Along the lines of, "It's not what you know, but whom you know," you might want to look for any local PHP, Web, etc. user groups in your area that you could participate in. Not only would you learn things, but you could network with people in the business. An employee referral will help you zip past much of the HR screening process and at least improve your chances of getting an interview by quite a bit. (You still have to show you've got what they need once you get the interview, though 😉 ). If no such user groups are available in your area, then look for any related on-line groups that people in your region frequent, and try to make yourself known there (in a good way).
