Page 5 of 6

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:36 pm
by jaoudestudios
Yeah good luck.

Look forward to hearing some good news! :)

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:46 pm
by JAB Creations
Tuesday Oct 21st Update

I'm back from the second interview! I met with the company president and the lead PHP developer who wants me there because he sees my potential. They want to take me on a trial basis as a paid intern for two weeks to see if I can get up to speed. While they were looking for someone with MySQL experience they said they look at it as an opportunity to build up my skills as a home brew of sorts; I suppose this means their way of coding would become my main way of approaching things. At least the target demographic does not include dial-up (though they appreciated my non-reliance on frameworks). The lead developer says he really wants to see me improve on MySQL as I've got everything else pretty much covered. To work there permanently I'm going to have to show I can adapt quickly which they saw an example of when he requested the tertiary relational database.

It was a lot less technical and more about how they want to transition me in to the company which is roughly along the lines of what I expected. I've got plenty of Red Bull here to help me plow through some hard rewiring of my brain. In example I'm going to concentrate my efforts this afternoon on getting a left-join to work (made a thread and ended up getting so busy I haven't had a chance to even look at it yet). I couldn't get any specifics out of the lead programmer on anything I could concentrate on, it's just MySQL in general. I'm going to need to be able to eventually (and relatively soon) plan out the database structure before anything else; if I can get that far within a reasonably time frame I'll be good. I asked if he wanted me to be able to walk in and start writing MySQL on the chalk board and he pretty much agreed to that. I'm going to have to find the needs that exist in the projects that they are working on to produce the requirements for learning the critical new stuff. If I can do that and prove at least reasonably well at learning this stuff I should have a job at this company.

The only thing I didn't ask was what day I start as a paid intern! I will talk with the president later on tonight about pay. He's going to call up a local college because this is sort of a first for them. The lead developer started knowing MySQL and learned everything else...I'm approaching this from the opposite way where I know everything else and am learning MySQL. I can see my disadvantage as he (and I'm certain most of you folks here) build a site around a database.

If I become a regular part of the team I'll be jumping in and out of a new project in less then an hour so I plan on keeping an at-work journal of some sort to leave notes for my future self on what I need to look at (file/line/concept/goal/etc). I think that may help me prove I'm not a bump on a log. It'll definitely be different from working on one project for a couple weeks as I've been used to. Again the paid internship is a trial for both the company and I to see if it'll fit. Worst case scenario we part ways amicably and I can catch up repeating and interview in half a year. Of course it's Florida and it's finally starting to get nice outside so I'd like to get the job now and save up for a car so I can get to and from work by the time it gets obnoxiously hot outside.

Any way I'm going to be concentrating on MySQL for the next two weeks or so. I've got the PHP covered as far as the lead developer is concerned so I'm going to stick to trying to find new and exotically insane stuff to learn. I'm sure you guys have a list ready for me. :mrgreen:

Also I've created a test account (user: test; pass: test) on the link in my last post if any one wants to poke around without registering. The best thing you guys can do to help me is suggest business applications that require some more advanced database designs so you guys can help me determine what I need to learn. Obviously when I start I'll bring home some ideas to work with. I'll most likely know when I'll start later tonight after I talk with the president. I'm ready for tomorrow morning though I have a feeling it might not be until Monday, we'll see. If it's Monday it'll give me the opportunity to learn more then just a left join as after all I'm sure there will be a dizzying array of things to learn. For the moment I'm going to get cracking on getting a working example of a left-join...

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:22 pm
by JAB Creations
Just got off the phone again and will know the starting date most likely after I speak with the president again tonight. The lead developer wants me to get comfortable with MySQL in the console typing commands and such. He also wants me to practice doing a lot of inserts and just pushing data to a database. I suspect this may lead me to thinking of how I could potentially better store data. Any way I'm working on joins and the like right now. I'll most likely start next Monday...a little time to get myself acquainted with the heavier concepts of database designs.

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:24 pm
by onion2k
Awesome news mate. I do like it when one of our own does well. I'm very happy for you.

My advice now would be to spend a few afternoons reading the MySQL manual. Starting here.

:drunk:

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:41 pm
by panic!
You'll probably be using some sort of abstraction or DAO in the 'real world' stuff but it is very important to get to grips with mysql in a hands on and dirty way too.

Congrats.

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:54 pm
by JAB Creations
Thanks guys though I'm not out of the woods yet! :twisted:

I'll give the MySQL site more time when I've got the bulk of my day ahead of me though I did do a little reading.

I talked with the president over the phone and well...eh, I'm basically doing the two week internship barely above minimal wage. It's mostly to see if I can adapt quickly enough in the span of two weeks. I'm not a heavy hitter like you guys though it'll be interesting to see if I can catch up in a <span>short time</span>. :mrgreen:

After the two weeks they'll decide whether I'm able to adapt quickly enough as they need me to become an asset to the team. It's a business and businesses exist to make money, not R&D like I've been doing in my spare time. The lead says I remind him of himself a few years back so I can only presume I'm on the right path.

I'll go in for a few hours on Friday to get setup in their system and warmed up for Monday. I'll attempt to get some homework I can work on so I can give myself even one more advantage if possible. Today I've been messing with print_r (with while just now) for a left join...I think! Also went in to MySQL via DOS. I'm writing down notes...notes notes notes! I plan on doing a lot more notes! That way I don't have to ask the lead developer to reiterate something he just said five minutes ago and minimize verbal queries, he'll still have work he has to accomplish I imagine!

I'm going to use the remainder of the week and this weekend to do mainly three things! 1.) Learn as much MySQL as I can! 2.) Sleep, eat, and all the associated jazz! 3.) Fit a LAN party without ending up being out past 10pm (which normally I'd easily be out past 4am). I've got a thread or two going in the database forum if any one wants to help me get past whatever -> is in DOS? :wink:

...the nice thing is I have been allowed to use the available resources to write the requested code and I'll have the same opportunity during the internship of course with a MySQL guru physically there to help me out (and I haven't forgotten the help I'm getting here!) These are exciting times! :drunk:

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:13 am
by jaoudestudios
Well done dude, they definitely like you and can see your potential.

I am sure you will pick MySql very quickly. Its not so bad. You understand relational databases which is very important.

Keep us posted! :drunk:

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:22 am
by Paul Arnold
Congratulations mate. Sounds like things are looking good :drunk:

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:43 pm
by JAB Creations
I signed an NDA, not sure I am even allowed to mention the NDA or company name? Went in Friday for a few hours, will have my own system on Monday to start working on code.

I'm taking the project that I submitted and working on Build 6 where I'm converting it to a blog format. In two weeks I'll know if I have a permanent position.

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:33 pm
by JAB Creations
It's been a week and they haven't thrown anything heavy at me. I'm working with database stuff obviously as that is what any developer would be working with. Mostly practice scripting, inserts, and retrieving data from MySQL. I didn't get much sleep Wednesday night and less sleep Thursday night so I was really bombing Friday morning. Thankfully I snapped out of it by noon. Everyone is really friendly and I've never had the opportunity to work in such an environment. It's interesting trying to determine what I have to remain conservative about and what I am allowed to be liberal with as far as code goes. I don't have to worry about dial-up as a demographic in example. I come home every day and I've been playing Oblivion again so my own work has taken a back seat.I'm not used to a database on a different machine though it's made me have to use MySQL more inside of PHP to figure out what is in whichever database I'm working with. I'm getting used to their setup and approach to things. Thank goodness tonight we set our clocks back an hour so I effectively woke up at 10am then. :mrgreen: The only paper work I've signed thus far is the NDA. If they approached me what other paper work should I expect to fill out? I'm not making jack squat for the first two weeks as I'm still doing the internship. Any way thanks again to everyone for their support. Things overall look pretty good. Next weekend I should know for sure whether it's a permanent job or not.

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:43 pm
by baoky
PHP Lead Developer seems very experience.Image

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:07 am
by jaoudestudios
Hey dude,

Sorry I have not been keeping up. But it sounds like all is going well. Keep us posted!

I have a huge deadline for next week, so after then I should be around more. Managers trying to cram a 5 month project into 4 weeks just to demo - never done so much fudging in my life.

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:26 am
by onion2k
jaoudestudios wrote:Hey dude,

Sorry I have not been keeping up. But it sounds like all is going well. Keep us posted!

I have a huge deadline for next week, so after then I should be around more. Managers trying to cram a 5 month project into 4 weeks just to demo - never done so much fudging in my life.
$50 says that if you get the job and come to write the proper application at least one manager will say "5 months? But we've already got a working version!" and point to your demo. :banghead:

I've been doing web dev too long. :(

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:03 am
by jaoudestudios
Hahaha...yep that is what I am afraid of too! But I have made it very clear that is not going to happen - but what do I know, I am just a developer who is treated like a mushroom, kept in the dark and fed s**t! The demo site is being demoed all this week, so I will have feedback next week.

When I come to rebuild the site I am thinking of using cake, is it good and easy to learn?

Sorry to hijack your thread JAB Creations :wink:

Re: PHP Lead Developer Interview: Your suggestions please!

Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:06 am
by JAB Creations
Well I didn't end up getting the job. Simply put they only have one developer and they really need someone with strong database skills. I only started working with MySQL earlier this year and didn't really concentrate on it until this past summer.

However I did leave on good terms and I can reapply in half a year if they find a second senior developer and I can join as a junior developer. I didn't care either way and actually prefer my freedom as is right now.

I got a little business experience, saw their approach to automation, got paid for my time, learned how to do relational databases, and discovered Sarasota isn't completely tech dead (it's simply mostly tech dead) so I'd hardly say it was a waste of my time.

One of the fruits of the encounter (remember they made the initial approach) was that the original project I worked on (and learned how relational databases work) ended up evolving in to what is now a nearly completed blog. The software is completely written by yours truly. I still have a few things I need to do before it's complete though it sure as heck blows WordPress out of the water (for what I need it to do). You guys are welcomed to check out the preview...
http://www.jabcreations.com/members/blog.php

I did achieve one of my two new year's resolutions this year: learn how to use MySQL. In fact I think I went a little beyond that point. I already have next year's new year's resolution set in my mind.

Any way I really appreciate all the help and support you guys have provided. I'll post my blog's code in the critique forum once it's finished most likely later on this week.