Hey everyone! I'm a self-taught Laravel developer working at a local agency, and I'm looking to transition into a remote role. I've been with the agency since I started learning to code, gaining experience by shipping real projects and building production Laravel applications. My responsibilities have included backend architecture, APIs, and performance tuning, but I've learned independently without formal mentorship. Now, as I consider moving into a more structured environment, I want to know how backend roles typically operate in larger teams. Do developers generally own entire services, or do they split responsibilities? What do daily tasks usually look like, and what essential skills should I focus on improving to align with remote hiring expectations? Should I prioritize building a portfolio, writing a CV, or contributing to open source? Any advice from those who've been in a similar situation or who hire backend developers remotely would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!
5 Answers
I was once in your shoes—self-taught and working solo in an agency. I treated my projects as portfolio material and detailed the problems I solved and my approach. That became my case studies for job applications. For your CV, focus on your achievements in simple metrics. As for backend roles, you may find that tasks are more structured and collaborative vibes are more common than the solo hustle. Start applying now, leveraging your experience to find those remote Laravel roles out there!
You're closer to landing a remote job than you think! Document your experience, formalize it into a CV and portfolio, and start applying while learning about the team practices that remote companies expect, like testing and code reviews. It sounds like you already have some great experience to showcase, so don't be shy about it!
Definitely! I’ll start on that right away, thanks!
For your next steps, focus on presenting yourself as a 'PHP developer with Laravel experience' rather than just a 'Laravel dev.' This will help broaden your job prospects. It might also be a good idea to explore other frameworks like Symfony or even get into languages like Python. Just don't box yourself in too tightly, and keep honing your skills.
Thanks! I’ve dabbled in Node before and plan to revisit it when I get a chance.
Honestly, there’s not a huge difference between remote and in-person jobs these days. A lot of companies are open to remote especially if you can demonstrate your ability to work well. And don't be afraid to leverage AI tools while coding; many companies appreciate candidates who can adapt and ship quickly with technology. Just remember, understanding the fundamentals is key no matter the framework you work with!
I had no idea! That's a relief to hear.
I’ve been in a similar spot! My first role was in an agency too, where I was juggling a lot on my own. When I switched to a larger company, the biggest shift was learning to work collaboratively. In bigger teams, you usually own specific parts of the system rather than everything. Many backend devs focus on areas like authentication or API services, and everyone contributes to the project together in sprints. My advice? Start interviewing as soon as possible to figure out what companies look for. Don’t limit yourself to just Laravel roles; being open to different backend opportunities will give you a better shot at landing a job.
This is super helpful, thank you! I'm currently balancing a lot with projects and trying to learn the ins and outs of project management too.
Great advice! I hadn't thought of marketing myself more generally as a backend developer. I'll definitely keep that in mind.
That's great advice! I need to start applying while I polish my portfolio.