Hi folks.
I am a Front End Developer, experienced in industry for years.
I have developed many applications and websites for my various employers and now I am in well condition with JavaScript, jQuery, Ext JS and some other Front End Technologies such as Google Map JavaScript API.
Now I want to step the next. So the question is clear. How I should go to forward. Learing PHP is a good way or whatever else. I just wondering what the others thing about that?
There are more than a few ways to go from here:
Usability - This requires a bit of understanding the subject but if you've built many front-ends then you may already have some knowledge in this area about what to do and not to do in planning out a web site for example.
Architect - If you've worked on large projects and enjoy planning out stuff, this may be the role for you. The idea here being that you want to design stuff rather than actually build it.
Web/graphic designer - If you've done enough front-ends, perhaps you just want to make designs all day. This does require you to be the type that likes making pictures and other kinds of things that come from an artistic mindset.
Project manager - If you've done numerous projects, perhaps you want to be a PM and run a project? This can be tricky to start but could be useful if one wants to run projects.
Development manager - This would be running the administrative side of things that is quite different from a PM I'd think.
Quality analyst - Some people really like testing and may want to go in this direction too.
Business analyst - If you enjoy translating non-technical speak into technical speak this may be something you'd want to do.
If you want to stay a developer then I think your next step would be a language commonly used on the server side like Java, C# or even PHP. Databases would also be a potentially useful thing to get into as some people may expect a developer to go from end to end in some cases. The other thought would be getting into more sophisticated UI stuff like Silverlight or Flash possibly. Another idea would be to get really good at the technologies you already use and become a specialist among those.