> 2.b. There is a tremendous shortage of software writers, but
Yes, and a lot of big companies are waiting for Congress to lift the H1-B quotas so they can hire a ton of foreigners really cheaply from India. Meanwhile, the use of AI is changing the complexion of the programming world. (India graduates more people with BSCS degrees each year than America produces in ALL disciplines from BS to PhDs annually! Most of them never find work there and end up doing something totally unrelated!)
> no one is going to be studpid enough to hire one until they have completed an accredited degree, done an internship, done a bootcamp, and maybe gotten some certs.
Sorry, I disagree with this. I’ve worked with tons of people who have none of it. They get hired because they were able to show some proficiency at the required tasks and they get paid less initially. Most employers will just give you one or more tests to see how you do.
It seems to me that, in the current market, all employers are looking for is someone who can hit the ground running, doing whatever it is they need done. Nobody is including time to train or come up to speed, although a new job often involves a lot of up-front learning about THEIR environment, toolset, policies, and whatnot. But they assume you already know the “art” of whatever you’re hired to do.
In Jan of last year, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s, which is on the Autism spectrum. It explains a whole lot of really weird shit from my past, and why my reviews always say the same things, mostly about my "behavioral issues". Otherwise, until you’ve been around me for a while, I seem perfectly “normal”. (People who’ve gotten to know me usually end up asking at some point, “Dude, why are you so weird / different?” Because my brain does not work the same way most other people’s brains work. I think differently. It’s like being color-blind, because nobody can see it, but you respond differently than others b/c the world looks different to you.)
The thing is, people on the spectrum have both “gifts” and “challenges”. Unfortunately, most employers have no idea what to do with either one. My "behavioral issues” have tended to overshadow any “gifts” I’ve ever brought to the table, although being diagnosed gives me a way to explain how to deal with the issues so they’re not a problem. The bigger challenge is that the employer has to understand what’s involved, and most do not. Nor do they seem to care.
Dealing with “handicapped” people who have physical disabilities are far easier to deal with because you can actually SEE what’s going on and how to make the “reasonable accommodations” required by ADA laws. But autism can be totally invisible, and show up over time as "behavioral disorders” that most people won’t recognize unless they’re pointed out first. As I said, my last employer just didn’t want to deal with it.
However … they get some tax breaks hiring people with ADA-recognized “disabilities”. So we have something that most folks do NOT, and it gives us a leg-up for employers who are interested. My last employer didn’t, so we parted ways.
I don’t know where you fall in the spectrum, whether you have physical motor control and/or speech issues, but a remote position would be perfect for you either way. Everybody looks mostly the same through written channels.
Given people’s preconceptions about people with “disabilities", I think if you can find a way to do at least one thing well, there are folks who’d be happy to hire you.
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That said, there’s a growing demand for people who can help companies deal with “getting seen” online, which means mostly getting Google to find them and then have them show up when people enter relevant search queries. It’s got very little to do with “programming” per se, but it’s technical enough that most people aren’t well equipped to deal with it themselves. It doesn’t take a lot of tech savvy to master this stuff and look like a wizard in their eyes.
The net result is you can be generating a few grand a month per client with very little effort needed on your part.
Here’s a link to a presentation that’s one of the most comprehensive collections of tools I’ve ever seen. These products are all top-notch.
https://strategicmarketer.com/TrainingReplay?vgo_ee=r3Hk1Y%2BhrLBiGYkKd9qiE4vy7T5YEJ8ohjC9vauJg30%3D
(It might be gone by Friday, so watch it ASAP.)
The reason I’m posting this is to illustrate the types of things people are making $10k-$50k per month providing to ordinary business clients on a recurring monthly basis. There are cheaper solutions, but this presentation is quite good as a way to understand the market opportunities. Their products and support are excellent, and this deal comes with a lot of support as well.
Again, this is a far cry from ‘programming’, but your technical skills will win the show every time. Most people who do this stuff are totally clueless about the tech side! I think anybody in this group already knows 90% of what’s involved from the tech side; the rest is to learn the specific tools. You can start with one and work your way through them. In fact, you can only market the services you want; you don’t have to do all of them, although the whole purpose of THIS offer is to give you access to EVERYTHING THEY HAVE.
I don’t have the funds to commit to this right now. But if someone does, a few of us could get together and split our earnings to cover the costs. I’ve collected up a ton of credits for an online marketing / promotional service I can use to generate business.
Basically, we’d be setting up an Agency that offers these solutions to local businesses, and each of us can focus on different things. With four of us, each one can handle each of the four groups of services he discusses here. At least, that’s one possibility.
The point is, these are all IN-DEMAND SERVICES that ALL small biz owners need. They’re a lot easier to sell than custom programming, and no matter where you’re at on the learning curve, you’re light-years ahead of your prospective clients right now! Nobody is going to ask for a portfolio, or certifications, or anything more than, “Can you get me more business every month?” Because, at the end of the day, that’s all most small biz owners care about: getting more clients / customers / sales / revenues / profits from one month to the next.
——————————————
One of the specific “growth areas” in this whole panorama is Google Business Profiles. This is an area that is becoming more and more important to ensure your business shows up in Google for relevant searches. There are tons of tools coming to market every month that simplify it more and more, giving you a leg up on your competition while still able to generate $1500/mo per client to help them manage their GBP. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. Let me know if you (anybody) would like to know more.
Anyway, the point is, there are plenty of things that someone with the skills everybody on this list already have that can generate a good, steady income without anybody asking for your “credentials” and judging you on irrelevant factors. if you can bring more value to them than it’s costing, they’ll be eternally grateful. Sadly, software development isn’t a niche that does that quickly for anybody, and it’s hard to get work. Providing the services outlined in that video can be done quickly, takes very little time per customer, and the effective hourly pay is way more than programming pays.
Just something to chew on. :)
-David Schwartz
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