In today’s competitive day and age, just having an undergraduate degree is not enough to land a decent job. This is why many students want to learn specific industry skills and join training institutes for the same. One such popular and diverse sector is that of Information Technology.

The first and foremost thing to do is identifying your interest because IT is such a diverse field. There’s digital marketing, web designing& development, app development, software testing and so much more. Choosing your passion is the first step. The next step is to select the best training centre for proper guidance in the right direction.

To help you with that, here are seven key tips to choose the best IT training institute-

Brand Value

Have you ever noticed that iPhone users hardly switch to Android despite Android offering so many options? It’s the brand name and value of Apple that keeps its customers loyal.

The same applies when choosing an IT training institute. There might be many options out there but look for the ones with a brand legacy of its own. Play it safe by choosing an institute which has been in the industry for a long time and it is almost like a well known brand name in itself. This is what distinguishes a great institute from a good one.

Training Methodology & Course Curriculum

IT training is a bit different from the traditional classroom learning we were used to in school and college. Each institute has its own ways of imparting training but the standard methods include lectures, PPT, ebooks and video tutorials. If the institute imparts practical training via live projects then even better.

The course curriculum should be such that it develops not only your technical skills but also sharpens your analytical and soft skills too. This way, even after the completion of your course, you can always go back to your materials for reference.

Reputed Faculty

Expert faculty is a core determining factor when choosing an IT training institute. They should be people who have first hand experience in the industry and they not just teach but work alongside as well. Thereby, they can impart practical training to students as per the evolving world we live in.

The persons imparting the technical knowledge also have a great impact on the student’s learning curve. This is why it’s highly advisable to visit the training centre beforehand and interact with the faculty yourself.

Sound Infrastructure

State of the art, modern and well equipped infrastructural facilities will surely boost your experience of undergoing an IT course. For example, most IT courses require you to work on a computer. So, make sure that the training institute has an air conditioned computer lab with latest technology and fast internet connectivity.

As mentioned before, IT training is both practical as well as theoretical. This is why adequate infrastructure of classrooms, projectors, computer labs, fast internet connection are a must.

Job Assistance & Placement Record

The entire purpose of enrolling in an IT institute is to learn specialised industry skills and get placed in a decent job. Be absolutely sure to check the institute’s track record so far. How many people have got placed, what position are they working in, what is the starting package and so on. Try to get the names of all the companies that have recruited freshers from said institute.

However, the job of a good IT training centre does not end at providing knowledge and skill to their students. In order to secure their future, many of them provide job assistance. They use their industry tie ups to ensure that their students get placed at a good level.

Fee Structure & Financial Aid

There is a saying that education is only for the elite and unfortunately it is true. The higher up the ladder you go, the costlier it gets. This is why only a fraction of the population can afford to go for such specialisations. So do check out the fee structure of various institutes and compare them to get a better picture. Owing to the pandemic, many of them are offering discounts too.

The good news is that some IT training centres offer financial aid and even up to 100% scholarships for meritorious students coming from a poor background. Do look into those if you are passionate about IT training but are facing financial constraints. Also, don’t just opt for an institute which has considerably low fees as it might lack infrastructure and decent placements.

Approach The Alumni Network

Just like any other educational institution, IT training centres too have an alumni network. Getting in touch with someone who has already done a course at one of these centres is probably the best person to go to. He or she can give you the most accurate picture from his personal experience. You can connect with alumni via social media by finding them on the page of the respective institute.

So, when you are deciding about which training centre to choose, do keep these factors in mind. The choice must be made wisely since it will have a big impact on your future career. Set your goals and select an institute which can convert your dreams into reality.

With state of the art infrastructure, experienced faculty and 100% placement assistance, Karmick Institute is one of the best IT training institutes in Kolkata. We provide proper guidance and the opportunity to work on live international projects as you learn. Join us now!

Did you know that popular names such as Facebook, Slack, Spotify, Yahoo and Wikipedia are just a few websites that are built using PHP? In fact, believe it or not, 83% of all websites on the internet make use of PHP.

Many students who are looking to make it big into the world of IT are often confused upon seeing so many career paths and job opportunities. In today’s modern day and age of internet, website and applications, PHP stands out as the primary choice for web development needs. The growth prospects of PHP in India have been tremendously good over the last couple of years.

What Does A PHP Developer Do?

A PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) Developer works on the server-side web application. They help in connecting it to third party services, develop and integrate plugins for popular frameworks as well as take care of all the back-end components.

Let us now take a detailed look into why PHP is such a great choice for your career.

Easy To Learn

Unlike some complicated programming languages, PHP’s syntax is simple and closely resembles Java, C and Perl. You can easily find a lot of resources, practical examples and case studies on the internet that will show you exactly how to work with PHP. This makes the learning curve much simpler.

Open Source Platform

Since PHP is an open source language, it is 100% free of cost. It also allows PHP developers to access a bunch of useful things viz. MySQL, Apache and Linux. This open source language is also backed by an active community of enthusiast PHP developers who are constantly putting their best foot forward to make improvements, solving problems and smoothing out rough edges.

Support For OOPS

With the introduction of PHP5, Object Oriented Programming came into play. It is used by enterprise systems which use concepts such as inheritance, polymorphism and data encapsulation for their needs. Popular applications which use Object Oriented Programming are Joomla, Magento and WordPress. If you are already in the world of programming and have some knowledge in Java and C++, then using PHP as an OOPS will be much easier for you.

Popular Frameworks Freely Available

As mentioned before, PHP is an open source language which provides many valuable resources for free including its wide range of frameworks. Popular frameworks are what makes a programming language truly successful and PHP has managed to do that. Some of the advantages of using these frameworks are the ability to reuse codes and using tested codes which are less prone to errors. Therefore, it leads to faster development with less code to write. Here are the names of popular PHP frameworks- Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Zend, CakePHP, Yii, Phalcon and Akelos.

Constructing Compiler-Based Applications

PHP can also be used to make compiler based applications. This idea is now deployed by Magento in their ecommerce applications. Basically, it allows applications built in other languages to be integrated with the PHP ecosystem. For instance, many of PHP’s extensions are built with the help of Language C. PHP includes many applications such as MySQL, JS and HTML.

Compatible & Cost-Effective

Inter-OS compatibility and cross-platform development is a breeze with PHP. The programming language is compatible with Windows, MacOS, LINUX and UNIX. You do not have to bear the headache of writing extra code for each separate OS, making things pretty cost-effective for developers. It supports all the major servers such as Apache, Microsoft IIS, Netscape, iPlanet and so on. There is also support for over 20 databases with popular ones like MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL and so on.

Some Other Perks Of PHP

As a programming language, PHP is most dynamic and flexible in the sense that websites can be easily scaled, secured and customised. This makes it an ideal choice for CMS development wherein websites are very fast and responsive. Since it can be lodged into HTML, conversion of static websites into dynamic ones becomes quite easy using PHP.

Useful PHP Libraries

The Standard PHP Library (SPL) is basically a collection of interfaces and classes that are meant to solve some standard problems. SPL reduces development time considerably. In many cases, PHP requires coding right from scratch which can be challenging as well as extremely time-consuming for newbies. Instead, you can simply use these libraries to add the necessary features to your website without having to write tedious codes. Some of the popular PHP libraries are Dispatch, Klein, Buzz, PChart, PHP Captcha, ImageWorkshop, Mink and Ratchet.

Last but not the least, the demand for PHP developers is soaring along with their CTC. But yes, keep in mind that as a fresher you might not secure a very high paying job in PHP but with experience and knowledge, sky’s the limit.

You can start with a basic PHP course and specialise in a particular framework such as Laravel. If you are already a computer science graduate or software engineer, go for the advanced PHP course. You will surely get placed at a non-MNC initially but with time and effort you can rise to a PHP Project Manager at a reputed MNC.

A lucrative and hot career prospect in 2021, web development has experienced massive growth amid the Covid-19 pandemic. More and more businesses are shifting to digitisation and there is a surge in the demand for web developers. For a beginner or fresher, writing endless lines of code may seem intimidating and complicated; but that’s why we are here. To clear all the skills besides coding that one must possess to become a good web developer. In this article, we will focus on all you need to know before starting your career in web development.

So, what is web development?

Web development refers to the process of building websites and web-based applications. Its primary focus lies in building the entire technical architecture of a website from coding to programming.

There are mainly two types of web developers-

• Front-end development caters to what the actual person sees upon opening a website. Everything from user interface, experience and overall layout falls under the purview of front-end development.
• Back-end development refers to the server-side of things that are not visible to the website user directly. It involves database management, website servers and overall infrastructure on which the website is built.

There is also a third type of web developer known as a full stack developer who looks after both the front-end as well the back-end of the website.

Now, here are the top skills required to establish a career in web development-

HTML/CSS/JS

HTML, CSS and JavaScript are the three building blocks of website development that every developer must be thorough with. HTML tags are mainly used for the front-end development of a website and provide the basic framework. CSS sets the style behind HTML while JavaScript makes the website attractive by adding animations, visuals and graphics.

API (Application Programming Interface)

APIs are an essential web development tool for managing third party data. It is highly important since it facilitates web developers to use certain functions without sharing the code. Some popular, in-demand APIs are Rest API, HTTP request methods, CRUD operation and so on. There are some public APIs on Github which you can check out.

Git & Github

Since we have just touched upon Github, let us know how Git and Github are useful for web development. Git is perhaps the most popular version control framework out there which is used by web developers across organisations. So, if you are looking to make a career in web development, learning Git for your version control needs is a must.

Github, on the other hand, acts as a community where web developers can push their git repositories to host their code. In simple terms, it is a great platform for web developers to meet like-minded people, collaborate on various projects and work together.

Authentication

Many websites such as Twitter, Facebook and e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Amazon require users to sign up, login and log out. All these functions fall under user authentication which keeps track of various users on a particular website. To allow users to securely carry out all functions related to their account, authentication comes into play; making it an indispensable skill.

DevTools & DevOps

Browser DevTools such as Chrome DevTools and Firefox DevTools are a great way to create, test and debug any web application. DevTools tabs such as components, reassure and network are further useful for editing HTML tags, CSS properties and even JavaScript errors.

DevOps, on the other hand, refers to a set of practices that combine software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). It helps in the knowledge of scaling and migrating your website between different platforms such as AWS, Netlify, Heroku and more. There are many such platforms so to become a good web developer you must have some idea about the popular ones and how to maintain your code on them.

MVC (Model, View, Controller)

Working on MVC makes web development faster, easier and less tedious by separating the entire application into three parts. Many high-level frameworks such as Laravel, Angular and Django are based on MVC patterns. Learning this skill will help you in your journey as a web developer immensely since learning any future framework of different programming languages will become easy.

In a vast field such as web development, the learning never stops. The aforementioned key skills are sufficient to give you a good start in the industry but you must continue to learn. It involves not just technical skills but also essential soft skills as well. Enroll in a web development course and kickstart your career today!

Can you imagine how different life would have been without Facebook? Don’t panic. We know life would have been utterly boring, but thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and PHP that together laid the foundation for this outstandingly popular social media platform.

PHP which came into existence 21 years back still holds a firm ground in the domain of web development. Not just Facebook, it has laid the foundation for other highly engaging online platforms like Twitter, Tumblr, Wikipedia, Flickr, etc.

This widely used server-side programming language has many frameworks too which have evolved to be greatly beneficial in their respective functions of web development.

The demand for PHP and its frameworks is very high in the recent times. Below are listed some of the best PHP based frameworks that a student can learn to have a fruitful career.

Laravel

The most popular of all PHP frameworks is Laravel that was built in 2009. It uses the MVC structure for rapid development of web applications. This platform which is comprehensive in nature, has a huge community of developers for its dynamism and ease of use. The framework is best suited for e-commerce and large-scale applications. Laravel’s lightweight templating engine called ‘Blade’ simplifies tasks like authentication, queue analysis, sessions, catching, RESTful routing, etc.

Yii/Yii2

Yii, an object-oriented and MVC using framework is highly productive. It is one of the fastest PHP frameworks as it uses on-demand loading. This framework helps in implementing large-scale custom projects such as CMS, internet portals and other complex systems as it can be efficiently integrated with Ajax and JQuery features. The recent version of Yii is Yii2 which is much faster than the older one. For development security, Yii includes output filtering, input validation, cross site scripting prevention and SQL injection.

This framework helps you to avoid writing the repetitive SQL statements.

Zend

Zend is a highly popular professional framework used for building high-performance enterprise level applications having components for feeds, authentication, forms, services and more. It is extensible making it easy for the developers to use building blocks together with other frameworks or applications. Since the framework consists of a collection of classes, a developer can load only the components he needs, instead of the framework as a whole, to take advantage of them as individual libraries.

CakePHP

Easiest configuration is the feature of CakePHP. Using its code generation features a developer can build web applications faster. For the security and safety of the application the framework is supported with tools for protection against SQL injection, validation, form tampering and more. To keep the application logical and consistent, the framework possesses an organizational structure.

PHP itself is a hugely in-demand framework and so is its other related frameworks. In the digital age, every industry is banking on web development for creating a dominating online presence for their business. Hence, web developers with profound knowledge and adequate experience in the relevant field are considered assets in the recent times.

To excel at either one of the above trending PHP frameworks, you have to enroll in a reputed IT course training institute. A well-known institute not only educates with in-depth knowledge but also becomes the highlight of a resume.

We are living in an era where everything is driven by technology. A career which lets you contribute and be a part of this technological revolution seems to be the most exciting option. With this thought, a lot of students choose the stream of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) to progress their career. However, as soon as the last semester approaches, a question starts popping up in their minds, “What after B.Tech?”

To help you find a suitable answer to this question, here is a list of best career options you can choose after B.Tech.

Campus Recruitment

If you do not intend to go ahead with further studies, you can choose this option. Prepare yourself for the interviews and assessments and get a job available in the campus. With good academic records and above average performance in the semester exams and assessments, you can land on a well-paying job.

Every year a lot of renowned brands hire engineering graduates from campus with decent pay packages and the trend seems to be on the rise.

Study M.Tech.

This option is for you if you plan to go further to become a master in the field of technology. It adds up to your academic depth and lets you stand out with strong potential to contribute more to the industry.

To pursue M.Tech course in the top engineering institutes of India, the undergraduate students need to qualify Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). There are also private colleges who offer M.Tech. studies and have their own selection process.

Civil Services

It is one of the most sought-after careers in India. If you want to be a part of the government system then you can start preparing for the civil services examination. It’s a hard nut to crack as the competition is very tough. But you can surely succeed with focus and hard work.

If you wish to proceed in the administrative stream then go for IAS and if you are interested in engineering services then go for IES.

MBA

This option is for people who are inclined towards the business side of the industry. Almost every organization looks for people with business administration skillsets. This makes MBA one of the most lucrative career options out there.

If you are more interested in corporate roles and aspire to climb up the managerial ladder then MBA is the ideal path for you.

Defence Services

Joining the Indian Army, Navy or Air Force is not just a career option but a lifestyle dedicated to protecting your country. If you dream to have the honour to serve your country then you must go ahead on this path. Start preparing for University Entry Scheme (UES), TGC (Engineers), and Short Service Commission (Technical) exams.

Entrepreneurship

Starting a venture of your own is a great option if you have an entrepreneurial mindset. But it has great challenges too. Being an entrepreneur you will have the independence to create something of your own. Lots of hard work, tenacity and consistent focus is what you need to succeed.

Short-term Professional Course

If you could not manage to get a campus placement, but you want a rewarding job, then there are many short-term professional courses to choose from.

Courses like PHP Training, App Development, Web Designing, Digital Marketing, etc. will equip you with the high demand skillset in a short period of time. In this digitally evolving era, such courses will not only help to you get a better job but also build a rewarding career.

Deciding on what stream to choose to progress your career is never easy and that’s why we are here to help you.

You can talk to us and find out what’s best fit for you. We offer a wide range of Job Oriented Courses to choose from.

All the best!

As a part of the IT industry we are required to use software and programs on a daily basis no matter what our field of expertise is. Some of the common applications which we all frequently use are Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Mozilla Firefox, Adobe and many more. The reason these apps work buttery smooth on a daily basis is because a dedicated team of software testing engineers are continuously checking and improving it for any bugs.

A software tester or a QA (Quality Assurance) tester is someone who assures that the particular app works smoothly and is able to carry out all it’s dedicated functions without any hassle. Their job is really important since no app can be launched into the market until it is subject to rigorous quality checks and bugs by a team of software testers.

Following are some of the top essential skills one must possess in order to become a good software testing engineer-

Ability To Think Critically

As a software testing engineer, you must keep the customer’s interests in mind with each passing step. You have to think like a consumer and how he can have the best experience using the software. Keep in mind every possible situation of what could have happened if something went wrong and provide a remedy for each so that your software will continue to function properly.

Basic Knowledge Of Database & Linux Commands

A software usually has a large amount of data stored in backend databases such as MySQL and Oracle. There might arise situations when such data needs to be validated so some basic SQL queries will be needed for this purpose.

Similarly, knowledge of Linux commands will be needed since most of the software applications such as web-services, databases and application servers are usually operated on Linux systems.

Automation Testing

Being a QA tester, you are obviously required to have expertise in manual testing but there are some instances when automation testing is a better choice. For example, during the initial phase of any new project, it undergoes a lot of changes regularly and each change requires rigorous testing before it can be implemented. So essentially you are running the same tests over and over again. Using automation tools in such cases of repetition will save you a lot of time. Knowledge of any scripting language such as JavaScript, VBScript and C# will be an added bonus.

The Modern DevOps & Agile Methodology

Due to the increasing complexity of software and shorter deadlines, testers must train themselves in modern technologies such as DevOps and Agile. As the name suggests, Agile imparts speed and flexibility to the testing process while DevOps helps with cross-functional teamwork right from the start. Both of them result in high quality end products with faster time-to-market. Learning new methodologies like this eliminates rigidity and the unpopular Silo Effect in QA testing.

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Learning software lifecycle management skills is extremely useful for any developer as it will immensely help them with understanding application development tasks and plan testing cycles with ease. You can also tackle any complexities that may arise along the way if you possess good knowledge of SDLC. Some common technologies that go hand-in-hand with these skills are Waterfall, Kanban, Scrum and Lean.

Familiarity With Testing Tools & Techniques

Regardless of one’s domain and expertise, the knowledge of various types of testing such as unit testing, system testing, penetration testing, black box testing, etc makes them versatile and allows flexibility in working. Same goes for familiarity with the plethora of tools out there such as bug tracking tools, GUI testing tools, automation tools and so on.

Understanding The Code

If you are still living under a rock and think that only programmers need the knowledge of coding then you couldn’t be more wrong. In today’s modern age, even testers need to have the basics of coding clear. It helps them understand how the application functions on a deeper level and testing the same becomes more efficient. The knowledge of coding will definitely give you an edge if you plan to apply for jobs as a software testing engineer.

Web & Mobile Technologies

Web development as well as mobile app development are both very dynamic in nature. Frequent advancements keep happening in this sector. A good tester should keep a tab on these latest happenings and keep himself up to date. It will serve as a guidance to them when dealing with coding architecture and technical challenges along the way. This way, testers can effectively deliver up to the mark QA solutions.

Apart from these essential skills, there are a number of soft skills one develops over time in the journey of becoming a software testing engineer. Things such as time management, good communication skills, organization and a positive attitude come with experience. For the time being, you must choose whether to enroll in a manual software testing course or a software automation testing course.

Out of all the free, open-source Content Management Systems (CMS) out there, WordPress is perhaps the most popular of them all. If we only take into consideration websites built on CMS then WordPress has a handsome two-thirds share. If we take into account all the websites on the internet even then WordPress has one-third share of users. The primary use of WordPress is for blogging; although there’s much more to it in the form of forums, multimedia and evenecommerce store.

Since it is free and open source, anyone having basic internet skills can make use of it. You can create websites, choose from hundreds of themes and even use plugins for more features such as widgets. However, to leverage the full benefits of WordPress and it’s customizations, you need software development skills and knowledge of computer programming languages. Someone who has mastered this is known as a WordPress Developer.

Who Is A WordPress Developer?

WordPress Developers are the ones who possess deep understanding about the core of WordPress, required programming languages such as PHP and knowledge about WordPress products to make sure the plugins, modules and themes work in harmony. They should be able to work with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, GIT, REST API and more.

Types Of WordPress Developers

The three main types of WordPress Developers are as follows-

• Core Developer: A core WordPress Developer is someone who works on the very core software of WordPress itself. They analyze the code and recommend appropriate changes that affect the entire WordPress as a whole.
• Theme Developer: A theme WordPress Developer is much like a UI/UX Designer is to a website. They are responsible for the appearance, layout, colour, and the overall presentation of the website that is built using WordPress.
• Plugin Developer: A WordPress plugin developer is responsible for creating appropriate plugins for WordPress websites. Plugins are nothing but applications that enhance your website by adding relevant functionalities to it.

So, if you are interested to make a career in WordPress Development, then here are the steps you should follow-

1)  Learning The Technical Skills: In order to get a firm grasp on the basics and fundamentals of WordPress Development, you need to learn some technical skills viz. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, jQuery and Ajax. You must know at least 2-3 of these skills by heart and have a basic understanding of the rest. In the case of HTML, HTML5 is the latest and most preferred version to learn right now and for CSS, it is CSS3.

2)  Gather As Much Information On WordPress As You Can: Make use of the internet to watch YouTube videos on WordPress Development and read from online resources. There is lots of valuable information available on the web for free. You can check out the official WordPress Blog and the WordPress News section to keep up with the evolving trends.

3)  Choose Your Area Of Expertise: As mentioned earlier, WordPress is a versatile platform and there are mainly three types of developers- Core, Theme and Plugin. For beginners, it is recommended to start out by choosing one particular area of interest and master that. You can always try the others if you wish to expand your knowledge. You don’t want to end up as the jack of all trades but master of none, right?

4)  Be Prepared For The Challenges: No matter how many years of experience one has, dealing with software is such tricky business that even the most brilliant minds at Microsoft, Apple or Facebook sometimes face issues. So, it is very normal for a regular WordPress developer to face bugs in code, problems related to display of web pages, etc. This is why you must be ready to face challenges that may come your way. Some important tips are never compromising on the security of your website to prevent hacking and backing up all your data in case there is a system crash.

5)  Practice What You’ve Learnt: Once you have learnt how to develop a particular plugin or theme, practice it as much as you can. Try methodologies such as testing and troubleshooting to get the best feedback and results. Since practicing on live websites is probably not such a great idea, create a controlled environment for this purpose. If however you wish to try development on a live WordPress website then you might have to incur web-hosting charges.

6)  Connect With The WordPress Community: Networking is very important to gather insights from the real world experiences of WordPress Developers. When millions of people are doing something, it is likely that the problem faced by you has already been faced by someone else in the past and there is a precise solution available for such peculiar problems. Take part or at least read up about the discussions happening in various WordPress forums and spaces online.

So, these were some of the skills that are required to become a successful WordPress Developer. If you find it interesting and wish to take it up seriously, you can enroll in a WordPress Development Course and learn the latest industry skills right now!