From Java Developer to Consultant: Open Source Impact & Career Freedom | Java Rockstar Career #15

How do you transition from a full-time Java developer to a successful independent consultant? And what motivates someone to then join a major open-source company like Red Hat?

In this episode of the Java Rockstar Career series, we sit down with Java Champion and Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat, Roberto Cortez. Roberto shares the exact strategies he used to find clients, negotiate rates, and build a reputation as a consultant by leveraging conferences and focusing on niche technologies like Maven and Java Batch.

Discover why Roberto believes the most valuable career skill is flexibility and how his journey into open source was driven by a desire to keep his team together. We also dive into the inspiring story behind the JNation conference, which grew from a small user group to a 1,300-attendee event. This is a must-watch for any developer curious about consulting, the power of open source, and building a career with freedom and impact.

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VIDEO CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Introducing Roberto Cortez: Java Champion & Principal Engineer at Red Hat
01:34 - Roberto's Career Trajectory: From Internship to Consultancy
07:29 - The Strategy: How to Market Yourself and Find Consulting Clients
11:38 - Learning to Sell Without Any Formal Training
18:23 - How to Price Your Consulting Services
20:44 - The Art of Negotiation: How to Get the Rate You Deserve
28:54 - Why He Moved from a Lucrative Consulting Career to a Full-Time Job
34:40 - Improving Quarkus by Talking Directly to Users
43:12 - The Experience of Being Paid to Work on Open Source
48:23 - The Power of Focusing on Niche Technologies to Stand Out
56:11 - Practical Tips for Your First Open Source Contribution
1:05:34 - The Inspiring Story of Creating the JNation Conference
1:16:19 - How to Continuously Improve as a Software Developer
1:24:30 - What It Truly Means to Be a Senior Developer
1:28:55 - The Most Important Soft Skill for Senior Engineers
1:30:52 - The #1 Most Important Technology for Java Developers to Master
1:37:55 - Hobbies: A Tour of Roberto's Awesome Anime Figure Collection
1:44:13 - Roberto's Top Book Recommendation for Java Developers
1:45:24 - The Final Golden Career Lesson: Be Flexible

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Roberto Cortez is a Java Champion and a Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat, where he works on the Quarkus project. He is a leader in the Java community as the founder of the JNation conference and the Coimbra JUG in Portugal. With a rich background in consulting and open source, Roberto is a regular international speaker and a JavaOne Rockstar.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Book - Effective Java by Joshua Bloch: A fundamental book recommended for every Java developer.
Conference - JNation: The premier Java conference in Portugal, founded by Roberto.
P.S. Want to accelerate your career even faster? Join our free weekly live sessions for intermediate and senior Java developers. Register here: https://javachallengers.com/weekly-li...

To contact Roberto Cortez, here is his LinkedIn:
  / radcortez  

This is the JNation conference:
https://jnation.pt/

Roberto's Twitter (X):
https://x.com/radcortez

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