[mybrid]

I'm a software generalist. Fortune did a study once that where the discovered the average person has three different careers. My first was in sales, before the age of 28. Second was in manufacturing logistics working in a warehouse and MRP. Third is software. Someone else suggested blogging. My sales experience has been a great leg up over the typical programmer in human relations. 1. Figure out how to sell yourself because your competition doesn't. 2. Consult. I've owned my consulting company since I graduated from college. Having a different "job" every year actually is a good thing when one is project consulting. 3. Be prepared to interview. I interview like crazy. 4. Network with agents and agencies. Find the agency that knows how to place.

When I first started consulting I relied heavily on agents and agencies. Agencies are a challenge and it takes time to find the a relationship that knows how to put you in front of clients.

[tedmiston]

Running a consulting company and interviewing like crazy sound kind of contradictory. Is your consulting part-time?

[tylerlh]

As an individual consultant, it's not terribly uncommon for the contracting company to interview you and get a feel for how working with you will be beforehand. At least that's been my experience.

[tedmiston]

I work as an independent contractor developer (not as a consultant). I would say that I get pitched on projects and to respond, I relate my background and experience to the problems conversationally, but I wouldn't call it an "interview" or at least it's a radically different style of interview than a dev candidate, for example, I typically do not get asked tech screen questions like algorithms problems, whiteboard coding, etc. Perhaps my experience is different than the norm because I work with a small number of clients very closely. OTOH, maybe it's just a matter of perspective.

[DigitalJack]

You feel consultants shouldn't be interviewed? I wouldn't hire a consultant for a task without an interview.