RE: longevity

I'm going to have to agree with Frank on this one. I've made similar
observations over the last 6 1/2 years or so that I've been consulting. The
longest I've stayed at one client site is 12 months but I usually start
searching for new work at the 10 month of a 1 year contract.

I reached the top of the "food chain" years ago so the natural next step for me
was to start my own company. I try to stay alert to any red flags with clients
due to how easy it usually is for parent corporations to to either offshore
outsource or bring in consultants from foreign based companies and replace the
American consultants.

For the past 3 years, I've had 3 clients in the central PA area. One was an 11
month contract and the others were around 12 months (although one of the
clients brought me back for a 3rd time to do a small project.

Things have been anything but easy and due to the overall shortage, a lot of
networking, a proactive strategy for finding new work, and a little help from
God, I consider myself one of the fortunate ones whose career has survived.
Don't know what tomorrow holds!



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well dave, the five year "gut " of the i/t industry from 01-06 has scared
enough "stable" i/t workers, almost to the point that recruiters are having
difficulty in getting "employed" folks to change, and yet there are still
thousands sitting at home trying to get back into i/t and to no avail.

i already see the shortage of as400 developers , most of my placements are
taking three/four months to fill. the old days of hearing the "ninety day
probation" period to see if both the employer/employee like each other may be
long over, cause i'm finding the "employed employee "
will no long take that risk to see if each are happy with the other. mainly
because of the mass layoff for such a long time So , with very few new
"trainees " brought in these last five years,
things are going to get real interesting....probably more ammo for clients to
"outsource"
i see company ads in the papers/job boards longer and longer now...lots of
frustration out there now...

i know of one cobol insurance firm up north that has had five offers rejected
these last sixty days

"As the world turns...........in the I/T industry,,,

regards, frank thomas

best regards,
frank thomas
dir/mis recruiting
hms company
412-531-7494
hmsco@xxxxxxx
serving the mis industry thirty five years