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Climb the corporate ladder, then you will make a fortune
I disagree. You can stay a developer if you also behave like a businessman.
In a corporation, you are just one cog in a wheel. As a freelance consultant, you are master of your own destiny - if you dare. When you work for yourself, there is no corporation to skim the cream off the top or tell you how and with what technology to implement your project. Effectively, you can choose the projects you want to work on.
I guess this sort of life is not for everyone, but it sure beats being an ant!
Cheers,
Karim.
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Show me a CEO or top level manager in a big corporate and then show me an independant contractor. Both with the same knowledge, skills, business sense etc. and I will bet the former has a fatter bank balance.
Climbing the corporate ladder means getting closer to the "queen ant" and using the resources of all the ants below you. The more ants you have below you the bigger your personal revenue. You skim the cream of the projects of those below you.
An independant contractor with business sense would be wise to start their own company and have lots of ants working for him. He then unfortunatley cannot just develop. He has to manage the company, manage the sales team, motivate people, handle administration, go to c**k tail parties.
I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to earn serious "retire by 26" money you have to start your own company or do some serious ladder climbing. I have been fortunate as I started with a small company, one level below the top boss and stayed at that level.
I guess this sort of life is not for everyone, but it sure beats being an ant!
I don't mind being an ant for a few years and then reaping a whole heap of rewards. Much better than being a struggling yet free grasshopper for many many years.
regards,
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa
"The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
"In other words, the developer is dealing with an elephant, the accountant is dealing with a bunny rabbit." by Stan Shannon - 16/10/2001
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The best and most experienced developers aren't interested in making a fortune. The challenge drives them on. Not the thought of making a quick buck. That is why the IT industry is in the mess it is, too many people only interested in making quick money rather than developing a quality product that they are proud of.
Michael
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I know a lot of overpaid IT people (including some programmers).
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001
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One is only overpaid if one is crap. Otherwise it's whatever the service is worth or what people are willing to pay.
I agree that many IT people are overpaid. I have rarely seen an industry where incompetence is endemic.
Cheers,
Karim.
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In the end, we all need to make a buck. We should be proud of doing a professional job, and not take on assignments we know nothing about.
I place emphasis on being a professional who sells knowledge; knowledge which is thin on the ground. I'm quite happy to let market forces dictate my rate, but I refuse to work for nothing. After all, there is more to life than coding.
Cheers,
Karim.
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