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Ask HN: How do you start a career as a software consultant?

6 points by sexoffender ↗ HN
Employers keep passing on me because of my recent criminal history. So I think my only hope is to adopt an alias (which I'm legally obliged to notify the government about) and become a software consultant.

I've researched on HN already about how to price myself ($200-$400 / hour), that I should buy a nice suit and meet a client and don't tell them I'm the software team, things like that. But everyone says they find clients through previous client referrals. That's not an option for me. Any resources or tips you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks.

5 comments

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slipwalker
I would suggest any freelancing site ( toptal, upwork, fiverr... ) and taking small projects one at a time. So you can build a portfolio and reputation. The downside is it´s a long game.
mapster
nothing short of networking, getting to know people's problems and being their go-to consultant.
bigmanwalter
It's all in the networking.

Most projects with sizable budgets already have vendors. Your best bet is to find projects that are on the brink of failure looking to jump ship to a new vendor. This is, fortunately for you and me, more common than you might imagine.

Ideally you can be brought onboard before the project begins, but software has huge sales cycles. Until a project is actively in progress, there is a strong chance it will never leave the planning stage. You can waste a lot of time courting clients for projects that never materialize.

My advice is to seek out projects that are in progress but need the help today, at least you can go from the first meeting to a sale in a reasonable time frame without getting strung along. At the same time, continue to network and establish relationships with clients who will be launching projects in the future. You need money today, and it can take years for clients to be ready to execute.

rwieruch
Blogging is my way to get clients. The great thing about it: Once you reach a certain grade of credibility, clients will approach you.
slipwalker
I would love to hear more about this. The routine, choosing post subjects, how to get visibility, which social media ( if any ) is more "valuable" for technical posts ( i´m assuming linkedin and medium ). Please, elaborate a bit more.