PHP certifications (2026): what shows up in job ads and when it’s worth it

For PHP roles, certifications are generally less common than in cloud/security. Most teams prioritize:

• framework experience (Laravel/Symfony) and engineering practices,
• quality (testing, maintainability),
• delivery basics (CI/CD, simple observability, debugging).

Still, some job ads mention certifications explicitly—especially when the role overlaps with cloud, security, or enterprise processes. That’s why it’s useful to look at real listing data.

TL;DR

• For PHP, projects and impact almost always matter more than certifications.
• If a certification is explicitly mentioned in listings, treat it as a useful bonus—not the main goal.
• The best plan: one clean project (API + auth + testing + CI) with a strong README.

What certifications show up in job ads (from active PHP listings)

The list below is built from explicit mentions in listings that include PHP on the platform.

When it’s worth pursuing a certification

Worth it if:

• the certification is explicitly mentioned in the roles you apply to,
• it helps you structure learning (e.g., cloud/security fundamentals),
• you already have the basics and want a shortlist signal.

Not worth it if:

• you use it as a substitute for projects and real examples,
• you can’t back it up with concrete stories.

Projects that validate your level (for PHP roles)

A simple but complete project shows real skill:

• a small API (CRUD + auth + rate limiting),
• tests (unit + feature) and a CI pipeline,
• minimal observability (logs, error handling, optional metrics),
• a short README section explaining decisions and trade-offs.

For senior roles, reviewers notice quickly:

• how you structure code and think about ownership (migrations, backwards compatibility),
• how you reduce risk (feature flags, rollouts, alerts),
• how you improve performance without breaking the product.

Strong CV bullets (PHP examples)

• “Refactored a critical flow (checkout/login) and reduced p95 latency via caching and query tuning (MySQL) without changing the public API.”
• “Added automated tests (feature + unit) and stabilized CI, reducing regressions during releases.”
• “Designed endpoints with rate limiting and audit logs for sensitive areas, improving traceability and reducing abuse.”

Quick checklist before you apply to a PHP role

1. Do you have 1–2 clean Laravel/Symfony projects (or a personal project) you can discuss?
2. Can you explain 2 recent technical decisions with trade-offs?
3. Do you have an example of debugging/incident handling (what happened and how you fixed it)?
4. If the listing mentions a certification, can you explain why it helps for that role?

FAQ

Do certifications matter for “pure” PHP roles (Laravel/Symfony)?

Usually not. Teams tend to care more about delivery quality: testing, migrations, API design, debugging, and ownership.

How the list is built (short)

• Scans title + description of jobs that include PHP.
• Counts explicit certification mentions only (codes/names), not general technologies.
• Shows how many listings mention each certification within a recent window.

Next steps

• PHP jobs: /ro/cariere-it/tech/php
• Backend CV template (also relevant for PHP): /ro/ghiduri/model-cv-backend-it-romania