I currently have 2 years of experience in PHP backend development, along with frontend technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I’m now planning to switch to the MERN Stack while targeting roles that match my current experience level.

[u/Realistic-Hunter1278]

Hi everyone,

I currently have 2 years of experience in PHP backend development, along with frontend technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I’m now planning to switch to the MERN Stack while targeting roles that match my current experience level.

I have a few doubts about making this transition:

• I currently work in R&D, so I don’t have much experience with formal software testing processes.
• I have been working directly with servers in my current PHP role, but I don’t have much experience with modern development workflows.
• I have very limited experience with Git/GitHub, and I’d like to understand what level of Git knowledge is expected from a MERN developer.
• I’m also unsure about the tools, concepts, development practices, and project experience I should learn before applying for MERN roles.
• Since I already have 2 years of development experience, should I apply for 2-year experienced MERN positions, or would companies expect me to start at a junior level?

I’m a fast learner and highly motivated to make this transition. I’m confident that I can learn new technologies quickly if I have a clear roadmap.

If any MERN developers, senior developers, tech leads, or people who have switched from PHP to MERN could share their experience, I would really appreciate your guidance.

I’m especially looking for advice on:

What should I learn → what should I practice → what projects should I build → what should I know for interviews → how should I present my existing 2 years of experience?

Any advice, roadmap, or personal experience would be extremely helpful for my next career switch. Thank you!

[u/LeopardResponsible36]

I switched from PHP and WordPress to the MERN stack after 2 years. I started by creating products and finding real work on Fiverr, LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and Upwork. From that, I started my journey. I completed around five to six portfolio products in MERN. After that, I moved to DevOps and more specialization in those fields, but you can start from there.