The document discusses six extra skills that every PHP developer should have to succeed as an independent contractor. The skills are: knowledge of JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3 for full-stack web development; understanding what you don't know to accurately assess project bids; strong business communication skills; understanding basic business finances; project management abilities; and networking with other developers and past clients. Mastering these additional skills can help PHP developers compete and find more work in the growing freelance market.

1. SIX EXTRA SKILLS EVERY PHP
DEVELOPER SHOULD HAVE
Published:: May 06, 2015
hmftj
PHP development is hot right now, but there are
also lots of people in PHP development. If you
want to make it as an independent PHP developer
you’ve got to know more than just PHP. Here are
six other essential skills you need to succeed as a
PHP developer.

2. 1. JAVASCRIPT,HTML5&CSS3

3. It isn’t enough these days to just know
how to write PHP code. If you want to start
a PHP business, you’ve also got to know
how to properly code websites using
HTML and CSS as well. Chances are likely
that in your projects you’ll have to fix
mistakes that designers make, so you’ll
need to know how to do that – and how to
do it well. If you don’t know these other
languages along with PHP, you’re going to
be outbid for many jobs by contractors
who are much more well-versed in web
development than you are.

4. 2. Knowing What You Don’t
Know

5. As important as it is to make
sure you can do as much as possible
towards developing websites, it’s also
important to know what you don’t know.
This is a skill some new PHP developers
seem to forget when starting out in a
market where it’s hard to find entry-level
PHP development jobs. You’ve got to
understand how to read proposal requests
and how to put in bids on jobs that you can
do competently. Otherwise, you’ll end up
over committing yourself and damaging
your reputation in the long run.

6. 3. Business Communication

7. As a freelance or contract PHP
developer, you’ll be the one communicating
with all your clients. Learn how to use a
phone to ensure that email messages are
received, and learn how to communicate
like a professional. Lots of techie types
have trouble with basic business
communication (which is probably why they
choose to work at home by themselves in
the first place). If this is you, go take a class
on business communication, or talk to a
professional about how you can improve
these skills.

8. 4. Business Finance

9. Again, as a one-man (or woman)
business, you’ll be managing your own
business’ finances. You don’t necessarily
have to learn how to do your own taxes,
which can be tricky for independent
contractors, but you should certainly learn
how to manage the day-to-day finances of
your business. This includes learning how to
set a fair rate for yourself based on the
market rates and the taxes that you’ll have to
pay out of your business income.

10. 5. Project Management

11. As an independent contractor, you
won’t have anyone over your shoulder
begging you to get a project done by a
certain deadline. You’ll also most likely be
juggling multiple projects and multiple
clients at any given time, so make sure you
know how to manage your own time, write
proposals, and manage the scope of your
projects so that you can commit and
deliver and build a great reputation for
yourself.

12. 6. Networking

13. Networking with other freelance
PHP designers – and web development
freelancers in other niches – can help you
find more jobs and get referrals.
Use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to
network with other developers, as well as
with clients you work for or have worked
for in the past. Networking skills can be
invaluable in a competitive job market.

14.  According to Elance.com – one of
the leading freelance sites for web
developers and freelancers in many
other niches – 2011 was a record
year for online freelance work.
Online hiring has more than doubled
since 2010, and the number of
businesses who are hiring on Elance
more than doubled, as well. That
spells good things for PHP
professionals who have the skills
they need to succeed.

15.  These six skills are essential for
most freelancers, but if you’re a PHP
developer, they may be even more
important. Web development is an
extremely competitive field, and
breaking in at the lower levels is
tough. Once you’ve gained these
skills and gotten your career rolling,
though, you can enjoy exciting jobs,
flexibility, and great pay as an
independent PHP developer.