I sent a custom email application to a web development agency in my town, I sent them my portfolio and I email them a custom mock up too of their web in responsive design because theirs wasn’t responsive.
They we’re impressed as I imagined and they replied fast. However they told me that:
1- They don’t use frameworks to build websites (like bootstrap which is the one I used)
2- They told me that the use just HTML+CSS+PHP (+mySql) to build them and they ask if I would be comfortable using them.
I don’t know what to reply exactly, because I am comfortable designing responsive in CSS withouth bootstrap but in the other hand I havent used PHP ever…
I do have some mysql knowledge too but every little.
Should I just say No?
should I start learning PHP to apply better in future applications? I doubt because I’ve been putting a lot of time to get myself comfortable in building with Node.js. However the node stuff is a little utopia because in my country there’s isn’t still so many tech modern businesses but just agencies like this ones that use old php
Herein lies your answer. If most of the web development jobs you are likely to be applying for ask for PHP, then it would likely be a good idea to learn PHP.
Is PHP something that can be learned fast to increase success interview?
It’s a fully fledged programming language. You can learn the basics as fast as any other language. You can’t currently answer that you would be comfortable using it, but you should be willing to learn it if it’s necessary, and imo you should tell them that. Every company wants people that exactly fit their spec, but that rarely happens and very often they are happy with someone who has at least some of the skills necessary + a willingness and aptitude for learning those missing skills.
Just as an FYI, you’ll severely restrict your job opportunities if you reject based on the fact that the company uses a tool you aren’t familiar with. Every company either uses different tools to the ones you know, or at the very least will use some of the tools you do know in a different way than you. It would be really nice if you only went for jobs that exactly match the skills you have, but this is never ever going to be the case.
Thanks for the reply, I was thinking too of tell them exactly that. I think I’ll start learning the basics of PHP too to learn at least to build a basic website with it. I hope I have good luck and I get hear back from them!!
That definitely shouldn’t be too hard: it is easy to build simple things in PHP. Be careful about finding tutorials though: it’s existed as long as the internet and a helluva lot of stuff online may well be [very] outdated. AFAIK [haven’t used it for years so someone else on here would be better placed to comment] a lot of the serious flaws have been cleaned up a bit, and supposedly it’s a Pretty OK Language™ nowadays
Grasping the basics of PHP is as easy as with any other language. The rest will come with practice, no worries.
Just like Dan told you, don’t be afraid of learning something new. Developers NEED to learn everyday. I’m working as a front end and back end (PHP/Laravel) developer and I’ve NEVER learnt so much in a single year. Still an unimaginable amount of things to learn, but happily waiting to learn them.
I don’t know how the things done in that agency you’ve mentioned but when I was a web-dev freelancer I’ve last used pure PHP maybe like 15 years ago or so. And if they use any framework or CMS it’s better to jump into it right away because it probably would have it’s own structure and rules and the only thing which would link it to php - is a $ sign before variable
