Hi everyone
Thanks for all for your opinions. But could you take
it somewhere else? Let's remember that this listing
is for JOBS...THANKS!
Jennifer
--- "David L. Rice" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I've been consulting/contracting quite successfully
> and profitably for
> several years now. And I have to agree with Erika
> here for the most part.
> Consulting is not a job--it's a state of mind. Wife,
> husband, kids,
> obligations aside (we all have those, no matter what
> job we work, so take a
> pill and get over that part of it) you simply have
> to WANT to be a
> contractor to be really successful at it over the
> long haul. If you go into
> every contract with the attitude: "I'm so happy to
> be here", you'll succeed.
> If you look at a given contract like a "job", you
> might as well stay perm.
> The key to successful contracting is, as Erika
> intimates: make sure you're
> resume is always current--and as she actually says,
> have a couple months pad
> in the bank for the lean, between contract times.
> Some companies pay bench
> time but they're few and far between, in my
> experience. Sure, there are lean
> times but if one plans ahead for those, they're not
> as bad as one would
> think.
>
> The thing about consulting, or contracting,
> depending upon whether you're a
> half-full or half-empty kind of person, is that it
> is a great way to learn
> multiple technologies and apply them as the job
> dictates. I enjoy
> contracting because the challenge is always new
> (even if the CF, MS-SQL,
> Oracle, DataStage, BusinessObjects, Quest, et
> cetera, version is old... ;)),
> and you get to meet and interact with new people on
> an on-going basis. For
> people persons, such as myself, this is always a
> great draw. For those with
> less a less social bent who are more "geeky" there
> are those kinds of folks
> too usually. The thing is, one has to be open to new
> experiences and take
> full advantage of them when they arise.
>
> As any long-term contractor is, I am proficient in
> several scripting
> languages, several programming languages and several
> data base methodologies
> so I can fit almost anywhere. Although CF is my
> mainstay, by choice, I enjoy
> coding in all of them and I mix-and-match as the
> contract dictates. If I'm
> not absolutely proficient in the technology the
> client is asking for, and I
> get the interview simply because of past
> experience/successful contracts, I
> tell them honestly that I don't know xyz
> programming/scripting language but
> I'm quick on the uptake... ;). I am willing to learn
> the next "latest and
> greatest" technology the client thinks they need at
> the drop of a hat. With
> this approach, I win some, I lose some, and some get
> rained out. The main
> thing is that the client knows you're flexible and
> ready to help accommodate
> them right up front.
>
> If you have enough past experience in multiple
> disciplines, I've found that
> many clients are ready to take you on based upon
> that past record of success
> versus the fact that you know this or that
> particular technology. By the
> same token, if you learned CF from a "21 days" book
> and you've only coded
> your brother-in-law's web site, contracting may not
> be for you. Contracting
> normally requires that you truly grasp the entire
> gamut of software
> development, from planning, design, documentation,
> coding and
> implementation. This includes all the other
> technologies that may impact
> your project such as OOP, networking protocols, a
> thorough grasp of web
> technologies, LDAP, CFHTTP, custom tags, javascript,
> WDDX, data base
> methodologies, security, ad naseam.
>
> Anyway, I've made an intended short post long. I
> don't normally chime in but
> contracting, in and of itself, doesn't suck... Only
> people who lack
> self-confidence in themselves or who have never done
> it enough to give it a
> chance would entertain the idea--personally, I
> wouldn't do anything else at
> this point... ;). Trust me, if you're at all
> proficient with the technology
> you're thinking about contracting for--you'll
> probably do fine. Take a
> gamble--contract!
>
> Cheers,
> --
> David L. Rice
> Web Applications Developer
> 24/7 cell: 205.903.9467
> eFax: 253.550.8239
> ICQ: 177820
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ----------------------------
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Erika L Walker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 10:15 PM
> > To: CF-Jobs
> > Subject: RE: Consulting sucks
> >
> >
> > Well I wasn't going to add anything to this
> thread, but now I have to....
> > <itching to tell my story sort of thing...>
> >
> > I love consulting. I also don't have kids, but if
> I did, I'm sure I would
> > love the flexibility it offers. And, no, I'm not
> married, so there is no
> > husband paying the bills which enables me to
> continue consulting.
> >
> > I did the corporate route and the in-house long
> term contract, I even
> > trained racehorses, and still, nothing beats being
> your own boss, calling
> > the shots, setting your own hours and playing golf
> on a really sunny day
> > because you can! (or skiing!)
> >
> > Of course, it is a lot of hard work, long hours,
> dedication, and
> > it takes a
> > tenacity that is very hard to develop. As Richard
> says,
> > "Consulting -- when
> > it's good, it's very, very good and when it's bad,
> it's horrid."
> > You have to
> > be able to weather the storms.....which sometimes,
> are not unlike the huge
> > layoffs we keep hearing about. Job security is
> only as good as the economy
> > at times.
> >
> > I loved consulting so much, I found a partner and
> we made a
> > business of it.
> > My own knowledge has grown because of this. I can
> delve into any kind of
> > code, Java, VB, RPG, CF, ASP, JSP, Flash, you name
> it! Consulting made it
> > possible. You have to wear many different hats and
> be able to
> > turn on a dime
> > at times, unless you specialize in one or two
> fields. Even then,
> > it's still
> > a tough road to follow with technology changing
> with every turn.
> >
> > There is not a day that goes by that I don't learn
> something new. This, in
> > itself, is so exciting!
> >
> > So, please, future consultants out there......it
> really is a great way to
> > make a living....it just takes a lot of
> self-discipline, a few
> > month's worth
> > of bill money in the bank, and a lot of hard work.
> "You can do it!"
> >
> > Erika
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------
> > AIM: WebErika5
> > Yahoo: WebErika
> > MSN: WebErika
> > AskMe.com Expert: WebErika
> > --------------------------------
> > Erika L. Walker
> > Vice President
> > RUWebby, LLC
> > 201-370-4272 (c)
>
=== message truncated ===
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