Contracting is a beast of its own and certainly has downsides, especially if you need to make rent next month. If you have a stable job and want to go the cont

Contracting is a beast of its own and certainly has downsides, especially if you need to make rent next month. If you have a stable job and want to go the contracting route, I suggest doing it on the side to learn the basics of marketing yourself and determining if you like aspects of the client relationships. "How do I contract successfully" is a solved problem, but a lot of folks (myself included!) don't start learning the skill until they don't have a job. That limits options and increases the stress. Some basic strategizing can pay off in a big way, both financially and in terms of minimizing your personal stress, if you choose that route.