The Zend Developer Zone has pointed out a new course that's offered by Zend to help experienced programmers further their PHP education - Zend Quick Start: PHP for Experienced Programmers.

This course covers many of the same topics as both the PHP I: Foundations and PHP II: Higher Structures classes but at an accelerated rate with special emphasis on the differences between PHP and other commonly used languages.

The next session of the course starts on April 29th and will last through May 16th. There will be nine sessions during that time for two hours at a time. You can get full details, including how to reserve your spot, on the course's page on the Zend website.

Akash Mehta mentions on the Developer Tutorials Blog about some of his experiences with interviews, specifically dealing with the certifications people list on their resumes.

As he sees it, there's three categories:

• The Good - things like the ZCE
• The Bad - proof of testing but no proof of experience
• The Ugly - failing to have anything to show your ability/knowledge

It's all about image, even when it comes to hiring a good programmer. Employers are looking first for someone who even vaguely looks like they know their stuff, then they dive deeper into the real skills and talents that potential employee might have.