LO1
Investigate & analyse the use of PHP 5.0.0 & MySQL in the interactive media industry.
Consider the requirements of currently advertised interactive media based positions, alongside recognised industry skill support services to produce a 500 word [±10%] journal entry to give detail of findings.
LO2
Develop the skills necessary to use PHP 5.0.0 & MySQL 5.0.0 in an interactive media brief.
Make use of a series of online & paper based tutorials / reference materials whilst producing an illustrated, weekly learning diary.
LO3
Plan & execute a simple interactive media brief using PHP 5.0.0 & MySQL 5.0.0.
Develop a standards compliant web site making use of PHP 5.0.0 & MySQL 5.0.0 derived from a simple interactive media brief.
L04
Evaluate final product & use of the self managed learning plan.
Write an evaluative journal post each week concluding with a 1000 word [±10%] summative journal entry.
Client
Jamie Lorriman is a professional photographer who has been in the industry for around 5 years (since leaving school), most of which time has been spent working as a photographer for the Barnsley Chronicle.
Jamie is savvy web user & has limited experience working with HTML as well as image manipulation software such as Photoshop.
When he isn’t working at the Chronicle, Jamie runs his own successful photography business and, with the current economic downturn, Jamie has decided to invest time in commissioning a web site; the purpose of which is twofold.
Brief
Primarily, the web site would be used to promote the business and attract new work. Secondly, to it is act as a secure, individualised client sign off area to approve the shots before commitment to print (where applicable). There is scope for the project to expand if time & skills permit into a basic ordering system, though payment would not be taken through the site at this time.
Jamie already has the domain name (www.jamielorriman.co.uk) as well as a basic hosting package which can be upgraded / changed if required.
Dates for both pitching of designs & handover to be confirmed.
During my research I have discovered a number of currently advertised interactive media based positions. I would consider that the Interactive Media positions that I have examined are within a short commute from where I live and so making them realistic choices for analysis. Increasingly, the positions within the industry are requesting experience working with PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor and MySQL in either the essential or desirable skills sections.
Whilst the skill is typically associated with hardcore Back-end Developers, the increasing client demand for content management driven systems means that Front-end Designers are required to have ‘hands-on’ understanding of the technology thus blurring the lines between the roles, particularly in smaller companies.
Of the companies investigated, it is almost a prerequisite that 1 year or more commercial experience working with server side scripting language is required; it is apparent that working through tutorials & educational exercises simply isn’t enough to satisfy the requirements of employers. The value of experience is highlighted by the absence of specified qualifications required to fulfill the roles.
The value of learning a server side scripting language, such as PHP, yields incidental (yet significant) benefits including the understanding programming principles; this additional skill lends itself to learning other programming languages. In this instance, the demonstration of the discipline required for a self studied skill could be considered as a statement of character.
It would appear that positions requiring experience working with PHP commonly require knowledge of server side databases such as MySQL. As a result it would be fair to say that a candidate with experience of PHP as well as MySQL would be in a strong position for the roles I have explored.
It is apparent that during the current, difficult economic climate that jobs are in short supply, a problem that is exacerbated if you are unable to commute. As a result, a broad range of skills & knowledge is invaluable in the search for employment.
Skillset, a recognised industry skill support service, shows that a Web-Developer can have a healthy career spanning from Junior through to Senior positions. The assigned ‘weights’ of progression are defined primarily by levels of experience & ability, as there are no pre-defined career paths. My research shows that levels of pay vary significantly from entry level to more senior roles, as is to be expected.
Conclusion
Knowledge of PHP & MySQL is valuable and reaps benefits beyond simply learning the language itself. By gaining experience working with the server side scripting language and complimenting database, I feel that my level of employability and professional confidence will be increased significantly, though I do feel that there are other areas of development to be considered before I would be able to offer a company the ‘complete package’.