I was thinking about working as a contract C++ programmer, but I didn't go to school as a C++ programmer. I was wondering if any of you know any good C++ books/resources that will teach me everything I need to know to start working as a C++ programmer.

Also, if you know any other good resources for working as a programmer for other languages, you can post those too.

Thanks for the help.

I think your view of what this takes is too naive. As a contract worker, you're not contracted to program in C++, you're contracted to solve problems. You can't market yourself as a C++ programmer. Nobody is looking for that.

People are looking for audio programmers who can fix their FMOD integration problems. They're looking for somebody who can write a custom hardware driver for a touch display. They're looking for somebody who can squeeze 10 us latency out of their realtime transaction system.

You don't start by being a programmer. You start by becoming an expert (or at least knowledgable) in a particular area. Then you establish yourself as an expert by writing blogposts, tweeting, writing open source code, etc.

Then maybe somebody will be looking for you.

I'd recommend you follow Amy Hoy for a while, and think about how her ideas apply to contracting.

Without a substantial amount of experience, it will be difficult to find paying work. Start by building some of your own personal projects and maybe contribute to open source projects that you believe in.

Thanks for the responses. I think I have an idea of what to do now.

And I am starting to get that idea after looking at contract work sites, revivalizer. It is actually really hard to get a job that fits me perfectly.