1. We don’t care about anything but the money – Utter rubbish….that may be true of some people but it shouldn’t be a blanket statement. Some contractors put in the time and go the extra mile not just because of the money but because they take pride in what they do.
2. We hate full-timers – Again a complete bunch of non-sense. Some people like the lifestyle that being a contractor affords. Don’t forget…when we don’t work we aren’t getting paid.
3. We are contract employees because we can’t get a real job. I would say my usual “bite me” on this one. But for some people contract work IS a stepping stone to getting a full-time staff role. Er, sorry I have a real career. There is a difference.
4. Overtime is our friend. Some people love it. Personally I hate working overtime. Just because I get paid for it doesn’t mean I want to spend my downtime working. I can eat into your sorry budget if you fail to plan…plan to fail
5. We can’t tell what a workplace is like because we aren’t there very long. Again, not accurate. A good consultant can assess an environment pretty early in an assignment. I know for example if I hate the work setup from day one. You can tell group dynamics at the first team meeting. The alpha personalities show up pretty early as do the people lacking social skills. I’ve even turned down gigs if I didn’t like the interviewer – if they were someone I’d be working closely with.

There will always be people who believe that contract workers are less than qualified or they’d have a real job. But honestly who wants to work for the intellectually deficient (or ID as I like to call it). It certainly isn’t a career strategy for everyone. I’ve certainly contemplated what being a staff employee would mean but every time I’ve interviewed for a gig I’ve felt ambivalent. Obviously, a sign I’m not interested.

Communication skills are key to working with and as a contractor. Passion also plays a role, you don’t get excited about work you aren’t passionate about. I may not always like the projects I work on but I love what I do or I’d change careers again!

So what are your pet peeves about contract work? I have so many horror stories I might have to adapt my own version of the movie Horrible Bosses or Horrible Agencies…might be more appropriate!

I recently read My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman based upon the recommendation of a friend. I have to say I thought that after read a bunch of other books about freelancing and doing it for over 5 years I didn’t think I was going to learn a lot. Not the best attitude to have, but I read on average 5 books at once so I don’t like to start a book unless I’m going to finish it.

The guide covers everything from creating a business plan, developing a marketing strategy and dealing with clients. Most people skip creating the business plan because they think it needs to be complicated and long. Well that need not be the case. The author discusses why having a business plan is important i.e. for clarifying what you are doing, why you are doing it and also can you make a living at it.

The section on pricing in the book is worth the cost of the book. Figuring out how much to charge is one of THE biggest challenges most people face. I know I still struggle with it. I want to be fair to the client but I also need to charge what my services are worth. Someone will always want the cheapest price they can get for a job but usually I know that person is someone I am not meant to serve.

If you are new to freelancing or just need a kick in the butt to straighten out your business this book is a must read. The section about contracts is great too. If you know any good contract attorneys send them my way!

Michelle blogs at anti9to5guide.com or follow her tweets @anti9to5guide