PHP Jobs

Hi, all. I have just graduated from University with a 2:1, and based my final year project on using PHP and MySQL, inwhich I have become fairly proficent in programming in PHP. I was just wondering what the current state of the industry is like regarding employment in the PHP field.

(I live in the UK)

Thanks for your help.

Tryst

I'm really not too sure about the UK, however, here in the US I have found that there really isn't a huge demand for a "PHP Programmer".

When there is, it is usually a small company just starting out that really doesn't have a ton of money to pay you; or on the other hand it is a company that is well established but just wants to same money on solution providers and has no idea how to execute that plan.

Sure, if you are lucky you can find a handful of jobs here and there as a PHP programmer, however, you will have much better luck by figuring out how to "Package" yourself as a:

1. solution provider
2. expert in something whether it is technical or marketing

One more thing to remember... have something to show. Don't walk into an interview claiming to know "DATABASES and SCRIPTING", and not have one project to show off your work.

Hopefully you took some gigs while in school and can use that to show off your skills.

>Hopefully you took some gigs while in school and can use that to show off your skills.<

For my final year project I implemented an on-line dental appointment system, that could also be used via mobile phones. The whole porject was fairly complex, and allowed registered patients to view, make, and update appointments. It also had a admistration section to the website, inwhich admin users could trigger certain functions, including sending SMS appointment reminders to patients with next day appointments. I could brag all day about my project, but I won't :-D

As this is my only real project that show cases my skills, I wondering what other people may suggest what else I may carry out which might look good on my C.V..

Thanks

Sell it and get permission to use the company name that you sold it to for reference. You don't have to sell it for much. Sell it for very cheap to get it out there, then create a website and offer the same package and put the REAL price tag on it. If the hiring company asks you if you sold it for that price just tell them that you gave your first customer a discount. You don't have to say how much.

PHP still is not a serious scripting language here in USA, its a practice of Academic Interest and developing personal and some non personal web sites with no or little budget, probably It will be serious language in future, hardly someone will hire you permanently for a long time to do something using PHP and MySQL.
Moreover, PHP learning curve is quite flat (which is great) and too many PHP geeks are there in the market.

i would have to disagree. i built devartcles.com with php and mysql, and we have entire commercial grade products developed in php (see devedit.com or webeditplatinum.com).

php and mysql are extremely popular with hosting companies and SME's because of their price (i.e. basically free) and ease of integration.

Yes, when you get to enterprise level, Java etc take over, but you can't beat PHP in a web environment (in terms of price, speed, ROI, etc)... and trust me, I've tried everything...

Its not viewed as a serious scripting langauge as few companies (and when i say companies, i mean actuall companies - not mom and pop's web page design) actually push the langauge. We are one company that actually pushes the language and have absolutely no problem getting the jobs we want.

One project we are working on right now is a massive inventory control system for the largest hardware flooring wholesale company here in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. The system will enable access to all registered contrators through the web - the web front end/back end will be driven by PHP and Firebird SQL.

The shrowroom floor will have two Kiosk systems for customers to view all options available for each different hardwood design that the customer can purchase - this will also be driven by PHP and delivered through an XUL Kiosk Browser (pumped up version of mozilla with access to the system running in kisk mode).

In short - PHP is just as easily sellable as any of the others, its all how you present it...

Isaac agrees with Mytch and jpenn.

Ha, I love it. I actually waited until other posters got into this before I put my 2cents on. Oh yeah, DudeThatWasRude, you definately hit a sweet spot. I'm curious... what have you noticed in the market that makes you believe that PHP and MySql are not serious solutions? I'd love to hear about it.

To laidbak

==================
When you are to write something against someone’s opinion, please use appropriate words, accent and the style.

If you do not know how to do it, see posting of mytch and Jpenn. These are very perfect example how to deny the opinion of other people.
And remember unlearning is more difficult than learning; so do not get frustrated when you do not know how to express yourself more educated way.

People post in this forum to express their opinion based on their own experiences, often these opinions are not scientifically proven. And these opinions are not for judgments but for discussion. When other people will read these posts, they may get a profound opinion and knowledge from the posting (otherwise, reader may think it just another “junk” discussion)

I have nothing against PHP or PHP programmers; I am trying to say PHP or MySQL still are not consider as serious tools for information processing (May be underestimated) across USA. In future I believe it will, like Linux is now getting into a very serious turn (for last 18 months especially).

I have expressed my opinion from my own experiences of working in hi-tech industries for last more than 11 years, when I involved in Software Engineering research, development and talent search.

Hope this post will make correct interpretation of what I wanted to say.

THANKS

Cheers guys for your knowledgeable replies/opinions.

I may seriously consider selling my project to a private dental surgery. The problem is, I think all my work produced within the University is classed as the University's work. But then i'm sure they'll never find out :-)

Did I offend you? I truly did not mean to if I did. Please let me know what part of my post you felt was in bad taste and I will either apologize if I see that it was wrong, or I will revise it. I am not sure I can agree with this part. It is not cool that you bash me for not presenting the same way mytch and Jpenn did. On top of that you attempt to imply I am uneducated. All I can say is, that wasn't cool.

Hi Trystano, I run a mobile solutions business in the UK, and am potentially looking to spin off a new business. The solution that you mentioned you developed, may be of interest to me. Can you provide any more information, around it's capability, structure etc?

Hi Adrian,

What aspect of the Project do you need to know about, the mobile phone application, website application, or the whole thing?

Notes:
Both applications integrated with the database (MySQL), and perform specific logic from the data contained in the database so that the correct data was displayed to the user.

the code contains some complex statements to perform operations such as SMS sending and displaying free appointments for a selected data, manipulating an entered data to ensure its a valid data. Let me know if you need an indepth insight.

Just a quick question, do you have a shortlist of mobile solution employers within the UK. The only ones I have come across so far are Vodafone, and O2. Can't seem to locate that many.

Cheers

Tryst