Slashdot Mirror
Increasing the Value of the Domestic IT Worker?
KoshClassic asks: "To state it simply, in today's global economy, the IT worker in America is in direct competition with IT workers in countries such as India who are willing to do the same job for less. Much of this willingness has to do with standards and costs of living in these other countries, and without lowering ours or raising theirs, the American IT worker can not compete on even terms if the only consideration is cost. What should American IT workers be doing to differentiate ourselves from our overseas counterparts, to add the kinds of value for employers that will make them want to look beyond direct costs and see other benefits that will make it worthwhile for them to keep these jobs in the US? I'm not sure what the answer to this question is, but I am convinced that the answer lies in trends and industry wide changes, rather than just individuals polishing their own resumes. When an employer decides he needs to fill a programming position, what is going to make him want to fill that position in the U.S. rather than overseas, even before individual candidates are considered"
What should American IT workers be doing to differentiate ourselves from our overseas counterparts?
Sucky, sucky...me work for you for long time.
I'm trying to break into healthcare now. Patents and copyrights as evil--so at least I won't be directly patenting or copyrighting something. You can never fully get away from it (until we all wake up), but those Indians will have to deal with that on their conscience.
-I am an elective eunuch.
Have you ever ventured outside of your mom's basement?
Give your potential employer something that can't be done over the phone.
Apparently, they should be switching to car repair - a market with a labor shortage, a desperate need for people with strong technical skills, and something that is unlikely to be outsourced until cheap teleportation arrives on the scene.
nah!
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
What you communication problem meaning? I understand not the question you pose sir?
Why just Bangor? Why not Portland or Augusta or any of Maine's other cities? :)
If you become a cerified ford mechanic, you will never run out of work. A ford can't make it far enough to be able to offshore it.
Fight Spammers!
Unlike everyone else in the (1st) world, I really like the way more and more IT jobs are going offshore. That's because I don't create computer software with my brain, I create it with other people's brains - in other words I'm a manager.
Whoo! You just signed your death warrant on Slashdot, bucko.
Dear Gods no. Dont scare the suits with your pasty face and tshirt. Go back into your cave and never come out again.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
"what is going to make him want to fill that position in the U.S. rather than overseas, even before individual candidates are considered"
Threaten to send pictures of him and the secretary to his wife.
Why bother outsourcing to India when you can just build a box, install AT&T's Natural Voice's new Indian accent, Anjali http://wcarchive.cdrom.com/pub/bws/bws_44/Anjali.m p3), some run of the mill voice recognition software (maybe an old copy of ViaVoice) and send it to a perl script for processing? Hell, the thing would be damn near perfect- it still wouldn't be able to understand you when you call in for tech support, and would cost HALF! Perfect Emulation!