I created an LLC to do Software Development, now what?

4 points by zer0sand0nes 1 year ago | 6 comments

I created an LLC to start getting work as a 1099 contractor when I noticed the job market becoming what it is today in 2022.

However - I seem to be stuck in this repetitive cycle: -- Recruiter Reaches out to me on LinkedIn -- I go through the interview rounds with their client -- Ghost

Of course, I might not ace every interview, but this happens, every single time. Some recruiters even ghost prior to having an interview which is strange, and doesn't usually happen with Full-Time or W2 contract roles.

I did not create a Website for my LLC nor did I put it on my LinkedIn page. I'm basically applying to 1099 jobs and waiting for recruiters to reach out to me for these types of roles.

My specialization is in Software Systems (mainly backend) - and I really enjoy designing "well lubed" systems, so I know there are many small-to-medium businesses that could benefit from my skills but I am unable to attract them.

Any thoughts on how to get these kinds of jobs, whether it be a short-term project, freelance, hourly project, or even kind of like a 9-5 with an hourly rate as a contractor.

The reason I'm also pursuing this is due to my inability to interview well. I'm quite solid on Algorithm/Data Structure questions now (I started doing Leetcode/Hackerrank this Feb pretty religiously after losing my job, and now I'm enjoying it) and I'm improving on System Design interviews as well (read: in many cases the engineer interviewing you has read 1 article about the question they're asking you, and they want you to provide exactly that -- if you know too much, they might not get it so you end up failure as well -- I'm approaching this to learn all the "common questions" & architectures that get asked).

But for some reason, I never seem to be able to land a job that I enjoy, either due to the people or due to the limited scope. (and the pay is always subpar)

So I want to really own a bit more in terms of the projects, and I think I would learn a lot more this way. I would feel "whole" in a way, like an animal in the wild, in sync with nature.

I think establishing myself as someone that can deliver work for companies would be far more beneficial for me rather than getting a new job every few years or so and going back to mediocrity.

bityard 1 year ago |

I've never been a contractor per se but I've been working in tech for decades, so this is just a bunch of random thoughts.

You say you don't interview well and this could very well be a deal-breaker as a contractor. As a contractor, you are part salescritter as well. You are selling yourself. As in all things, these are skills that come more naturally to some than others, but can still be learned by anyone given the motivation.

How is your resume? If you don't have a strong resume, website proving your experience, or portfolio, most companies are going to shy away from you as an unknown quantity. It's REALLY hard (maybe impossible) to spin up a contracting business without some documented or word-of-mouth history of being a sharp cookie.

Are you utilizing your network? Maintaining connections with co-workers and friends is extremely important when W-2 job hopping, and I suspect it's even more important in contracting. If you are targeting small to mid size businesses, most decent-sized cities have regular meetups for local business professionals that are literally just for networking. They don't even have to be tech focused events. Just go and meet people. Ask them what they do and pretend to be interested in their work. Tell them what you do and notice that they are pretending to be interested in what you do. It sounds stupid, but one day someone will call you out of the blue and say, "So-and-so said you know X, and can I throw money at you to solve my problem?" Print business cards. Attend conferences that are tied to your field.

IME, successful contractors specialize in a fairly specific niche, like embedded design, or Postgres performance tuning, or storage buildouts. Generalist contractors can do well too, but there are a lot of them, so you have to stand out above them somehow, whether that's better marketing, networking, and/or experience.

Your last three paragraphs speak to job dissatisfaction. I have to take a page from Mike Rowe here and suggest not looking for the perfect job that sparks your passion. Instead, bring your passion to the job. It's always hard to tell from the outside whether a job will be fun and uplifting or a soul-crushing experience. It's not the work that matters, it's the mindset you carry with you throughout the day. Optimism is also a learned skill, and one that definitely did not come naturally to me. But one embraced, it opens up So. Many. Doors.

johnny99k 1 year ago |

Finding clients is the single hardest thing you will do as a contractor. I've been contracting for 10 years and even now, I deal with clients ghosting me, projects falling through at the last minute, etc.

I just had a client that wanted to talk about a new project today. They never sent me a meeting link and ghosted me.

Applying to 1099 jobs is a good idea. it's a numbers game.

zer0sand0nes 1 year ago | |

How do you find clients? Got any tips/tricks to share?

I'm unemployed right now so I'll take anything.

migf 1 year ago |

This is the national org for 1099 passthrough contracting shops. See if any of these folks have work. These organizations will perform the sales part with larger companies, and carry larger insurance policies than independent consultants can usually get. They'll take a cut, but there's still pretty good money in it. The work is typically staff augmentation roles on various large projects at F500 companies.

https://techservealliance.org/member-directory/

There's also a supplier directory it may be worth registering on.

zer0sand0nes 1 year ago | |

Thanks for sharing this. Can you elaborate on how to use it ?

migf 1 year ago | | |

I would recommend looking for partners in your state, or somewhere you don't mind working. Get your resume ready, and figure out where you're at in terms of remote or onsite work. Reach out to org leads or recruiters and see if they have any matches for your skillset.