I've been looking at getting into exclusively software engineering for a variety of reasons (better pay, not having to climb mgmt ladder, greater work flexibility, etc). However, none of my titles really reflect the experience I have.
My first job out of school I did nothing but software engineering for over a year. Since then about six years, I've spent at least 35% of my time programming in some capacity whether it be Java, SQL, VBA (ugh), C++, C#. While often not structured group programming environments, I've learned a ton along of the way.
In my current job, I've gotten pushed into mostly doing development work. Without disparaging my coworkers too much (this is anonymous, right?), I've seen a clear lack of basic design principles and code quality from people who are supposedly professional programmers. While unfortunate for the company, it's made it abundantly clear I'm already capable of high quality work (at least compared to developers in this industry).
I've been looking at software engineering roles that I know I'm capable of and having trouble with credibility when dealing with recruiters because I don't have a "developer" title on my resume. What are some ways to highlight my abilities for at least a mid-level position and get a position with difficulty I'm capable of and pay I'm deserving of?