RE: longevity -- MIDRANGE-JOBS

I too feel the pain, my beginnings in 1980 were with a shop converting from IBM System III to System/38. CL & PRGIII were the new brand in a 5 programmer shop. I started in operations due to second uncle working in the credit department.

This is after attending VOCTEC college taking RPG, COBOL, Pascal on System/36 hardware. I had the technical skills for an entry-level programmer with the current shop but months turned to years (FIVE), and out-source of all but payroll code was followed by laying off of 4 programmers and I was back in the job market.

With the encouragement of my wife I pursued the "programming" position we both envision. Less than 3 months later I received that programmers offering in a small New Mexico town. The employer was a well established federal highway contractor. The position evolved into a Directors position with the business presence of the micro computer & Microsoft.

The company's founder died, family took over, well, half the family children of 4. A big company auction to buy out the 2 kids who didn't like someone else driving the ship. That is when I left, after seven years.

Began consulting in the area, incorporated in 1998, have extended contract with contractor I left ten years ago that expired last month. Other clients are Doctors, schools, other small business that produce about 20 hours per week.

I'm 51, much too young for Wal-Mart but not completely closed on the reality. I can financially hold out until this time next year on savings and little odd jobs, however my future is now in God's hands. I believe that the cause is much greater than my own selfish outlook of the domestic technical culture in the US, with the results of quality that business must now reap offshore, "I WILL RETURN" !!!

At 12:03 PM 6/5/2007, info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

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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
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