Moving from a Permanent Position to Contract Work?

duncan bayne asks: "I'm sure many developers in salaried, permanent positions have been tempted by the self-management, flexibility and higher pay that are the perks of being a contractor, while at the same time looking nervously at the uncertainty and irregular income. So, to all those in the Slashdot crowd who've made the change - what was it like, was it worth it, and what advice can you share?"

Comments

Clarification

[rackhamh]

Contracting isn't exactly self-management. Many companies prefer to do all project management themselves and simply treat contractors as implementers.

Re:Clarification

[rackhamh]

IIRC, if you're a contractor then your employer is not allowed to define the hours of when you work or don't work
That may be; I don't know the legal side of it. But in practical terms, on projects that require interaction with business groups, you will be working the same hours that they do. Furthermore, some companies will require that you work on-site, as a means of providing secure access to company resources -- which will also limit your working hours.

I'm sure it's possible to build up a consulting business that avoids this kind of situations, but you may have to turn down some lucrative jobs to maintain such standards.

I've no choice but to consult!

[TheTiminator]

Being in my late 40's, it's almost impossible for me to find a technology or programming position with an established company. I'm either too old, too set in my ways, will want too much money, over experienced, too primadona, or too close to retirement age to be of any consideration compared to the 20-somethings out there. And since I don't want the headaches or want to play the politics of a management position, I'm basically forced into becoming a freelance consultant. With that in mind - I love it! I make my own hours. True, I usually work 60+ hours a week. But, I get to choose to take a morning off now and then without having to ask anyone for permission. Yes, the financials are a bit of a nightmare, but once you get the hang of it and keep track of every cent made, and every receipt, then it's not so bad. Also, if you have a lot of experience in a specific area of technology, and you have a knack at writing then you could also look at writing articles and books. Between writing and programming, I'm managing to keep pretty busy.