Where do I go get a consulting gig like this? I am indeed a halfway decent programmer, proficient in a variety of languages, frameworks & technologies. Get me some work like this and I'll pay you commission.
1. Go to any web development agency that sells to companies.
2. Show them a small portfolio of relevant work. The code should be clean and should solve a problem.
3. Tell them your availability. Something regular like 20 hours per week is probably more desirable, but some will take what they can get.
4. Invite them to "try before they buy" on a small paid gig. Ramp up size of projects as you gain trust.
5. If you are able to say things like "I am able to talk to customers and develop bespoke applications that solve their problems in an elegant way", expect to dictate your own terms and get rewarded handsomely (at least for someone not doing sales).
6. If the agency compares you to low-paid offshore programmers, you're talking to the wrong agency.
Keep in mind that most good agencies have more work than they can handle -- their bottleneck is on the "good and reliable developer" side.
Also note that they work may be incredibly boring -- but certainly no more boring than "sales clerk" or "security guard", and also certainly more lucrative.
> I am indeed a halfway decent programmer
Ask someone who pays programmers if they agree with this assessment. Most programmers I know tend to self-evaluate themselves a bit on the high side. Some folks may find that they have some programming idiosyncrasies that make their code less than ideal for anything other than personal projects that they themselves will maintain.
If you’re in a decent tech hotbed, start by interacting with the local community. Talk to other developers, agency owners, startup founders and see if you can offer them help. It’s a different dynamic than trying to find a consulting gig online and anecdotally I find it far easier to coney the value I bring to people than through a Skype call, thus being able to increase my rate.
2. Show them a small portfolio of relevant work. The code should be clean and should solve a problem.
3. Tell them your availability. Something regular like 20 hours per week is probably more desirable, but some will take what they can get.
4. Invite them to "try before they buy" on a small paid gig. Ramp up size of projects as you gain trust.
5. If you are able to say things like "I am able to talk to customers and develop bespoke applications that solve their problems in an elegant way", expect to dictate your own terms and get rewarded handsomely (at least for someone not doing sales).
6. If the agency compares you to low-paid offshore programmers, you're talking to the wrong agency.
Keep in mind that most good agencies have more work than they can handle -- their bottleneck is on the "good and reliable developer" side.
Also note that they work may be incredibly boring -- but certainly no more boring than "sales clerk" or "security guard", and also certainly more lucrative.
> I am indeed a halfway decent programmer
Ask someone who pays programmers if they agree with this assessment. Most programmers I know tend to self-evaluate themselves a bit on the high side. Some folks may find that they have some programming idiosyncrasies that make their code less than ideal for anything other than personal projects that they themselves will maintain.