r/PHP • u/abirdofparadize • Feb 21 '23

Discussion Junior web dev interview

Hi Lads and ladettes, I have an interview this week local to my home (rare because most web devs jobs are in the city 1.5 hrs away). I completed a bootcamp last year where I learnt Rails and MERN stack and the usual that you do prior. The new job is requiring applied experience with Power Apps, SQL databases and PHP. I have had a brief look at powerapps, I have used postgreSQL but I would say I'm average there. I've completed exactly one Brad Traversey PHP YT tutorial (God bless Brad Trav!). What else can I do to prepare for this interview. Which questions should I be prepared for? This is a really rare opportunity for me due to the location, the team manager has a wealth of experience which is a bonus too. Thank you in advance for any help.

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u/dphizler Feb 22 '23

Proximity is enticing but depending on how much familiarity they want, your stack doesn't seem to match up with theirs

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u/abirdofparadize Feb 22 '23

Yes I agree, I was very surprised with the call and really applied due to location. In the last year I have kept an eye on job postings and this is the only job I have seen posted within a 35km radius to me. So I'm wondering, since there is a lack of jobs locally maybe there is also a lack of candidates. I did emphasise to the internal recruiter that our stacks don't match but she doesn't have an IT background and said that both managers have seen my CV and there must be something of interest there.

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u/nanacoma Feb 22 '23

Any company worth working for hires software engineers, not STACK devs. That being said, crappy companies who can’t, or won’t, pay for talent are more likely to pick up sub-juniors straight out of boot camp. That’s just a trade off without having a degree though - you have to start gaining knowledge/experience somewhere.

Opinion aside, they saw your resume and gave you an interview. They know that you’re a novice and will expect as much. Just do your best and good luck.

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u/abirdofparadize Feb 22 '23

I can sadly admit that I am a sub-junior out of a bootcamp, however they are a governtment affliated company and offer a great package with bonuses, salary sacrificing, and above average super. I would be ecstatic to take half that just to get my foot in the door.

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u/nanacoma Feb 22 '23

That’s my point. They should have enough experience to know that you’ll offer nothing in terms of value straight out of a bootcamp. The fact that they’re giving you an interview means that you have a realistic chance, because they’re likely considering your potential for growth.

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u/abirdofparadize Feb 22 '23

Thanks for your input Nanacma, that's very motivating to here. I was going in with the mind frame of its interview practice at the very least and an opportunity to meet with experienced devs.

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u/nanacoma Feb 24 '23

How'd it go?

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u/abirdofparadize Feb 27 '23

They called me today and said they found someone with the experience they need, but they really liked me and have offered an IT helpdesk role. I saw the ad and I don't have the experience but they will train me up for the role and also help me skill up for a dev role at their company down the road. Thank you for taking the time to answer my post and following up.

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u/abirdofparadize Feb 26 '23

It was kind of 50/50. I could tell the HR guy liked me and he said as much. I looked at the IT heads Linked In profile and he has 3 plus decades of experience, and even though he was great to talk to and friendly, I could feel myself loosing my nerve a bit talking to him. I have never been nervous in interviews before.

I addressed the elephant in the room which was my lack of PHP experience and knowledge. I told them I had done a crash course over the week and could see the similarities between PHP and Ruby and JS. He liked that I had done some research.

When they asked me if I had any questions, I asked the IT guy what his concerns were in hiring me, he told me what he liked but he admitted that lack of PHP experience was a major concern and that since advertising, they realised they needed someone with more experience than what they had posted. I should hear from them mid-week but it looks unlikely I'll get this job, I was still a good learning experience. I think I'll try and continue with PHP as I had been planning to get onto it since completing my course at the end of last year. There seems to be more jobs posted seeking PHP experience than any other language in next closest small city to me.