Beyond landing a job, Stack Overflow can be of great benefit for independent developers and consultants. By demonstrating knowledge in a specific area, along with the ability to communicate what you know, you can become very attractive to someone looking for a consultant in that area.

I've been contacted on several occasions by individuals and companies who were looking to hire me as a contractor, based solely on an answer or two that I had left on Stack Overflow. I don't have the time to consult, so I can't say what those opportunities would have been worth. A couple of them sounded interesting, though.

However, I've received a greater number of these requests from the non-Stack-Overflow content that I've put out there like my course, the open source projects I've worked on, and the guides that I've published on my blog. All of this public information can help to identify you as an expert in an area. Think of how many people use the phrase "he wrote the book on that" when speaking about an authority on a subject.

Overall, I look at Stack Overflow as a way of keeping my skills sharp, while at the same time giving back for all of the help I've received from others over the years. I take time that I would have wasted on blogs, etc. and channel it here. If it benefits my career, that's a great side effect.