PHP development is one of the leading career choices these days. It is a very common platform utilized for the development of different types of web applications. It is easy-to-use only if you have basic knowledge concerning development. This web technology will never outgrow, which is why choosing this as your career will provide you with fruitful results. In order to excel and grow, there are various software development skills one needs to acquire. Lets deliberate on what are the top skills for a PHP developer, and what recruiters or contractors look towards while hiring a PHP development team.
Top Skills For PHP Developer
JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
It isn’t enough these days to just know how to write PHP code. If you want to start a PHP business, you’ve also got to know how to properly code websites using HTML and CSS as well. Chances are likely that in your projects you’ll have to fix mistakes that designers make, so you’ll need to know how to do that and also to do it well. If you don’t know these other languages along with PHP, you’re going to be outbid for many jobs by others who are much more well-versed in web development than you are.
Business Communication
As a freelance or contract PHP developer, you’ll be the one communicating with all your clients. Learn how to use a phone to ensure that email messages are received and learn how to communicate like a professional. Lots of techie types have trouble with basic business communication (which is probably why they choose to work at home by themselves in the first place). If this is you, go take a class on business communication, or talk to a professional about how you can improve these skills.
Project Management
As an independent contractor, you won’t have anyone over your shoulder begging you to get a project done by a certain deadline. You’ll also most likely be juggling multiple projects and multiple clients at any given time, so make sure you know how to manage your own time, write proposals, and manage the scope of your projects so that you can commit and deliver and build a great reputation for yourself.
There are other skills one must have to excel:
- Expertise on Web Servers, Back-end Database
Command over web servers, processes and configurations and good experience on building robust backend & database architecture are key skills. One should have exposure to both relational and non-relational databases.
- Competencies on full-Stack to build responsive applications
A full-stack developer is a rare finding, hence abilities to design and develop both the front-end as well as the back-end is going to propel a developer to the next level. Usage of different frameworks like Bootstrap, Angular etc. coupled with expertise on backend development will boost one as a top-rated PHP developer.
- Command over Deployment Architecture, especially cloud deployments
Top Skills for a PHP developer must include command overcloud deployment skills. Mostly one should have expertise on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or similar deployment environments.
- Software Design and Architecture skills to build more complex and larger applications
Design and Architectural skills, like Micro-Services-Architecture, MVC etc. are mandatory skills these days. Hence, the ability to design and architect complex & large scale applications is definitely one of the Top Skills for a PHP developer.
- Performance-oriented software development
One of the key factors that affect usability, user experience and search-engine-compliance is page loading speed or performance of the web app. Skills to understand, debug and support a scalable, high-traffic web application is surely one of the Top Skills for a PHP developer.
- Software security, and especially full understanding of OWSAP Standard & practices.
- Knowledge of Agile Development processes.
