I picked it up in my wired mag yesterday and read it, am I worried? Somewhat, what am I doing? Re-inventing is the only way I can keep head above water.
Already at work the Indians have come, they've worked on one project here quite well. Even though we're hiring American programmers still, Indians are good for the ground level work.
My adaptation? My brain, nobody can stay a drone level coder, I have my double Bachelors in Computers/Human Resources and I'm putting it to work developing and maybe some
How many loggers while you're at it? Face it--the fantasy world of overpaid IT jobs is gone forever. You have a skill that is basically fungible in today's world, and can be purchased at a lower price than would sustain or satisfy you. What IT people have been failing to understand for years now is that technology expertise is not as valuable a skill as it was once perceived. In fact, a lot of technology work is drudgery on the order of rivetting and lever-pulling. Too bad for those who were counting on making $300,000 a year. Time to reinvent yourself. The steelworkers did it. The loggers did it. Now it's your turn.
A huge difference there is that the people weren't just slammed out of work one day, they saw it coming, they could plan. There are currently many, many thousands of college students, with no degree yet, who are basically screwed. They have no money, they can't afford to do anything else. In today's America you need money to make money, and this situation prevents people from having it.
No offense, but I've been saying that programmers are like mechanics for YEARS. And as for "many thousands of college students, with no degree yet, who are basically screwed"? I started looking for work at the end of 2000, about six months before I graduated, and already the market was pretty bleak. Kids graduating this Summer had just started college in 2000. If not having to scramble to find work was important to them, they had plenty of warning.
I have a job, but my girlfriend and I will be moving wh
Any fool who thinks the loggers or steel workers 'made the transition' obviously hasn't toured the trailer-shanty towns of the Pacific Northwest, or the soup-kitchens of Pittsburgh.
While I have serious internal qualms about protectionism, there is only one way we can go if the current trends keep up, we'll be a country that consists of the super-rich and the ultra-poor.
Face facts, we can't all be super-educated scientist-inventors bringing on the future. Nor will we all make it as corporate super-executiv
What IT people have been failing to understand for years now is that technology expertise is not as valuable a skill as it was once perceived. In fact, a lot of technology work is drudgery on the order of rivetting and lever-pulling.
What exactly *is* a "high-level" job then? Managers sitting in meetings all day because they don't know how or don't want to use a wiki or discussion software instead? Making decisions about stuff they barely have a clue about? It is a political schmoozfest.
I'm curious - what did the steelworkers and loggers reinvent themselves as, exactly? And did they still have to pay back their steelworking and logging degree loans from college, or were those forgiven?
Farming labor - Pick up food. Textiles Work - Mixing, sewing, cutting Factory Work - Operate machinery, assemble stuff Accounting work - process accounting records. Keep track of accounts, understand new tax laws Computer Work - Takes specs, translate into computer format, test, fix, debug
The trend I see is that we keep having to move up to more and more challenging jobs. The new jobs are always more interesting then the last ones. Yes the cube jobs are going away, and yes there will be pain. But the new jobs
Promptness is its own reward, if one lives by the clock instead of the sword.
Good article, and what can you do? (Score:2)
Already at work the Indians have come, they've worked on one project here quite well. Even though we're hiring American programmers still, Indians are good for the ground level work.
My adaptation? My brain, nobody can stay a drone level coder, I have my double Bachelors in Computers/Human Resources and I'm putting it to work developing and maybe some
How many steel workers are left today? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:1)
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:2)
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:1)
I have a job, but my girlfriend and I will be moving wh
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:1)
While I have serious internal qualms about protectionism, there is only one way we can go if the current trends keep up, we'll be a country that consists of the super-rich and the ultra-poor.
Face facts, we can't all be super-educated scientist-inventors bringing on the future. Nor will we all make it as corporate super-executiv
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:1)
The government should help replace the evaporating jobs with targetted spending. It's hard to outsource healthcare, education and infrastructure jobs.
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:2, Interesting)
What exactly *is* a "high-level" job then? Managers sitting in meetings all day because they don't know how or don't want to use a wiki or discussion software instead? Making decisions about stuff they barely have a clue about? It is a political schmoozfest.
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:1)
Re:How many steel workers are left today? (Score:1)
Textiles Work - Mixing, sewing, cutting
Factory Work - Operate machinery, assemble stuff
Accounting work - process accounting records. Keep track of accounts, understand new tax laws
Computer Work - Takes specs, translate into computer format, test, fix, debug
The trend I see is that we keep having to move up to more and more challenging jobs. The new jobs are always more interesting then the last ones. Yes the cube jobs are going away, and yes there will be pain. But the new jobs