Interview Preparation Tips for PHP Job
PHP is a widely used, general-purpose scripting language. It is particularly suited for server-side web development. You can easily find PHP Interview Questions and Answers on the internet. The interview tips given here will give you a framework to prepare for a PHP job interview.
Research
Some research is necessary to properly prepare for an interview. You should find out about the company, the job and the interview.
You should know some basic things about the company such as its mission statement, major product or project, clients, competitors, role in the market etc.
The second and even more important part is Job. This includes your actual job description, the project or projects you are working on, future growth prospects, etc.
Last but not least is the interview itself. Find out who will conduct the interview, what type of questions are expected, whether personal and technical rounds of the interview are combined or separate etc.
Modify Resume
Rewrite your resume keeping the job in mind. Emphasize skills and experiences that are more relevant to the job in question. Eliminate skills that are not relevant to the job if you feel that your command of them may not be sufficient.
Basics
The technical interview will most likely be a major part of your job selection process. You must have basic knowledge of PHP language to crack the technical interview. For this, you should refer to some textbooks and also go through the interview questions available online to refresh and supplement the knowledge of the textbook.
MySQL
PHP is widely used for web development and whether the platform is Linux, Windows or Mac, it is almost certain that you will be working with MySQL as well. You should be familiar with MySQL and should be able to create dynamic web pages using both PHP and MySQL DBMS. It is likely that the interviewer won’t go very deep but at least you should be able to connect to the database using PHP and activate a select query. Check out Python interview questions and answers.
HTML
Since the job will likely be related to web development, you should also be familiar with HTML and preferably CSS and XML.
Framework
Depending on the company, your experience and the job you are applying for, questions may also be asked about the PHP framework, its features, advantages, disadvantages, etc.
Practices
These questions will be about best practices when using PHP and will mainly be related to security, efficiency, architecture etc.
Behavioural Questions
The interview questions will also include behavioural questions. Search the Internet for common behavioural questions and prepare your own answers to them. Whenever possible, be truthful while answering such questions. You can present the fact in a way that suits you but avoid outright lying or doing incidents outright.
Personal Questions
Personal questions are intended to judge your desire and interest in the job, as well as how to do a good job in the company environment. Prepare for expected questions but before answering in an interview take time to think and answer in a smooth and personal manner. Avoid ready-made or generic answers as they do not tell the interviewers anything about you and can only help annoy them.
Make Notes
Make notes of important points while preparing for the PHP interview. These notes will help to refresh your memory and will be useful for future interviews and can also serve as a quick reference.
Formulate Questions
You would like to be asked if you have any questions. Never say that you have no questions. None of the questions shows either your lack of interest or just plain old laziness. Prepare some questions in advance. Make sure they are focused on the company, job description, technologies, platforms and processes used. Avoid matters of money or other benefits at this time. This interview is about the company and what you can do for them. If the interviewer brings up the subject of money, say that it is negotiable and give a reasonable and wide enough range. It’s good to formulate questions, but make them sound smooth and without rehearsal when asking.
Practice
The only way to master or learn a language, programming, scripting or others, is to use it. Try to solve practice problems and also make some sample applications once you are proficient enough. They will provide valuable practical experience with the language as well as improve your understanding of the language.
The tips above are by no means comprehensive, but they do provide a good general guideline for preparing for your PHP job interview. Since the job you are applying for is technical, the personal interview should be comparatively easy, as long as you follow the general interview rule. Dress professionally and be prepared. Arrive on time Listen carefully to the interviewer and make sure you fully understand the question or problem before answering. Keep your answers short and simple. Don’t answer yes or no, as the interviewer wants to know your level of knowledge and thought process, but at the same time, don’t elaborate unnecessarily. It is best to give high marks and ask the interviewer if they want a detailed answer. If asked to solve a relatively complex problem, talk while solving so that the interviewer knows how you are solving the problem and how you think.
