Thanks!

With problems I've been having at work, I'm seriously considering making the jump to contracting soon rather than after I have years of experience like I planned. I'm wondering if I have the skills to cut it. Where I work now, the programming isn't too demanding.

I've been looking at the ads, and one thing I see over and over is needing to be able to do client/server. I know nothing about it. Is there some way to learn this without having to by a backend(?) ? Any good books about it? I need something that's good for beginners, preferrably that starts out explaining what it is. :)

Thanks,

-Michelle


>On it's way!
>
>>Could you send me that, too?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>-Michelle
>>
>>
>>>Hi Kevin ---
>>>
>>>I am emailing you a demo of a skills testing program I tested for a recruiter. It has a very good VFP/FP test. It will help you assess your level as a developer. That being said:
>>>
>>>I would recommend that you initially work with a contracting service and let them handle contract negotiation, marketing, et al. before trying to handle those things yourself. After a while (12-18 mos) you will get a better feel for the non-technical ends of the business and will also be exposed more through your work.
>>>
>>>Finally, bear in mind that really good VFP developers are not too common. Price yourself accordingly: If you believe that you are moderately skilled, you could contract out at $30-50 per hour with a contracting service. Later, on your own, you should be able to command $60-100/hour and maybe even more if specialized work.
>>>
>>>Also, other technical skills you have and some non-technical skills can be a plus. Are you bilingual? A good database person? Do you have certification in non-technical areas (CPA, et al)?
>>>
>>>> I have been programming for approximately two years now with Visual Foxpro, and I am starting to feel confident enough in my skills to make a go of it on my own as a consultant or as a member of a consulting team (the latter being preferrable). The only problem is that I don't have a lot of knowledge in how to proceed with something like this.
>>>> I have questions that need answering such as what is a fair hourly rate for a consultant and how should I measure my skills to accurately rate myself as a programmer? And what are standard types of contracts that are signed between consultants and the companies that they work for? More specifically, within a contract, what sort of risk should the consultant shoulder in the agreement and what risk should the employer shoulder?
>>>> If anyone would like to offer a small treatise on the this topic, I would be most grateful.