Asklemmy

It's a slow grind, but I suggest consulting. It sounds like you have a diverse set of skills that could be of use to some companies.

My method is to apply to jobs that I can tell barely need to hire someone. A small juice company hiring a full time web developer? lol, no. A shoe store that needs a network admin for 50k??! bro.

I apply to these jobs and instead of applying, I sell. I have a website setup that has projects, certs, resume, git, art projects (digital). It all shows I can do a lot of different stuff. I talk to them about their actual need, and suggest that an ad hoc relationship should work (if it could)

I have some clients at $150 a month and 2 hrs per month, plus $75/hr after 2 hrs. I have some clients at $1500 a month, and 20 hrs per month. More like $200/hr beyond agreement. I assess on case by case basis.

I have 12 clients. I have a guaranteed $5000+ a month. I don't work that much. Sometimes I have to cancel plans to work an emergency all nighter (if I fucked up...)

I have outsourced work before as well.

It's taken me since 2019 to get here. I've tended a lot of bar since then to make ends meet, but it's working now.

Back in the day, this job was a contract test position, or if you were lucky a technical trainer.

I am in a similar position, and really wishing I could go back to my technical training gig. My ideal would be contracting fall-to-spring, summers off - working in climate. Feels like there's got to be some seasonal work in an industry growing so fast...

I honestly had my sights set on doing some sales and consulting based on the ERPnext platform, an open source solution that uses Frappe. I am still working out some of the wrinkles but I am wondering there might be a business opportunity because ERPnext looks like it could literally be game-changin.

Career wise I find myself in a similar position. Roles in my niche skill set are largely offshore or contract positions now. I don't like the idea of management. I love doing what I do... fixing bugs, investigating complex problems, not talking to people for days!!

I have been debating trainer or tester roles. There is also Scrum master as a possibility but I think that would be too regimented for me, there doesn't seem to be much scope to adapt the scrum model for different situations - at least the way my employer does it!

Just some ideas, I don't have much good advice as I'm spinning my wheels without a clear direction at the moment.