First Contract! ... Bit like a wet party popper going off ...

[PerfectStorm]

I don't understand... you are paid more to do less.. less responsibility, less headache, can't see the drawback??

Did I miss anything?

This.

Lack of purpose can be annoying, so you have to make it fun.

It's not all bad when you're staying in the Hilton a few months later.

[PerfectStorm]

In effect as a contractor you will be more of a dogs body, I would say par for the course. No one is going to give you much of an interesting role, and yes it does "hamper" your career if you're ambitious, as you will always be doing the stuff no-one else wants to do. The positive is the money, you'll get paid more for doing it. The most interesting bit of my career was as a permie before moving into contracting, I'm now back as a permie but shoved into the corner as if I was a contractor, though they do pay me a lot

Careful, you'll awaken the IR35 police!