arrow keys! A good keyboard with the standard layout does wonders for my typing. I tried a Logitech G11 and had to ditch it because of the non-standard layout :-( I guess the optimus will be a no go as well... oh well.