[jsdwarf]

Consultancies/Contractors can be career boosters, because they have a rather high attrition rate, which allows you to grow into more advanced positions faster than in a product shop (e.g. Dev -> tech lead or software architect). You should insist to be hired with that perspective. Unfortunately, consulting is a low-margin business, so expect to be laid off quickly if projects run dry. Time-Tracking is a huge pita in project organisations too.