Got work as PHP programmer, but feeling uncertainty if I have what it takes

Question

Hi, i finally got a job as a php programmer, went to the first interview and got called for a second one, where they tested my skills, but were very easy excercices.

But i'm afraid i might not have the knowlege needed. Is it only me? How was your first time working as a programmer? Were you afraid you did not new enough?

Answer 1

yes - and actually I did not know enough.
It took me hours what should have taken 30 minutes.

Well - I was beginner.
Now I sometimes work with newbies.
They normally get noncritical tasks. The only expectations is, that they are able to get the needed knowledge themselves.
Google, books, youtube....
They get 2 hours per week to ask questions the first three months.

So - beginnners dont need complete knowledge but they must be willing to learn.

Answer 2

Interviews are supposed to be sessions in which employers identify whether or not you are suited for the job, and a job which suits you may not be a job which you can handle well straight off the bat.

Passing all the tests is certainly a plus - They probably do not have the time to train you from scratch. That aside, your employer(s) may have took into account your other qualities - Being punctual, responsible, willing to learn, cooperative, competitive, etc.

In a sense, not knowing enough is not a problem. If I was leading a team, I don't necessarily need a know-it-all. All I need is someone who is willing to learn, who is dedicated to the task. If you have these qualities, there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of. Stay determined!

Answer 3

Oma Falk Well said. I totally agree, willing to learn is the most important thing. Most of the (active) knowledge will be acquired on the job.

Answer 4

Only 3 things you need to do.
1. Practice
2. Practice
3. Practice

Answer 5

Marc Maurer sag bloß du bist auch so einer von den oldies auf SL.

Answer 6

Congratulations!!!

If the interview questions were easy, as you said, then you know enough for what they were looking for. (Otherwise they should have asked harder questions.)

Keep up the good work!

Answer 7

Marc Maurer ok.... ist aber über 20 Jahre her.

Answer 8

Marc Maurer ja richtig erkannt. 😃

Answer 9

I had the same feelings but in the end you will improve during the job and my supervisors even seemed to be more happy about the results than myself.

I'm always full of doubts and think I could be better. Maybe that's one of the features that makes you a good programmer, however you should also learn not to be too hard to yourself, otherwise you might loose your passion. Almost happend to me 🙉

So keep improving, but don't expect to know "everything".
The way you deal with unkown tasks is more important :)

Answer 10

Marc Maurer big big not far away from basel

Answer 11

I had the same feeling when i first started working but with time and constant practice that fear disappeared.

Answer 12

Oma Falk Ich nehme das als Kompliment. :) Meine professionelle Einstiegsdroge war COBOL, davor natürlich BASIC und etwas Pascal

Answer 13

well i was not good at, but i started becaming better when i was learning html then javascript then C# and so on...

Answer 14

That seems to be a nice place to work, @Oma Falk. :) I hope, once I‘m good enough, to have an employer like that.

Answer 15

Half of the experience will be gotten through the work. So don't worry because everyone is learning... whatever they really do.

Answer 16

i am not afraid to work as PHP programmer because, it's exciting to learn new stuffs and improve my skills.

Answer 17

@Oma Falk Jetzt hast du mich neugierig gemacht. Gib mir noch ein Jahr dann melde ich mich dort ;)

Answer 18

Oma Falk Damals hatte ich den Pfad des Programmierers bereits verlassen.

Answer 19

it's ok to feel that way. you will learn what u need to learn, don't stress it. just keep on working hard and don't forget the open source community!

Answer 20

Congratulations! I am gonna start as Python programmer in 3 days, and i dunno much about it. xD I feel the same way like you, but i am sure i will manage it.