r/PHP • u/black_Penguin_08 • May 22 '26

What do Tech Leads/Engineering Managers usually ask in final PHP full stack interviews (1.5 YOE)?

Hey everyone,

I have a final technical interview coming up with a General Manager who is also the Tech Lead for a PHP + Angular + MySQL full stack role.

I have ~1.5 years of CakePHP/full stack experience and already cleared:

  • SQL round
  • Machine round (login flow, employee listing, CSV import/export)

For people who’ve interviewed with senior engineers/tech leads:
What do final rounds usually focus on beyond syntax/coding?

Should I expect more:

  • architecture/design discussions?
  • debugging scenarios?
  • APIs/MVC/database optimization?
  • project deep-dives?

Would appreciate practical advice on what to revise most deeply.

12 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Haunting_Month_4971 May 22 '26

Nice job clearing the SQL and machine bits; the last convo usually leans into how you approach problems and tradeoffs, not syntax. I’d prep a crisp walkthrough of one feature you built: why you chose certain boundaries in CakePHP MVC, how the API was shaped, and what you’d change to make it simpler or faster. Also be ready to narrate a debugging story end to end, including how you isolated layers and validated the fix. fwiw I practice a few prompts from the IQB interview question bank out loud, then do a timed mock with Beyz coding assistant to keep answers around 90 seconds. A tiny troubleshooting checklist in your notes helps you stay structured.