PHP Skills

What is PHP?

PHP is a widely used open-source scripting language mostly for web application development. An interpreter like the Zend Engine must process PHP code. With a strong open-source community and large adoption worldwide, PHP and its alternate implementations continue to see use across the web from small hobby sites to large organizations such as Facebook.

What to use PHP for

• Server-Side Web Development: PHP is primarily used for server-side web development, enabling developers to create dynamic and interactive websites, web applications, and content management systems (CMS).
• Database Interaction: PHP provides built-in support for interacting with databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and others, allowing developers to perform database operations such as querying, inserting, updating, and deleting data.
• Form Processing: PHP is commonly used for processing form submissions on web pages, handling user input, validating data, and sending emails, enabling developers to create interactive and functional web forms.
• Session Management: PHP enables developers to manage user sessions and authentication, track user interactions, and store session data across multiple page requests, providing a seamless and personalized user experience.
• Server-Side Scripting: PHP can be used for server-side scripting tasks such as file manipulation, directory operations, HTTP request handling, and server configuration, extending its functionality beyond web development to various server-side tasks.

What is a PHP developer?

• Web Development Specialist: A PHP developer is a web development specialist who specializes in using PHP for server-side web development, creating dynamic and interactive websites and web applications.
• Proficient in PHP: A PHP developer is proficient in PHP programming language, including its syntax, data types, control structures, functions, and object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts, enabling them to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.
• Understanding of Web Technologies: A PHP developer has a solid understanding of web technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and HTTP protocol, and knows how to integrate PHP with frontend technologies to create full-stack web applications.
• Database Skills: A PHP developer is skilled in database management and SQL (Structured Query Language), including database design, querying, optimization, and normalization, enabling them to interact with databases effectively in PHP applications.
• Continuous Learner: A PHP developer is a lifelong learner who stays updated with the latest advancements in PHP language, web development frameworks, tools, and best practices, and actively seeks opportunities for learning and professional development.

Most important PHP developer skills in 2024

• PHP Frameworks: Proficiency in PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, and Yii, enabling developers to leverage pre-built components, libraries, and tools to accelerate development, improve code quality, and enhance security in PHP projects.
• Database Management: Strong database management skills, including database design, querying, optimization, and normalization, for effective interaction with databases in PHP applications and ensuring data integrity, security, and performance.
• Security Best Practices: Knowledge of security best practices and techniques for securing PHP applications against common security vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and session hijacking, to protect sensitive data and ensure user privacy.
• Web Development Tools: Familiarity with web development tools and technologies, including version control systems (e.g., Git), package managers (e.g., Composer), development environments (e.g., XAMPP, MAMP), debugging tools (e.g., Xdebug), and testing frameworks (e.g., PHPUnit), for efficient and collaborative development workflows.
• Problem-Solving and Troubleshooting: Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills for identifying and resolving issues and bugs in PHP code, including proficiency in debugging techniques, error handling, and performance optimization, to ensure smooth and reliable operation of PHP applications.

PHP resources

Check out our resources to continue sharpening your PHP skills.

Hired profiles help developers showcase their top tech skills

After passing Hired skills assessments, candidates have the chance to showcase their skills to employers. They can opt to present an ‘Assessments’ badge on their profile. Candidates may take various assessments including Programming Skills, Full Stack, Backend, Frontend, iOS, Android, Debugging, Dev Ops Generalist, and Dev Ops AWS.

Why should you hire PHP developers?

• Versatility and Flexibility: PHP developers bring versatility and flexibility to your web development projects, leveraging PHP’s simplicity and flexibility to create dynamic and interactive websites and web applications tailored to your specific requirements and business needs.
• Cost-Effectiveness: PHP developers offer cost-effective solutions for web development projects, thanks to PHP’s open-source nature, extensive community support, and availability of free and affordable tools, frameworks, and resources, allowing you to maximize your return on investment (ROI) and achieve your project goals within budget.
• Scalability and Performance: PHP developers help you build scalable and high-performance web applications, leveraging PHP frameworks, caching techniques, and optimization strategies to handle increasing traffic and user load and ensure fast and responsive user experiences.
• Reliability and Longevity: PHP has been a reliable and widely-used technology for web development for over two decades, powering millions of websites and web applications worldwide, and PHP developers bring a wealth of experience and expertise to your projects, ensuring their success and longevity in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Assess tech candidates for PHP skills

Looking for candidates skilled in PHP? Technical assessments are a multi-pronged solution. They allow you to streamline the hiring process and reduce bias with tech skill-focused benchmarks. 

Hired Assessments offer a library of hundreds of questions and customizable coding challenge campaigns tailored to technical preferences. Centralize and standardize your evaluation process as you surface top talent with specific, hard-to-find skills.

See how Mastercard and Axon used Hired Assessments to vet top candidates.