Consulting: It's a lot like running your own business...
Every once in a while* somebody will ask what it's like to be a consultant @ Microsoft. The successful choose their own gigs carefully, which is easy in the up economy that we have now where demand exceeds supply. Let's pray that continues for a lot longer!
This little* article @ HR World sums up a lot of it (although some of the points don't apply):
Consulting @ Microsoft is a lot like running your own business without the risk attendant upon the feast-or-famine world of the small business. #s 30, 37, 39, 57, 60, 65, 80, 83 and 94 are my favorites. #99 is guaranteed to happen, whether you like it or not. No job is flawless (not even mine) nor is any boss perfect (not even me).
* Please ignore the sarcasm. - ed.