[DarrenZ]

4 years ago I was broke and considered myself unemployable. I’d been out of the job market for 6 years as I tried to start my own software business, releasing one failed product after another. My skills had stagnated, I was in dept, and had maxed out my overdraft.

When crunch time came, I took the first job I found, worked there for 6 months as a C++ developer, and then started working as a .Net contractor after teaching myself C# over the space of a few weeks.

Forward 4 years: I earn top money as a contractor, have released 4 new applications and a couple of web apps — all far better than anything I released during my failed solo career. For me, the truth was I produced more and of better quality when I was in full time work than when I had all the time in the world. There’s a saying: “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

Contracting 6 or 9 months in different companies actually helps with my own software, as I learn new ways of doing things, get new ideas for products, and get huge confidence boosts from doing well in each new job.