Re: job testing, Here we go again.

>   I know by sending this post I am doing exactly what I am complaining
> about, but hopefuly it will save us all time in  the long run .

You're right!

> living area, their salaries are MUCH lower than average, their area is hard
> to
> recruit people into, they have salary equity concerns within their shop,
> they
> are a consortium essentially not for profit so new budget dollars every
> year
> are hard to come by, etc.  the bottom line is that they are losing people
> through attrition and losses to other companies.  They recognize their
> they have a virtual monopoly...


Well, welcome to Reality 101.  Prices for programmers for the 400 line are
going UP...BIG TIME...and it's not going to get any better anytime soon.
Major houses here in DC metro are charging over $150/hr for pgming talent
and what amazes me THEY'RE GETTING IT!

SO, what you have is the classic W-2 scenerio where a DP Mgr has been
telling his pgming staff for years "sorry, but 4% is all I can give you"
and for years his staff is realizing that they're losing not only buying
power economically, but probably losing their skill set and stuck in a go
nowhere situation.  SO, it's a management problem in my opinion.
Management will have to change their stupid ideas about pay rates and
annual raises or go out of business or buy another architecture...perhaps
one that they can find programmers under every stone for...like NT...
Hey, I used to a W-2 type in a midrange shop...SEVERAL of them...and
frankly I got tired of all the 60 hr work weeks, no concern for your
personal life and every other dept by MIS getting the raises!  Now I'm a
contractor...and wouldn't got back for nothing less than one heckuva iron
clad contract!

(Read tounge in cheek!)  Frankly, I hope IBM IGNORES all this talk about
needs for schools/colleges to teach RPG and AS/400.  Frankly I want the
number of people that know how to programm on a 400 to goto zilch!  Do you
have any idea what kind of rates I can charge then? :)  Heck, if anyone
had told me 10 years ago that I'ld be able to put my brain in neutral and
crank RPG code for a couple of years; pay off my mortgage, finance my kids
college/hs fund and have enough to retire at 50 I'ld've told them they
were nuttier than my h/s chem lab partner!  But it's a REAL scenerio!  

On a drink bet at CUDs, I took a hunt about the place to find attendees
less than 30 years old.  In the entire night, I only was able to get 3
drinks!  I did flatter alot of people though :)  Midrangers are getting
OLD....which is GREAT job security for me!  ...not only that, the ones
that know the 400 or S/38's who's company's are leaving the platform for
something else, are generally staying with the company...not the 400...
Further dimenishment of the market talent pool...  This IS the life! :)

...just my opinion, but then, I may be wrong...

Don in DC metro...



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