Re: AS/400 job market

[DAsmussen@xxxxxxx]

Evan,

In a message dated 1/27/00 2:00:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
spanner@ihug.co.nz writes:

<<snip>>
> While I agree with most of what you say Dean, I just can't swallow this. We
>  had a thread on this consultant/contractor crap not long ago. Your quote
>  stereotypes people by an arbitrary designation. It's a matter of semantics
>  whether someone is a contractor or a consultant. I have worked as a
>  contractor and would be apalled to think I was perpetuating the need for my
>  position.
>  
>  Thanks for the narrow minded insult.

Not intended to be an insult at all.  You are obviously a consultant that has 
accepted the equally arbitrary assignment of the "contractor" designation by 
his client.  I've been called "contractor" several times myself by various 
clients, but had no more chance of getting "renewed" than does a US President 
after two terms.  Clients often attempt to "shoehorn" consultants into the 
contractor title, merely because their organization does not differentiate 
between the two.

IMO, consultants come in to perform a specified task (hopefully passing on 
relevant knowledge to in-house staff in the process) and leave when that task 
is complete.  Contractors, on the other hand, accept a more amorphous 
assignment such as "maintain this system" or "support this system while our 
staff learns and implements something else".  A consultants' job is discrete, 
while a contractors' is open-ended.  A consultant is a specialist, while the 
contractor is more of a generalist.  That said, you cannot generalize 
_either_ of the positions -- my quote reflects the market at general, but not 
in its' entirety.  _MOST_ contractors _DO_ attempt to find another job at the 
same client when their original assignment is over, while _MOST_ consultants 
are more than glad to move on to something else.

If you wish to expound on what you found "narrow minded", I would be more 
than happy to reply...

Regards!

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"Winners never quit, and quitters never win." -- Vince Lombardi
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