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OP, I'm a software developer (I don't like to use the word 'programmer' because you never see a job posting that says they are looking for a "programmer"). I know exactly what you're talking about with sites like ODesk.com and such. Those places are a cesspool for cheap software work. I've tried those places before too and realized the same thing. I was never going to be able to compete with people from India who are willing to work for $10 an hour...
HOWEVER..
When I was working on those sites for a brief time, I did develop some good client relationships ... and they were all here in the USA. The thing is that some people actually prefer to work with someone here in the USA and not some guy from India with poor English skills. They are willing to pay up for someone with better communication skills and who is more local. Now even with that in mind ... I still wasn't making anywhere near enough money to make a living off of it ... but it would be a good way for you to start developing a client base ... and who knows ... you might get just the opportunity you're looking for because you did a good job on one of the projects in the past. That's how the type of job you're looking for can be found. You need to be willing to put some time and effort into getting to that point. But in order to get to that point, you will probably have to be in some not-so-ideal situations for a while.
Other then that, I see no alternative. Trust me, I'm in your field and after all of the job searching I've done in the past, I NEVER see part time software jobs. It's always either full time contractor of some sort or full time developer.
By the way, I have found some lucrative gigs on Craigslist before in the past as well. Maybe you could try that.
Also:
Those are all great skills to have. I'm surprised that you're not finding more decent work out there even if it's temporary (whether on Craigslist, ODesk.com, etc.). I wish I had more database skills like you have. All I have under my belt is C++, C#, and Perl experience mainly. You don't need to expand your skill set. You just need to expand what you're willing to try at this point.
Craigslist is hit-and-miss. I live in a city where CL for computer gigs is pretty much dead, so I go to other cities and they do not like that I am not local. However, most of the people do not even reply?! How did you approach CL? Did you use scraper or email them manually? I email them manually to add my personal touch to each email, but it gets super-frustrating when nobody replies.
$10/hr is fine for the start! I am talking about $3-4/hour that really disturbs me. Since your experience was slightly better that mine, can you please tell me what site you recommend or are they all the same?
Let me tell you this: Anytime I do work for someone, they LOVE it! Not blowing my own trumpet. Just illustrating that not only I have these skills, I am supposedly actually good at them. Also, when I had to quit my full-time job due to health reasons, they absolutely did not want me to leave.
Personally, I'm having a hard time understanding what health problem could prevent someone from doing what is essentially sedentary, physically easy work for 40, when they can do it for 30. It doesn't make sense. Work 40 hours.
Why not work for $10 an hour using elance.com? I am not saying that is or should be a long term future, but for now it means that some money will come in, which is better than none.
Second, go on github or those sites where people can prove their programming skills and get some reputation.
Third, use CodeAcademy, Coursera, edX and Udacity to learn other languages that will make you more marketable.
Fourth, approach some business owners in your area and offer to do a project for them for free. On the condition that they will endorse you.
$10/hr is not a problem. $3-4/hr is disturbing.
Is there a website that lets me communicate with local business owners? Maybe a website that connects small business-owners with each other? I guess I could cold-call them.
Learning a new language is no problem at all. I guess I could learn a couple more languages.
I like GitHub idea. I keep forgetting about this and postponing it inadvertently.
Am I the only one who thinks that his skillset might also be a problem? I see lots of Microsoft based software skills, but not a lot of general skills that are in demand.
Where's Java? Phyton? Ruby? C? C++?
Thanks, man. If you were to list these skills in order I should start picking them up, what would that be?
I can definitely pick up a new language or two. By the way, I do know C++. I have written classroom-level stuff with it but never used it professionally so I did not list it there.
Should I also get into app development? I already know some of it. I co-developed an app for Android.
I don't know of any sites that are local to your area. But call the Chamber of Commerce and ask them how to get in touch with local businesses.
As far as programming languages, I don't know which one will be the greatest asset, maybe a Google search can help you with that. In terms of chances to learn a language, buth edX and Coursera offer a Python course. edX starts on august 27th, Coursera on september 1st.
Craigslist is hit-and-miss. I live in a city where CL for computer gigs is pretty much dead, so I go to other cities and they do not like that I am not local. However, most of the people do not even reply?! How did you approach CL? Did you use scraper or email them manually? I email them manually to add my personal touch to each email, but it gets super-frustrating when nobody replies.
$10/hr is fine for the start! I am talking about $3-4/hour that really disturbs me. Since your experience was slightly better that mine, can you please tell me what site you recommend or are they all the same?
Let me tell you this: Anytime I do work for someone, they LOVE it! Not blowing my own trumpet. Just illustrating that not only I have these skills, I am supposedly actually good at them. Also, when I had to quit my full-time job due to health reasons, they absolutely did not want me to leave.
Have you approached your old company to see if they need some side projects done?
Score I'd communicate directly with them. The work might be like herding cats. Probably emphasize the basics of simply having a basic site with information first. These days every business has to have a website even just to post hours and tell about it. We're not talking about inventory management and taking orders that can come when volume comes in.
A website should also accommodate smart phones. I think any dreamweaver version in the past four years is compliant in this.
I would get a smart phone. Some cheap android one possibly unlocked is your best bet. I mention this because apps generally communicate to each other. The whole if this then that can be huge.
Craigslist is hit-and-miss. I live in a city where CL for computer gigs is pretty much dead, so I go to other cities and they do not like that I am not local. However, most of the people do not even reply?! How did you approach CL? Did you use scraper or email them manually? I email them manually to add my personal touch to each email, but it gets super-frustrating when nobody replies.
$10/hr is fine for the start! I am talking about $3-4/hour that really disturbs me. Since your experience was slightly better that mine, can you please tell me what site you recommend or are they all the same?
Let me tell you this: Anytime I do work for someone, they LOVE it! Not blowing my own trumpet. Just illustrating that not only I have these skills, I am supposedly actually good at them. Also, when I had to quit my full-time job due to health reasons, they absolutely did not want me to leave.
For CL, you don't have to necessarily search in your local area. Try the next city in any direction. Yes, most people don't reply. That's true. I got my gigs on there by advertising them instead of replying to gig posts (although I have gotten gigs that way too). A lot of the gigs I got involved helping people with their Computer Science homework.
While I did see some $3-4 hour jobs on ODesk.com, a lot of the time I see $10/hr or more. I'm not sure what type of jobs you usually search for on those sites. ODesk.com was the only site I used. I thought it was a decent site but as you know, it's about the competition, not necessarily the site itself. You could try that site instead if you haven't yet.
It sounds like you could succeed at a place like ODesk.com eventually if you start developing a client base. Just bite the bullet and take some cheap jobs for now until you build a portfolio on there. Like I said in my other post, being in the USA could be an advantage at times rather than a disadvantage. It just depends on the client you're dealing with.
If you really want to expand your skills, learn Java. I learned it in school but have no professional experience with it (sort of like your experience with C++). C++ is also a good choice but I often see more Java jobs than C++ jobs. On the other hand, a lot of clients in the finance industry want C++ programmers because performance is critical in their programs ... and the financial industry often pays more than most other programming gigs. Harder to break into though.
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