PHP Developer resume example
By Bhagirath Sheela, founder of JobCatch ·
A large share of Indian web work still runs on PHP — Laravel apps, WordPress sites and e-commerce stores — much of it at agencies serving clients at home and abroad. Employers want modern PHP, a framework, a database and proof you deliver client projects on time.
What recruiters look for
- Modern PHP (8.x) and Laravel, or WordPress and WooCommerce
- MySQL, REST APIs and payment-gateway integrations
- Client projects delivered, with what they achieved
- Security basics: SQL injection, XSS, CSRF
Section order
With experience
- Summary
- Skills
- Experience
- Projects
- Education
- Certifications
As a fresher
- Summary
- Education
- Skills
- Projects
- Internships
- Certifications
- Achievements
Summary examples
Fresher
PHP developer trained in Laravel and MySQL, with an internship building WordPress sites for three small businesses.
Experienced
PHP developer with five years at a web agency building Laravel applications and WooCommerce stores for clients in India, the UK and the UAE.
Skills, spelled the way postings spell them
An applicant tracking system matches the words in the job posting, and it does not reliably treat two spellings as one skill. The left column is the form most postings use; the right, other spellings people type. Use the posting's own spelling for each application, and list only what you can discuss in an interview.
| Skill | Also written as |
|---|---|
| PHP | — |
| Laravel | — |
| MySQL | My SQL |
| JavaScript | JS, ES6, ECMAScript |
| jQuery | — |
| HTML5 | HTML |
| CSS3 | CSS |
| REST APIs | REST, RESTful APIs, REST API |
| Git | Version control, GitHub, Bitbucket |
| Linux | Unix, Ubuntu, RHEL |
| Bootstrap | — |
Also worth listing if you have them: WordPress, WooCommerce.
Bullet examples
Each bullet says what you did and what changed because of it. Change the numbers to your own; a recruiter will ask about every one.
- Built 18 Laravel applications for agency clients, from booking systems to B2B order portals.
- Integrated Razorpay, PayU and Stripe for six e-commerce stores processing ₹2 crore a year.
- Upgraded a client's codebase from PHP 7.2 to 8.2 and Laravel 6 to 10, cutting page time by 30%.
- Closed the injection and cross-site scripting holes a security audit found across four legacy sites.
- Built a REST API for a client's mobile app on top of their existing Laravel backend.
For freshers: projects and internships
- Internship: built and launched WordPress sites for three local businesses.
- Built a Laravel college-events portal with login, registrations and an admin dashboard.
- Wrote a custom WooCommerce plugin for cash-on-delivery limits by PIN code.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing "Core PHP" with no framework. Most postings ask for Laravel or a CMS; show which you know.
- Not naming clients' industries or the results of the work. Agency experience is strongest when it is specific.
- Old version numbers. If you have worked on PHP 8, say so.
What an ATS reads from this sample
An applicant tracking system turns the PDF into plain text before anyone reads it. This is that text for the sample above, extracted by the same code as "What the ATS reads" in the app. Everything is in reading order, under the right heading, with the name and email intact — which is what a single-column template is for.
Imran Shaikh PHP Developer [email protected] | +91 98765 43210 | Indore, Madhya Pradesh | linkedin.com/in/imranshaikh Summary PHP developer with five years at a web agency building Laravel applications and WooCommerce stores for clients in India, the UK and the UAE. Technical skills PHP · Laravel · MySQL · JavaScript · jQuery · HTML5 · CSS3 · REST APIs · Git · Linux · Bootstrap · WordPress · WooCommerce Projects COD limit plugin WooCommerce plugin that sets cash-on-delivery limits by PIN code; used on four stores. Experience Senior PHP Developer, Webcraft Digital Agency May 2021 – Present Indore Built 18 Laravel applications for agency clients, from booking systems to B2B order portals. Integrated Razorpay, PayU and Stripe for six e-commerce stores processing ₹2 crore a year. Upgraded a client's codebase from PHP 7.2 to 8.2 and Laravel 6 to 10, cutting page time by 30%. PHP Developer, Netsquare Solutions Jun 2019 – Apr 2021 Indore Closed the injection and cross-site scripting holes a security audit found across four legacy sites. Built a REST API for a client's mobile app on top of their existing Laravel backend. Education B.E., Information Technology 2015 – 2019 Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science · 7.4 CGPA Languages English, Hindi
Interview questions to prepare
The app's interview prep for this sample and a plain PHP Developer posting. It works from the resume and the posting only, and tells you how to prepare, never what to say.
Questions every interview has
- Tell me about yourself. Two minutes: what you do now (Senior PHP Developer at Webcraft Digital Agency), one result you are proud of, and why this role is next.
- Why do you want this job? Read their website and one recent piece of news before the call. Name something specific.
- Why are you leaving your current job? Say what you are moving towards. Do not criticise your employer.
- What is your notice period, and what salary are you expecting? Decide your number before the interview, so you are not deciding it on the call.
About the skills the job asks for
- Tell me about a time you used JavaScript. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used PHP. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used HTML5. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used jQuery. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used Laravel. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
- Tell me about a time you used MySQL. Pick one real example: what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.
About what the resume claims
- You wrote: "Built 18 Laravel applications for agency clients, from booking systems to B2B order portals." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Integrated Razorpay, PayU and Stripe for six e-commerce stores processing ₹2 crore a year." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
- You wrote: "Upgraded a client's codebase from PHP 7.2 to 8.2 and Laravel 6 to 10, cutting page time by 30%." Expect three follow-ups: how exactly, what was your own part, and how you know it worked.
Questions to ask them
- What would a good first three months in this role look like?
- Who would I work with most closely?
- What are the next steps, and when should I expect to hear back?
Templates that suit this role
All of these are single-column and read cleanly by an applicant tracking system. Classic is free, with no watermark.
Questions
Are PHP jobs still worth applying for?
Yes. A large amount of the web runs on PHP, and Laravel and WordPress work keeps agencies and product companies hiring. Modern PHP and Laravel experience is what employers look for.
Should I list WordPress on a PHP developer resume?
If you have built themes or plugins, yes — that is development work. If you have only configured sites, put it lower or describe it as such.
Next: the PHP Developer cover letter the app drafts from this resume, and how to show JavaScript, REST APIs, Linux on a resume.
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