The work you do as a contractor/consultant will be different from what most FTE developers do in that you're likely to have more autonomy and responsibility for

The work you do as a contractor/consultant will be different from what most FTE developers do in that you're likely to have more autonomy and responsibility for setting the direction of your work. Your clients will hire you because they believe you can solve some kind of problem for them. In a roundabout way this provides an answer to how to find clients: Meet as many people as you can and see if you can find ways to give them useful advice from your experience. Don't worry about selling, instead focus on understanding how your skills relate to problems that other people have and what kinds of people you might want to work with. In my experience once you get that figured out the paying work will present itself and you'll be able to figure out what to charge. On moonlighting: My advice is don't do it even if your employment contract permits it, it's hard to do your best work on a side job and your best work will be more satisfying for you and pay dividends in the future. Finally, remember that being a FTE saves you from a fair amount of the time overhead that comes with managing a business. Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions.