[azurelogic]

Consulting. If you like solving different problems for different people, nothing will get you more variety of problems and people who have them than consulting. If you want to focus on the development and client relations bits, join a consulting firm with a solid sales team and smart devs to help you learn areas you're weak in.

Source: I've been a consultant for 3 years out of the 5 that I've been a developer. I always grow and learn the most and get the most customer contact in these roles.

[thriveavvay]

"join a consulting firm" That is good advice, sounds like a good fit. I don't feel expert enough to consult freelancing, but with the backing of a firm it should be more easy to figure out where my weaknesses are.

[azurelogic]

Your post sounded like you're very front end focused. There's 2 options in the consulting world there. The first is to join a front end focused consultancy. There are places that just do UX and front end design.

The second is to join a general consultancy. This is going to make you rub shoulders with all types of devs. If you want to be a true generalist/full-stack type, this is a better route. You'll have mentors who can teach you server side code, SQL, deployment, security, etc.

I got my MS in CS and Applied Math (my BS was in unrelated science). When I got my first consulting job, I had strong backend and algorithmic skills, but very little front end experience. I found a mentor at that job who was a HTML/CSS expert, and I learned a ton from him. That job also made me learn how to setup CI, fix legacy code, and dig in databases to isolate data issues. Oh, and I definitely had to talk to customers. Now, I have no problems executing a full stack project from start to finish because I can extract requirements, design a UI, write the server code, turn the model into a schema, and deploy it all.

[analogwzrd]

I've had a similar problem and the advice that's always given to me is "The term 'expert' is mostly about perception." Credentials help when you're trying to sell your services because they're used as a proxy for competence. Having a track record of success can also work. Start small.

[enraged_camel]

>>I've had a similar problem and the advice that's always given to me is "The term 'expert' is mostly about perception."

Not sure I agree. I work for a consulting firm. One of our main revenue sources is clients who hire us to fix the mess created by "experts". The difference is that we actually are experts in our problem space - as in, we have lots of experience and technical knowledge - so we can actually add value to our clients' operations.

Don't get me wrong: perception is definitely important. But the worst thing one can do is sell oneself as an expert when they actually aren't. If one is a generalist, they should figure out ways to package that in ways that will resonate with the clients they are going after.

Starting small is good advice, though.

[karmajunkie]

Joining a consultancy is a great way to get a variety of experience in a compressed period of time. I've spent most of my career consulting, but the time I spent with a group of developers I liked and respected was well worth it.