[jasonkester]

I think I was around 30 when I started doing the travel, contract, repeat cycle. By then I had established a reputation for being good at building things and a handful of good contacts at places that needed work done from time to time.

Job hopping helps with the impostor syndrome thing, which everybody has to a degree. After half a dozen stints at different companies each telling you that you're good at what you do, it eventually starts to sink in. It also helps prove to you that you can in fact pick up work quickly when you need it in this industry (usually including a nice rate bump). And of course, the more people you work for, the bigger the list of "ex-bosses friends building a team" becomes, and with it the pool of options for future gigs.

Good luck!