1) Is less involved with office politics,
2) Generally makes more money,
3) Has more control of his or her destiny,
4) Is often seen as an expert,
I also learned that I can plan for a contracting career right from the start. In other words, the book teaches you exactly what to do to work as a contract programmer in a short time. I thought you had to have years of experience. The author details five steps for achieving success:
Step 1) Learn how to study computer science
Step 2) Follow a nicely planned curriculum
Step 3) Strategic, full-time industry experience
Step 4) Get your first contract
Step 5) Longevity-maintaining your skills
This book is important for those who haven't studied programming before or are just starting to, because it teaches you a mastery mind set and how to learn how to efficiently learn computer science to master it.
After reading this book I had instant confidence and started planning my career as a contractor rather than a everyday employee.
The other consulting books around are good, I've read some, but they all deal with the time after you have your programming degree or have had some experience already. This book is with you from the beginning!
The author takes you by the hand and teaches you how to motivate yourself, how to study, how to schedule your time and more. It is very complete and it has a companion Web site, too! Don't buy it if you are looking for a casual overview of the entire consulting realm. Buy it if you want to make big money working as an expert programmer/consultant.
So, I say: Don't be afraid to go all the way the first time. This is a "must-read" book!
This book really gets you excited and teaches you about getting into contract programming starting from square one.
It will give you an edge in getting started and provide you with little tricks and tips on moving quickly and surely into contracting. A true beginner's guide indeed.
The other books already assume you are a professional programmer. This one does not. In fact, the author wrote the book specifically for those who always wanted a career in computers/programming, but were unsure how to proceed, let alone become a high-paid contract programmer.
The U.S. government said that the IT field will have the fastest growing careers and is schedueled to boom again. You should move now if you are going to move at all. Temporary worker hiring is already increasing.
Forget about being an employee. Use this book to build your confidence. It will even show you a very cool study method which teaches you how to master learning computer science.
Conclusion: A very unique, motivational and worthwhile read. You can succeed without it, but you'll do it much faster and more confidently WITH it!
Buy it today!
Highlights:
1) It presents a 5-step plan with a timeline, that is easy to follow.
2) Shows you how to develop your study skills so you can easily master any subject.
3) The appendix has a nice section on suggested books for the course, which lists the titles for all phases of the program.
4) The author lists and describes the subjects (self-study or other) you MUST master to be successful and what topics in these courses are of prime importance.
5) It motivates you to work hard.
6) It tells you how to choose the appropriate advanced books based on the programming language or development platform you want to work with.
7) It has many great ideas and gives you many tools to work with, especially if you are new to programming.
8) You can use the book in its entirety with the prescribed timelines or just use portions as they apply to your scenario.
Low lights:
Really none, unless you expect miracles and don't want to put the time in and "work the system," as the text on the back cover says.
In conclusion:
It is a unique book as the author doesn't baby you-he comes right out and tells you that the program is rigorous, but will be enjoyable and highly rewarding for those who truly love working with computers and want to carve out a new career.
It isn't just for contractors, really, it can help anyone getting into the programming field, especially computer students who want to start out on the right foot and add an extra dimension to their career arsenal.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone ready to make a move into contract programming or regular, salaried programming either.