I've been trying for months to figure out how to mount a motherboard in this wondeful (free standing) porcelain toilet I have. Oh, and I need to figure out how to get the hard drives, etc. in and set up a cooling system. I figure once I get that done, I can connect the power switch to the handle, and [flush!] "Welcome to Windows!"
I'm in a position to hire, and I haven't seen anything like that down here in Houston as far as development goes. Sometimes I see the opposite--People want to hire 40-50 year-olds instead of kids fresh out of school because they assume an older person will have more maturity and will take less time to get settled into a position.
I think it depends on which industry you'd be working in. Each industry, for the most part, has its own personality, and chooses its employees accordingly. I can see how a company in Silicon Valley that develops software might aim for younger employees. (They might think that a younger person would be more able to work longer hours for less pay, etc.) However, a company who's developing software for internal use might have a different viewpoint.
Down here in Houston, quite a few IT employers are involved in some way or another with the oil industry (except for Compaq, of course). From what I've seen, these guys tend to prefer more mature folks.
Anyhoo, I wouldn't worry about facing this just yet. My gut feeling is if you get passed up for a college kid, you were probably grossly over-qualified for the position, and you might not have liked it anyway.
Hmmmm...Maybe I'll propose we change our company name to honor the Swedish chef...Bork! Bork! Consulting.:) Our corporate byline can be "Flim go voop, voop voop!"
Yes, a lot of H1B's are underpaid. I know of SAP consultants who get paid $40-$50/hr. (Norm for their skills would be about $100) for work because a contractor holds their visa. This, a lot of times, gets to indentured-servitude-type levels. And, this problem doesn't discriminate as far as language/skin color. I know of plenty of people from the U.K. or Australia who have problems. Unfortunately, since Green Cards usually take about three years to process, applicants are stuck where they are if they've started the process. It is possible to transfer a visa to another employer, but this can sometimes take up to 2-3 months, and the person in question is not legally allowed to work during this time. I know of companies that will put them to work anyway and pay under the table, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
How do we get around this problem, though? Have minimum wages for contractors? I can't see how this would work. I suppose you could set caps for hours worked, and you could monitor working conditions, but this would be quite complicated, given all the small sweat shops around.
I work for a consulting firm, and most of these comments don't really surprise me. I once had a gem of a conversation with a recruiter at another agency who didn't know what ERP Software was who was calling me(a company who specialized in ERP implementations) trying to get work. One of the gems:[no kidding] "ERP--Whatever that is."
So, instead of defending recruiters, I have a few suggestions that will make your life easier, should you decide to work with one.
1. If a company doesn't specify what format they want your resume in, send it in a way that's convenient for you. If they can't use it, and they're worth your while, they'll send you a note back nicely asking for another format. If they can't show you the consideration of using semi-complete sentences in their reply, then they probably won't be too accomodating with the job search either, so drop them.
2. It is possible to find agencies who employ people who know what they're talking about. In fact, there are agencies out there who, when they hire recruiters, look for people with technical backgrounds over sales/recruiting backgrounds. I do think this is important. After all, if they don't understand what you do, how are they going to find you a job that suits you?
3. Look for a place that gives you a response to your interest, even if they just tell you they'll keep you on file. The places I've been have always required a response to every resume submitted.
4. Tell the person you talk to what you want in a job, and be honest with them if you have objections or concerns to what they suggest. If you're not comfortable in a certain working environment, or if your wife's 8 months pregnant and you're going to need time off, let them know that. It's their job to make you happy, and if they put you in a position that you're unhappy in, this will not benefit them. (They may see some money out of it, but end clients have this funny way of not using companies with unhappy contractors.)If you want to work for a certain company, and haven't found an in yourself, always, always, always mention this. Also, see if they're willing to forward-market you. (Meaning, they'll call clients who don't have hard requirements and see if they can get you in anyway.)A company with an established client base won't have a problem calling one of their clients if you say you're interested in the technology they use, or in that specific company.
5. Request a salary/hourly rate you feel is reasonable. Do a little research on this. One thing, though--Never ask for less than you're currently making unless you're changing skill sets or your industry's slow. Believe it or not, this is a turn off. As far as asking what the bill rate is, some companies will not tell you this no matter what you do. My thoughts on this are simple: If they find you a job you really like, and give you a salary you feel (after research) is reasonable, let it go. However, if you have doubts or you feel you're being jacked around, ask. One of my clients requires that we tell them what we're paying our consultants and what benefits we give them to avoid some of this problem. If you do need to know what you're being billed at, also ask what your employment costs are. If you're being billed at $200 an hour, and you make $100 an hour, the company you're working through (unless you have your own company) is not making $100 off you, especially if you have benefits through them. Find out what these benefits are worth, and then figure out the difference. Simple benefits (meaning medical) in addition to employer taxes can mean 15% or more in some states. Other benefits such as 401k, day care, and paid bench time can add quite a bit more onto what you're getting.
6. If they're going to send your resume anywhere, make sure they ask you first, and they tell you who the client is. Many recruiters will be hesitant to tell you who the client is before they really talk with you. This is because other recruiters will call them, pretend to be candidates, and try to worm client information out of them. However, if you talk with them a little, and they figure out that you're to be trusted, they should tell you what you need to know. If they won't, don't work with them. I've seen situations where companies sent resumes in for candidates they hadn't even talked to, and this ended up hurting the candidate's chances for working for the client company in the future.
I'd imagine that fear's the motivation behind how our government's treating Kevin.
Our media has created an image for hackers akin to that of terrorists. If I chucked a flaming bag of manure on my neighbor's porch, it would be seen as a practical joke, a bit of mischief, whatever. If a hacker does the equivalent of this online, he instantly becomes a terrorist to the outside world.
I guess part of this hype has to do with the nature of the internet and the access to information you achieve simply through your own dial-up. Since one can jump all over the place with a little browsing expertise, we equate a hacker's prowess over the internet with Big Brother.
So, of course, the prospect of releasing a hacker into society inspires fear in a lot of people. While the hacker's probably contemplating eating his first Big Mac in a while, we're imagining him getting out and immediately logging on and creeping across the internet with invisible hacker-spider-legs to mess with our lives.
I suspect I'll get myself into trouble for saying this, but hackers have really turned into our Communists and Anarchists of years past--Normal people with hobbies (or interests) our government frowns upon.
Slashdot Mirror
I've been trying for months to figure out how to mount a motherboard in this wondeful (free standing) porcelain toilet I have. Oh, and I need to figure out how to get the hard drives, etc. in and set up a cooling system. I figure once I get that done, I can connect the power switch to the handle, and [flush!] "Welcome to Windows!"
I'm in a position to hire, and I haven't seen anything like that down here in Houston as far as development goes. Sometimes I see the opposite--People want to hire 40-50 year-olds instead of kids fresh out of school because they assume an older person will have more maturity and will take less time to get settled into a position.
I think it depends on which industry you'd be working in. Each industry, for the most part, has its own personality, and chooses its employees accordingly. I can see how a company in Silicon Valley that develops software might aim for younger employees. (They might think that a younger person would be more able to work longer hours for less pay, etc.) However, a company who's developing software for internal use might have a different viewpoint.
Down here in Houston, quite a few IT employers are involved in some way or another with the oil industry (except for Compaq, of course). From what I've seen, these guys tend to prefer more mature folks.
Anyhoo, I wouldn't worry about facing this just yet. My gut feeling is if you get passed up for a college kid, you were probably grossly over-qualified for the position, and you might not have liked it anyway.
Milkman Dan, of course!
Hmmmm...Maybe I'll propose we change our company name to honor the Swedish chef...Bork! Bork! Consulting. :) Our corporate byline can be "Flim go voop, voop voop!"
Yes, a lot of H1B's are underpaid. I know of SAP consultants who get paid $40-$50/hr. (Norm for their skills would be about $100) for work because a contractor holds their visa. This, a lot of times, gets to indentured-servitude-type levels. And, this problem doesn't discriminate as far as language/skin color. I know of plenty of people from the U.K. or Australia who have problems. Unfortunately, since Green Cards usually take about three years to process, applicants are stuck where they are if they've started the process. It is possible to transfer a visa to another employer, but this can sometimes take up to 2-3 months, and the person in question is not legally allowed to work during this time. I know of companies that will put them to work anyway and pay under the table, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
How do we get around this problem, though? Have minimum wages for contractors? I can't see how this would work. I suppose you could set caps for hours worked, and you could monitor working conditions, but this would be quite complicated, given all the small sweat shops around.
A comment from the peanut gallery...
I work for a consulting firm, and most of these comments don't really surprise me. I once had a gem of a conversation with a recruiter at another agency who didn't know what ERP Software was who was calling me(a company who specialized in ERP implementations) trying to get work. One of the gems:[no kidding] "ERP--Whatever that is."
So, instead of defending recruiters, I have a few suggestions that will make your life easier, should you decide to work with one.
1. If a company doesn't specify what format they want your resume in, send it in a way that's convenient for you. If they can't use it, and they're worth your while, they'll send you a note back nicely asking for another format. If they can't show you the consideration of using semi-complete sentences in their reply, then they probably won't be too accomodating with the job search either, so drop them.
2. It is possible to find agencies who employ people who know what they're talking about. In fact, there are agencies out there who, when they hire recruiters, look for people with technical backgrounds over sales/recruiting backgrounds. I do think this is important. After all, if they don't understand what you do, how are they going to find you a job that suits you?
3. Look for a place that gives you a response to your interest, even if they just tell you they'll keep you on file. The places I've been have always required a response to every resume submitted.
4. Tell the person you talk to what you want in a job, and be honest with them if you have objections or concerns to what they suggest. If you're not comfortable in a certain working environment, or if your wife's 8 months pregnant and you're going to need time off, let them know that. It's their job to make you happy, and if they put you in a position that you're unhappy in, this will not benefit them. (They may see some money out of it, but end clients have this funny way of not using companies with unhappy contractors.)If you want to work for a certain company, and haven't found an in yourself, always, always, always mention this. Also, see if they're willing to forward-market you. (Meaning, they'll call clients who don't have hard requirements and see if they can get you in anyway.)A company with an established client base won't have a problem calling one of their clients if you say you're interested in the technology they use, or in that specific company.
5. Request a salary/hourly rate you feel is reasonable. Do a little research on this. One thing, though--Never ask for less than you're currently making unless you're changing skill sets or your industry's slow. Believe it or not, this is a turn off. As far as asking what the bill rate is, some companies will not tell you this no matter what you do. My thoughts on this are simple: If they find you a job you really like, and give you a salary you feel (after research) is reasonable, let it go. However, if you have doubts or you feel you're being jacked around, ask. One of my clients requires that we tell them what we're paying our consultants and what benefits we give them to avoid some of this problem. If you do need to know what you're being billed at, also ask what your employment costs are. If you're being billed at $200 an hour, and you make $100 an hour, the company you're working through (unless you have your own company) is not making $100 off you, especially if you have benefits through them. Find out what these benefits are worth, and then figure out the difference. Simple benefits (meaning medical) in addition to employer taxes can mean 15% or more in some states. Other benefits such as 401k, day care, and paid bench time can add quite a bit more onto what you're getting.
6. If they're going to send your resume anywhere, make sure they ask you first, and they tell you who the client is. Many recruiters will be hesitant to tell you who the client is before they really talk with you. This is because other recruiters will call them, pretend to be candidates, and try to worm client information out of them. However, if you talk with them a little, and they figure out that you're to be trusted, they should tell you what you need to know. If they won't, don't work with them. I've seen situations where companies sent resumes in for candidates they hadn't even talked to, and this ended up hurting the candidate's chances for working for the client company in the future.
Anyway, I hope this helps.
I'd imagine that fear's the motivation behind how our government's treating Kevin.
Our media has created an image for hackers akin to that of terrorists. If I chucked a flaming bag of manure on my neighbor's porch, it would be seen as a practical joke, a bit of mischief, whatever. If a hacker does the equivalent of this online, he instantly becomes a terrorist to the outside world.
I guess part of this hype has to do with the nature of the internet and the access to information you achieve simply through your own dial-up. Since one can jump all over the place with a little browsing expertise, we equate a hacker's prowess over the internet with Big Brother.
So, of course, the prospect of releasing a hacker into society inspires fear in a lot of people. While the hacker's probably contemplating eating his first Big Mac in a while, we're imagining him getting out and immediately logging on and creeping across the internet with invisible hacker-spider-legs to mess with our lives.
I suspect I'll get myself into trouble for saying this, but hackers have really turned into our Communists and Anarchists of years past--Normal people with hobbies (or interests) our government frowns upon.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
-RG