Are you looking to hire a PHP developer? If so, then you need to make sure that they have the following skills before hiring them. This blog post will cover 6 key skills that every good PHP developer should have in order to be successful at their job.

Even though PHP is an older language, it is still widely used in the industry today. However, knowing how to write codes using this dynamic programming language isn’t enough to be a good developer. In order for your PHP developer to be successful, they need to have the following six additional key skills.

 

6 must-have PHP Developer skills

 

Expertise in PHP Design Patterns

Currently we have about 80 design patterns that are used in computer science. However, each language only has a few of them implemented into its core library and PHP is no different.

Consider these design patterns as a ‘toolbox’ that you can use to solve problems and make your code easier to maintain.

It is therefore imperative that a PHP developer knows how to use them for their code modifications and implementations to be successful – an important requirement for producing quality software codes.

The most popular design patterns that are used in PHP go by the names of Singleton, Factory, Strategy, Abstract, Prototype and Decorator.

You should expect your PHP developer to be familiar with a couple of these design patterns.

 

Proficiency in Front-end programming languages

A good PHP developer should be well versed in HTML, CSS and JavaScript to be successful in their career.

Why is this necessary?

Front-end technologies such as HTML and CSS are used for creating the structure of a web page, while JavaScript is needed to bring life to these pages. Together, these three languages are the building blocks of every web page you visit. But most importantly from the users’ perspective, these are what make your web pages user-friendly. And we all know how creating a good user experience is crucial for website success.

So, when a PHP developer is well versed in programming languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript to be able to link them together with PHP code, this will help them build better websites.

 

Sound knowledge of working with Composer, PSR, PHPUnit

PHP developers would require certain tools in order to write better code.

First off, Composer is a dependency manager for PHP, which helps developers get access to libraries and frameworks with the only requirement being that they are installed as Composer packages. 

Secondly, PSR (PHP Standard Recommendation) is a coding standard for writing PHP codes, and it helps developers write better code by making sure they follow a set of standards and best practices.

Thirdly, PHPUnit is used for unit testing PHP codes, which makes it easier to identify bugs and write better code.

As you can guess, if a PHP developer is not familiar with these tools, then they will not be able to deliver great code. This is why it’s important for them to know and understand the working of Composer, PSR and PHPUnit before starting their job.

 

Working knowledge of Database technologies

Data is what drives this digital world and someone who is proficient in data-driven technologies will be valuable to any company.

So if a PHP developer knows how to build robust data structures using databases, it will make them more valuable.

MySQL is the most popular open source relational database management system used by PHP developers.

In the barest, PHP developers should be able to interact with MySQL in code, but it’s also important for developers to understand SQL queries in order to be able to construct them properly. This will enable PHP developers to get the best performance from a database.

The bottom-line is that a PHP developer should be aware of the various database technologies, and should be able to make sense of them in order for them to work more efficiently.

 

Excellent Communication Skill

Don’t forget to keep communication skills at the top of your list. Infact, this is one of the most important soft skills that any kind of developer should possess.

For starters, good communication skills will enable a person to effectively communicate with the clients, and this is what will make them more valuable.

Furthermore, it’s also important for a PHP developer to be able to communicate with other members of the team, like designers and testers.

And lastly, if they’ll be working in an Agile environment with things constantly changing, then having an excellent communication skills in order to be able to communicate effectively with team members is non-negotiable

And when we speak of communication skills, we mean being good in both writing and speaking.

The developer should be able to explain complex technical things in an easy-to-understand manner. Since they will have to participate in meetings with clients from time-to-time this will help their team members and other stakeholders to be on the same page as them, which in turn helps create a better product.

So, if you’re looking for a PHP developer to join your team and communication skill is not prominent in their skills set, then you might want to rethink your hiring decision.

 

Adaptability

In this fast-paced world, the only thing that changes is everything. So if you want to stay ahead of competition and be relevant in the market, then you need to be adaptable.

An adaptable team is better able to deliver value in the long run as it helps them respond quickly to changes and deliver excellent customer service.

In the same manner, a PHP developer should be able to quickly learn and understand new technologies, frameworks and tools. This will make them more valuable as they won’t be dependent on others to get things done.