php career?

[abc123]

I was just wanting to ask the people who do php as a career how they find it.

I am about to go into my last year of Computer Science and it is time that I choose my career.

I have done php sites in the past and have been learning for quite a while now but have never had to do it professionally.

What is it like having a time limit to complete things for the 'boss'? Does it take the fun out of it?

I would hate to start a career in php and then find all the fun zapped out of it.

[jdorsch]

I wouldn't say that you have to choose 'PHP' as a career. Its more web programming. Part of the fun, at least the fun for me, is learning new things. First it was CGI, then ASP, then Cold Fusion, next PHP, now I am learning Flex, ruby, and some java where needed. You should have an open mind as to what is out there so you can grab the best tool for a specific task.

Any programming job you are going to have the 'boss' breathing down your neck. If you are on your own then its the customer breathing down your neck. Personally I find deadlines with consequences keep me from goofing off. Other than the deadlines all the programming jobs I have had have been pretty much the boss saying, "I have no idea what you actually do, all I care is that it does X and is done by Y". So if you get a boss like that you have the freedom to get the job done however you see fit in whatever language you feel is best. If someone was telling me how to code though I wouldn't like it.

[stoneygossard]

Personally I find deadlines with consequences keep me from goofing off.

I have just set out as a PHP freelancer taking on smallish jobs but it is generally the case that you get penalised a percentage of your pay per day late!

So it definitely is a great incentive to not goof off!

I do however think that you should concentrate on ONE web programming language and get into it in depth as the rest of them are similar enough then when you reach a certain level of competence.

Stoney

[pohopo]

I would say the fun you get out of programming will rest a lot on your own attitude and not the boss. I know friends who will complain regardless of the situation. Either they are not pushed to do anything or they are pushed to hard. Some are born to complain.